Program

EGA’s Commitment to Building Diversity

For the past several years, EGA has been working on issues of inclusiveness and diversity. The first step was recognizing how the problem of lack of diversity (including, but not limited to gender, class, age, race and sexual orientation) impacts the strength of the environmental movement and our growth and relevance as a philanthropic affinity group. To that end, the Inclusive Practices Committee was formed, working to create new resolutions and diversity goals each year. These include ensuring that the presenters at our annual retreat reflect a variety of values; focusing more explicitly in our retreats on issues of environmental justice, racism and equity; promoting diversity in hiring amongst funders; and providing resources for members to increase their awareness and effectiveness around diversity issues. Interest around diversity continues to grow in the EGA community, and we hope you will take a step to learn more about why this is by participating in this workshop.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

9:30am – 5:00pm

Undoing Racism Workshop with the People’s Institute

What can a workshop on undoing racism offer an environmental grantmaker? This workshop promises to enrich your work and broaden your thinking. Last year’s participants overwhelmingly rated it “outstanding” and the most frequent comments on the evaluations was that it should be offered every year, and that it should be longer than one day. While we can’t honor the second request, we hope you’ll take advantage of this thought-provoking opportunity.

“[This session] caused revelations; [it] changed the way I see the world,” said one participant. EGA is proud to join with the People’s Institute in offering this valuable session again. Participants will learn how to work more effectively and justly in today’s diverse communities, challenge old assumptions about how our work is affected by race, analyze existing systems and strategies, and gain practical skills.

Participants will also discuss how to understand what racism is and how it is maintained; identify and begin to dismantle racist planning and procedures; gain energy and insight into taking new risks and trying new strategies; open doors for building effective multi-racial coalitions; and create a common language for going forward. The workshop will also address some of the requests of last year’s participants, including more participation and more time to reflect on the issues as funders.

For over 20 years the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond has been a leader in confronting and solving the problems of race in our society. Through their workshops and consultations they have empowered individuals and communities to move from addressing the symptoms of racism to dismantling the causes of racism, creating a more just and equitable society. The Workshop is designed to educate, challenge and empower people to “undo” the racist structures that hinder social change.

The Undoing Racism Workshop is an excellent opportunity to learn how to become anti-racist in our work and to continue on the path towards just change in environmental grantmaking, and thus the environmental movement as a whole.

Institute: 101 Basics

9:30 – 11:00am

101: Environmental Grantmaking in Canada: A Primer

Interested in learning more about the “big picture” of environmental grantmaking in Canada–including what’s being funded and where? Join us for a presentation and interactive demonstration of the impressive capabilities of CEGN's Canadian Environmental Grants Database as well as a lively discussion on the issues, needs and gaps in funding in the Canadian environmental sector. This on-line interactive session is a must for anyone who wants to better understand environmental grantmaking in Canada.

SPEAKER

Kathryn Townshend is the coordinator of the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers’ Network. Formerly the manager of research and policy at the Ontario Arts Council, Kathryn is currently a consultant in research, strategic planning and program evaluation on a broad range of projects in the not-for-profit, government and private sectors.

101: Making a Difference Beyond Grantmaking: Community Foundations Show the Way

For many foundations, the downturn in the stock market means fewer dollars to give away. Foundations are asking how they can continue to make an impact with fewer financial resources. Community Foundations have answers. With limited or no money, they have perfected techniques that allow them to have a profound impact on environmental issues. Community foundations have found effective and lasting ways to advance environmental issues with minimal grant dollars through their leadership, creation of strategic partnerships, leveraging and their ability to frame out issues for thoughtful public debate. To help illustrate these techniques, speakers will draw on their extensive experience to address hypothetical environmental challenges posed by audience members.

SPEAKERS

Andy Mills is a program assistant for The Community Foundation of Greater Kingston (CFGK). He manages CFGK’s grantmaking program, the youth philanthropy program, and acts as a project manager for several initiatives. Andy has an Honors degree in Sociology from the University of Western Ontario, and a diploma in Community Economic Development from Simon Fraser University.

Carolyn Milne has been the President & CEO of the Hamilton Community Foundation for over eight years. She holds a Masters of Health Science Practice degree from McMaster University. She has served on numerous boards in her own community and currently sits on the Board of Community Foundations of Canada.

FACILITATOR

Sheila Leahy has provided a variety of consulting services to not-for-profits and philanthropic organizations since 1988. She has worked with EGA, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Michigan Council on Foundations and many other philanthropic organizations where her diverse set of skills have suited the many-faceted needs of her clients.

11:15am – 12:45pm

101: Moving Beyond Outreach: Building Diverse Coalitions to Win

Today, many leaders fostering change on issues of critical importance to the environment and communities represent so-called non-traditional partners, such as communities of color, labor and faith-based organizers. From environmental justice to transportation choice to affordable housing, their accomplishments are growing. Yet environmentalists often speak of the need to outreach to these leaders, as if they will educate them and thus bring them into the fold. The reality is that these groups are already part of the base in other ways. Join this session to learn about specific efforts that are succeeding in diversifying the faces and voices at the table to build coalitions that can win.

SPEAKERS

Carl Anthony is a program officer at the Ford Foundation, where he directs the Sustainable Metropolitan Communities Initiative. Prior to joining the Foundation, he convened and co-chaired the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development. Carl was founder and executive director of the Urban Habitat Program for 12 years.

Christine Doby is a program officer with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in their program “Pathways Out of Poverty,” with a specialty in community organizing. Her experience in this field includes work as a community organizer and subsequent years as local director of the Campaign for Human Development, a major funder of community organizing.

