Posts from a range of voices on fostering an effective environmental movement.
Since the MAVA Foundation announced it would close its doors in 2022, its stakeholders have reacted with shock, disbelief, tears, indignation, worry, interest and -- more rarely -- congratulations. Even rarer still is an understanding of the unexpected benefits of closing, of which there are many.
Keywords: conservation, spending-down
By connecting young people to their sense of rebellion, their values and their communities, we can help turn on its head the increasingly pervasive norm that success is defined by what you earn and what you own. In so doing, we can improve young people's mental health and help protect the environment at the same time.
Keywords: consumerism, effectiveness, health, joined-up-thinking
British millennials have the second worst mental wellbeing in the world, second only to Japan. One in four young women between the ages of 16 and 24 report having self-harmed and 93% of teachers report increased levels of mental illness in children and young people. What if the solution to the mental health crisis facing young people is the same as tackling environmental degradation?
Keywords: consumerism, health, joined-up-thinking
It is over thirty years since Michael Soulé proposed his model of conservation biology as a “synthetic, multi-disciplinary science”. Since everything humanity needs and does is ultimately derived from nature, it is imperative the sciences, social sciences, policy, practice, human rights, international development, legal and financial systems, culture and the arts come together to address one of the most pressing existential crises of our time. The Collaborative Fund is designed to support such collaboration between nine biodiversity conservation organisations and the University of Cambridge.
Keywords: collaboration, conservation, effectiveness, funding overseas, joined-up-thinking
Women around the globe are at the forefront of addressing the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation; designing, implementing, and scaling up their own solutions. Yet, as a new mapping report by Global Greengrants Fund and Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds reveals, only 0.2 percent of all foundation funding focuses explicitly on women and the environment. This means that there is a great opportunity for funders committed to protecting our planet to improve their interventions by supporting compelling women-led solutions.
Keywords: effectiveness, funding overseas, grassroots, women
Why did an Australian conservation organisation email its supporters encouraging them to vote for same-sex marriage, and what can environmental funders learn from their experience?
Keywords: communications, effectiveness, joined-up-thinking, values
On 12 December, 2018, the second anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened world leaders for the One Planet Summit. It was an extraordinary event.
Keywords: climate change
One of the toughest challenges facing us in caring for the environment is that it is going to take all of us working together. The big systemic challenges like climate change or economically-driven degradation of the natural world need systemic responses. Responses are not hard to design, but how to do we achieve the ‘all of us working together’ part? The USA is way out ahead of us here, with funders partnering up with backbone organisations and giving unrestricted funding, in relationships of trust. It is time we in the UK caught up with this approach to whole-systems change.
Keywords: collaboration, collective-impact, systems change
We asked 92 chief executives of environmental organisations, “Which non-profit UK environmental organisations (not including your own) do you think accomplish the most, given the resources at their disposal?” Here's what they told us.
Keywords: effectiveness
Unsustainable development, consumerism, the unequal role of women in society – all have negative impacts on our natural environment. Can environmental philanthropy successfully address the most pressing challenges if we do not acknowledge their interconnected nature? We believe that collaboration with funders from different fields – health, development, social justice – will mean a better-targeted and relevant response to environmental problems, and ultimately more impact. Collaboration across sectors is the future of environmental funding.
Keywords: collaboration, conservation, effectiveness, funding overseas, joined-up-thinking
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