Program

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

6:45–7:45 am

Bodymind Motion Class
with Bethany Wall, Mertz Gilmore Foundation

Take a break from all that heady conversation with colleagues and nourish your body, mind and spirit with this energizing movement class. Emphasizing breath, energy, alignment, release, strength, stretch and fun, this class is designed to renew and refresh your sagging (or maybe just overworked and weary!) soul.  Wear comfortable, loose clothing and bare feet.

8:00–9:00 am

Breakfast

8:00–9:00 am

Ad Hocs
(funder only conversations)

State Climate Strategies

In the absence of federal action on global warming growing numbers of US states are taking action to develop greenhouse gas reduction plans.  This is important for three reasons: first these plans can help show the way for other states and for the federal government as well; second they offer a political prompt for federal action; and finally state action is significant in its own right.  32 of the 50 largest GHG emitters in the world are U.S. states.  Much of the work at the state level in the US is funded by private foundations.  Please join us to learn more about how foundations can play a role jumpstarting more state action on reducing emissions. Michael Northrup will facilitate the discussion.

ORGANIZERS
Michael Northrup, Rockefeller Brothers Fund & Andrew McElwaine, Great Lakes Protection Fund

LOCATION
West Dining Room

The Connecticut River Watershed: Opportunities for Funder Collaborations

The Connecticut River is a key feature in the New England landscape. While not as beset by industrial pollution as other waterways, the threats to the Connecticut River are no less dire, and reflect some of the modern habits (e.g. sprawl) that stand in the way of the health of this valuable ecosystem.  This session is an opportunity to explore ways that funders with different priorities, but working in the same geographical area (CT River Watershed), can discuss a broad vision of restoration for the watershed, and how we might work together to support our respective goals.

ORGANIZER
Nicole Chevalier, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation

LOCATION
East Dining Room One

Making the Agriculture-Water Connection: A gathering of WFA and SAFSF

Come join us for a unique gathering of water and sustainable agriculture funders. While the connections between farm issues and water policies seem so self-evident, there are very few opportunities to bring funders together from these sectors to explore innovative grantmaking and ongoing challenges to moving progressive water and agriculture policies. We will explore the interconnections between water and agriculture, with a focus on finding opportunities to advance sustainable practices and policy on the farm and the rivers and groundwater that support them.

ORGANIZERS
Jean Caiani, Panta Rhea Foundation, Virginia Clarke-Laskin, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders & Torri Estrada, Water Funders Alliance

LOCATION
East Dining Room Two

Environmental Conflict Resolution: A Tool for Grantmakers – How To Use It And What To Expect From It

The theme for this session is based on a guide for grantmakers recently completed by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The guide captures lessons learned about environmental conflict resolution (ECR) and consensus-building as strategies for environmental protection and environmental management. Participants in this session will be provided with a copy of the guide and will have an opportunity to engage in a lively discussion about when and how grantmakers can use ECR to help grantees, as well as how to help environmental collaboratives work better.

ORGANIZER
Malka Kopell, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

LOCATION
Main Dining Room One

The Challenges and Opportunities to Funding Indigenous Peoples Internationally

Mandatory and Voluntary changes to the ways international funders carry out due diligence, made following 9/11, have confused and frightened grantmakers and Indigenous communities alike. There is growing concern that these new rules not only stifle financial support to Indigenous communities but also threaten basic civil liberties. Funders will explore recommendations and guidelines to assist funders in their support for Indigenous development and conservation efforts.

ORGANIZER
Evelyn Arce-White, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples

LOCATION
Main Dining Room Two

Building Statewide Tri-Sectoral Collaboration: Uniting for Environmental Protection

A case study of increasing the power of environmental protection by allying progressive non-profit communities, sustainable businesses and government representatives in a sustainability movement including the use of a LEED registered, Multi-Tenant Nonprofit Center as a focal and educational tool.

ORGANIZER
John Powers, Educational Foundation of America

LOCATION
Main Dining Room Three

Small Foundations: Creating a Community for Change

Within EGA, there currently exists no formal network or support group for small foundations that are engaged in environmental philanthropy. With few staff and limited resources, these foundations often face difficulties that larger foundations can more easily address. Attend this ad hoc and engage with representatives from small foundations to discuss strategies, swap stories, and detail lessons learned regarding small foundation impact, evaluation, and collaboration.

