Community foundations across California are investing in environmental sustainability and climate resilience.

Forest Futures

Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation

Forest Futures is a three-year, $30M initiative and a comprehensive playbook that can be replicated by other communities to align local organizations around minimizing the risk of extreme wildfires through better preparation, investment in forest health and infrastructure, and diversifying local economies. To date $1.85MM has been granted to 22 local organizations.

CORE Hub

Humboldt Area Foundation / Wild Rivers Community Foundation

Headquartered at the Humboldt Area Foundation, the Redwood CORE Hub has a mission to help solve the climate emergency and act with urgency to transition the built and natural systems to become both decarbonized and resilient at the same time. CORE supports deep community engagement, expert technical assistance, and centers equity by ensuring benefits accrue to underrepresented and marginalized communities first and to the greatest extent.

Climate Initiative

San Diego Foundation

Since 2006, the Climate Initiative has supported organizations that build equitable climate resilience through research, education, community engagement and programs that benefit historically underserved communities and low-income, climate-vulnerable populations.

Regional Water Management Foundation

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County

The Regional Water Management Foundation (RWMF) was established by the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in 2007. In cooperation with local agencies, the RWMF supports planning and obtains funding for water resource projects in Santa Cruz County. To date, over $25 million in grants have been awarded through the RWMF.

Conservation Blueprint

Santa Barbara Foundation

A collaboration of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, Cachuma Resource Conservation District, and the Santa Barbara Foundation’s LEAF Initiative, the Conservation Blueprint includes an online mapping tool called the Atlas and a written report that focuses on five natural resource themes – water, flora and fauna, agriculture and ranch lands, climate change, and community and the land.

Environment: Community Action Grants

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Through this grant program, SVCF supports organizations led by and allied with communities of color and of undocumented status that prioritize improving access to clean air, water, open space and food in communities of color and undocumented communities.

Environmental Initiative

Ventura County Community Foundation

VCCF embarked on an Environmental Listening Tour in April of 2021 after 76 percent of donors from a focus group identified the environment as one of their top two areas of interest for their giving. To date over 30 organizations have participated in the Environmental Listening Tour as VCCF launches this new initaitive.

Connecting the Regional Food Economy

Sacramento Region Community Foundation

SRCF’s leadership in Connecting the Regional Food Economy aims to create upstream changes that ensure everyone benefits from a healthy and thriving regional food system with access for all. The Foundation partners with the key players in the food economy — including local farmers, distributors, and vendors — to pursue that aim. The Foundation funded the Sacramento Region Food System Action Plan and hosts the Healthy Food Economy Fund.

This article was originally published by the League of California Community Foundations.