Environmental
Initiative

Ventura County was identified by the Washington Post as the fastest warming county in the continental United States with average air temperature increasing 4.68 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s, twice as much as the global average. Additionally, in 2021, the Ventura County Civic Alliance identified drought and climate change as the biggest threats facing our community. It became crucial that the Ventura County Community Foundation address climate change through an Environmental Initiative.

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. According to Giving USA, the national average of contributions to the environment in 2022 was 3%, compared to 2.5% percent of VCCF’s annual giving supporting the environment in 2022.

To-date, over 40 organizations, with programs in Ventura County focused on environmental issues, from environmental justice, conservation and restoration, wildfire recovery and prevention, natural resources, youth education, farm-to-table food access, workforce development and so much more, have attended and shared their needs and where philanthropy can best help fill the gaps through the Environmental Listening Tour.