ORGANIZERS
Lori Udall, Sachuruna Foundation & Heidi Binko, WestWind Foundation

LOCATION
Azalea ( Mountain Lake Conference House)

Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN)

HEFN is pleased to host this informal gathering for funders interested in the intersections of environment and health. Come by to learn about HEFN, tell us about your interests, ask questions about issues or funding strategies. For those interested in strategic collaborations, we'll also run through a growing menu of opportunities -- like state-based campaigns, market campaigns, alliance-building with labor, an upcoming national toxic tour, efforts to elevate women's leadership in the environmental health movement, science & green chemistry...

ORGANIZER
Kathy Sessions, HEFN Coordinator

LOCATION
Lilac ( Mountain Lake Conference House)

Extractive Industries in Latin America

Canadian mining companies. Social, political, and environmental problems being caused by such projects.

ORGANIZER
Martin Stanley, Holly Hill Charitable Trust

LOCATION
Rose ( Mountain Lake Conference House)

Leadership for Sustainability: Lessons Learned about Environmental Leadership Development from the Environmental Leadership Collaborative

Over the past three years, the Environmental Leadership Collaborative, a group of over 20 environmental leadership development programs, has met to share lessons, strategies and best practices for promoting and supporting leadership development in the environmental field. This session will highlight and seek feedback on their recently released report “Leadership for Sustainability: Developing Leaders for the Environment”.  The report, referencing such programs as LEAD International, Environmental Leadership Program, Green Corps, Ashoka, National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program and Institute for Conservation Leadership among many others, offers strategies and insights for funders, environmental nonprofits and leaders who recognize the need to strengthen support for emerging and established environmental leaders to achieve sustainable solutions.  The report can be downloaded at www.enviroleader.org/ELCreport.html 

ORGANIZER
Lissa Widoff, Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation

LOCATION
Dogwood ( Mountain Lake Conference House)

Creating a Sustainable Electronics Industry

A wide range of energy and international trade issues in flux right now are affecting and affected by the Farm Bill. And all these issues are part of the debate: environment and human health impacts, sustainable food systems, climate change, renewable energy production, sprawl, and the uncertain fate of family farms and rural communities. Funders working in one or more of these arenas are invited to "put their cards on the table," with their top three priorities in the next 12-18 months.

ORGANIZERS
Daniel Katz, Overbrook Foundation & Annie Ducmanis, Sustainable Consumption and Production Funders

LOCATION
Main Dining Room Four

Wilderness Funders Meeting

This will be an informal discussion for veteran wilderness funders and those interested in funding in the area. There are significant opportunities to protect wilderness even in the current climate, but there are also major strategic challenges that grantees and funders face. In the limited time available we will tackle these topics.

ORGANIZERS
John Gilroy, Campaign for America’s Wilderness & Denise Joines, Wilburforce Foundation

LOCATION
Cliff View Room

9:00–10:30 am

We Can Get There from Here: Setting an Agenda for EGA to Craft a Positive Environmental Future

Day Three: Movement and Next Steps

We’ll conclude by sharing, analyzing and reflecting on the findings from the small group discussions. With the assistance of a panel comprised of some of our colleagues serving as respondents and commentators, we will consider the output from the previous two days and look at the implications for EGA, the environmental movement and the broader progressive political agenda. What were the common themes? Where did opinions diverge regarding the barriers we need to surmount or the opportunities we need to exploit in the near future? What, if any, conflicts emerged about the strategies best suited for this work? What kind of alliances will be required within and between foundations and sectors? What are the implications of these visions for other segments of the progressive community? Regardless of the unique work of our individual foundations, are there unifying themes that contribute to the collective progress of the environmental movement? What more do we need to do as individual foundations? What do we need to do as a community represented by organizations such as EGA?  This conversation will serve as a springboard into action for the year ahead and the work we can do together—at the 2006 Retreat and beyond.

11:00 am–12:00 pm

Keynote Address: Wangari Maathai (invited)

Wangari Maathai is internationally recognized for her continuing work for democracy, human rights and environmental conservation. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, which she received from the University of Nairobi in 1971. In 1976, while serving in the National Council of Women of Kenya, she introduced the idea of planting trees with ordinary people. She continued to develop the idea into a broad-based, grassroots organization called the Green Belt Movement (GBM). GBM’s main activity involved women’s groups planting trees to conserve the environment and to empower themselves by improving their quality of life. Through GBM Dr. Maathai has helped women plant more than 30 million trees on their farms and in school and church compounds across Kenya. Over the years GBM has exposed countless people from African countries to its community empowerment and conservation approach. Dr. Maathai also currently serves as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in Kenya’s ninth Parliament. She and the Green Belt Movement have received numerous awards, most notably the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

12:30–1:30 pm

Lunch and Closing