FACILITATOR

Ben Starrett is the founding executive director of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, created in 1999 to strengthen philanthropic funders’ ability to support organizations working to build more livable communities through smarter growth policies and practices.

101: The Precautionary Principle: An Innovative Framework for Advancing Public Health

Much critical work aimed at protecting ecological and human health focuses on responding to environmental hazards. But what if society were designed to prevent harm and protect health? This session looks at pioneering efforts to implement the Precautionary Principle, which asserts “when an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken, even if cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.” In Boston, San Francisco and in the European Union, leaders are working to embed the Principle in municipal codes and chemicals regulations. Join us to discuss these innovative initiatives to build healthier communities.

SPEAKER

Arlene Rodriguez is the program officer for the Environment and leads the San Francisco Foundation in addressing urban and natural environmental issues, regional approaches to equitable smart growth, and environmental health and justice. She also serves as a commissioner on the environment for the city and county of San Francisco.

FACILITATOR

Kathy Sessions is the coordinator of the Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN), a group of 170 funders interested in the intersections of environment and health, and of the Climate and Energy Funders Group. Both are projects of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, which will host European precautionary principle leaders in the US this fall.

12:45 – 1:30pm

Lunch

Institute: 201 Strategy Sessions

1:30 – 3:00pm

201: Get on the Bus, Gus: TEA-3 and Beyond

One of the most significant impacts on the environment is transportation. American surface transportation is at a crossroads this year in the form of reauthorization of the federal transportation bill (TEA-3). What is in it? What is not? And how will this affect your grantmaking at the local, state and regional level? Will this bill be a force for good (walkable neighborhoods) or add to the land use/climate/ health downward spiral with more roads and backdoor attacks on important environmental laws such as NEPA and the Clean Air Act?

SPEAKERS

Hooper Brooks is program director for the environment at the Surdna Foundation. He directs the environment program, working on transportation, energy, biologicaldiversity and urban/suburban land-use issues. He has worked at the Regional Plan Association, has served as the executive director of the Brookline Conservation Commission, and was also development director for the Boston Natural Areas Fund.

Margaret O’Dell is program manager for environment at the Joyce Foundation, where she has worked since 1989 on environmental issues including transportation, sustainable agriculture, water quality and toxics. She is also a member of the EGA Management Board and chairs the Transportation Funders Group of the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities.

FACILITATOR

Ben Starrett is executive director of the Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, a network of over 60 private, corporate and community foundations with interests in smart growth and urban sprawl. Ben has had extensive experience in the government and nonprofit policy sectors, most notably the Eastward, Ho! project in Florida.

201: Life After Campaign Finance Reform: Fresh Tactics

Federal and state campaign finance reforms are dramatically altering the strategies available to mobilize the grassroots, create alliances, and run effective media campaigns. This interactive session will explore two of the more far-reaching reforms–the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold) and the Arizona Clean Elections Act. When reform is well-designed, prepared for, and understood by environmentalists, they can organize new voters, recruit environmental candidates, and change the terms of debate. No matter how you approach environmental grantmaking, it is important to understand the changing landscape and evolving strategies available to the advocacy funding communities.

SPEAKER

Elizabeth Collaton is executive director of the Stern Family Fund, which supports campaign finance reform as well as government and corporate accountability projects. Prior to joining the Fund, her work involved policy analysis and grassroots organizing on source reduction, recycling, smart growth and urban redevelopment for nonprofit environmental organizations.

FACILITATOR

Michael Caudell-Feagan is the program director for the Piper Fund, a grantmaking collaborative of foundations and donors dedicated to state campaign finance reform as a unifying strategy to enhance civic participation and advocacy. He is a program officer for the Solidago Foundation and a Stern Family Fund board member.

3:00pm
Retreat registration begins

3:15 – 4:45pm

201: Build Media Muscle! Winning Strategies to Communicate Values and Shape Opinions

Strong communications strategies are fundamental to successful campaigns. But who is framing the issue, who controls the debate, what values are being articulated, and what can funders and grantees do to influence opinion? Hear about exciting communications strategies and provocative new funding ideas while learning how to frame your issue in the process.

SPEAKERS

Robert Bray is a nationally recognized public relations strategist, media professional and communications leader. Robert serves on the board of the Common Counsel Foundation and founded the SPIN Project to “reclaim” the art of spin for positive social change. He helps build media learning movements in the US and internationally, while training and mentoring advocates.

Peter Teague is program officer for the environment at Nathan Cummings Foundation. He served as senior environmental policy advisor to Congressman Leon Panetta, senate candidate Diane Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer. Peter also worked at the Tides Foundation where his portfolio included economic, social and environmental justice; community organizing; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights; harm reduction; AIDS; and democratic renewal.

FACILITATOR

Helen Brunner is director of foundation services for Art Resources International, a research, publishing and consulting organization in Washington, DC. Currently a program consultant to the Albert A. List Foundation, she has advised Ford, Pew, Andy Warhol, and other foundations in the areas of communications policy, First Amendment rights, and the arts.

RELATED LINKS

SPIN Project

6:00 – 8:00pm

Opening Reception at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

The Opening Welcome Reception will take place in the Grand Hall of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, located a 15 minute walk from the Château Laurier Hotel. The Grand Hall is dedicated to the culture, lifestyle and monumental art of the First Nations peoples of Canada’s Pacific Coast, and our reception will feature traditional Canadian foods and entertainment. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to tour Canada Hall as it retraces the European discovery and settlement of Canada from the Viking period onwards.