ABOUT EGA

PROJECTS

Member Services

EGA Annual Fall Retreat

EGA’s annual retreat has been an ongoing program for the organization since its inception.  The annual EGA Fall Retreat assists grantmakers in learning about issues, collaborating on projects, and sharing information to help funders improve their effectiveness as environmental grantmakers. It also allows environmental philanthropists to increase their effectiveness, through heightened synergy and collaboration thus providing a more strategic role and increasing the effectiveness of the growing environmental movement.

EGA Policy Briefings

EGA’s policy briefings are held biannually to coincide with federal elections.  The purpose of policy briefings are to provide grantmakers with a better understanding of upcoming federal actions affecting the environment.  The conference includes plenary sessions, debates, and small group sessions which will assess the implications of advocacy efforts.  The briefings also discuss what environmental challenges need to be addressed and federal policies that are affecting the environment.

Environmental Grantmaking

EGA provides a number of opportunities for grantmakers to network and to stay informed on environmental issues.  The primary medium is through EGA’s website that it regularly updated with news, job postings and event announcements.  EGA’s website also allows non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) to connect with grantmakers on possible collaborations.  EGA prints a semi- annual journal that is written by EGA’s members and distributed to the public through the website.  The journal contains articles on issues influencing the philanthropic and nonprofit fields. 

The Enhancing the Field Program

The Enhancing the Field Program seeks to expand and encourage EGA’s initiatives throughout philanthropy and is comprised of the projects that are described below.

Green Practices

EGA encourages foundations to green their business practices from investing responsibly to using florescent light bulbs and recycled paper.  The organization has outlined a slate of initiatives in order to help ‘green’ philanthropy resulting in reduced emissions, support for localized sustainability efforts across the nation, and more resources, overall,  for the environment. EGA’s Green Practices projects include a Green Office Supply Co-op; a ‘Green Beyond Grants” resource guide, a database (to be released) and the promotion of carbon offsetting throughout philanthropy.

Inclusive Practices

The Inclusive Practices Project strives to bring diverse perspectives to the field of environmental philanthropy by fostering the participation and leadership development of individuals representing traditionally marginalized groups within the environmental movement to our association.  As a function of these efforts we have launched a summer internship program for college students and a fellowship program for graduate students at EGA. Students perform a research project of their choice and aid in general organizational operations. High performing participants are encouraged to join the EGA community at the Annual Fall Retreat; all students receive a year’s subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and join the EGA Alumni List serve.

Tracking the Field

The Tracking the Field Project is a research-based initiative that monitors trends in environmental philanthropy and that analyzes these for distribution and consumption amongst our members.  In 2006 EGA produced a Briefing Book on Biofuels that served as a philanthropic primer on the burgeoning issue of biofuels. In 2007 EGA is crafting a State of Environmental Philanthropy plenary session and accompanying publication for our 20th Anniversary Retreat.

Working Groups

EGA has working groups that work on specific environmental issues.  These working groups are organized by grantmakers to discuss particular issue areas, hold briefings and produce reports.  The goal of these groups is to gather funders who are interested in the same topic areas to foster collaboration and discussions.