Event recap · How philanthropy can advance environmental justice
In a recent panel discussion co-hosted by Aperio and the NYU SPS George H. Heyman, Jr. Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising, a group of esteemed environmental justice experts discussed the ways in which the philanthropic ecosystem can more effectively advance environmental justice.
Moderator:
Dr. Carolyn Kissane, Academic Director and Clinical Professor, NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs; Director, NYU SPS Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab
Panelists:
Jamiah Adams, Senior Vice President of Diversity and Justice, The Climate Reality Project
Lylianna Allala, Climate Justice Director, City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment
Melissa Miles, Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Moderator Dr. Carolyn Kissane centered the discussion in the sobering reality that of the $471 billion that Americans gave to charities last year, only $14 billion, or 3%, went to environment- and animal-related causes. The panelists offered their insights and perspectives on why this is the case, and how we—as members of our communities—can drive more meaningful change.
Through their discussion, the panel answered the following questions:
How can environmental justice organizations shift the paradigm to generate more support?
How can funders and philanthropists achieve greater impact?
How can environmental justice organizations engage a diverse and dynamic base of partners to strengthen their work?
Shifting the paradigm
Environmental justice is not singular. People are at the center of environmental justice work. Communities’ health and safety are directly impacted by the cumulative impact of pollution and climate change. Yet, too often, the voices of those most affected by environmental injustice are left out of the conversation.
“In the United States, race is the number one indicator of whether a person lives next to polluted air, water, soil,” said Lylianna Allala. While this may be an uncomfortable truth, it is critical that funders understand that environmental injustice exists within—and intersects with—America’s deeply entrenched societal landscape of injustice and inequity.
In order to meaningfully advance environmental justice efforts, it is imperative to ground the discourse in the reality that environmental justice is intersectional. Pollution and climate change disproportionately impact communities of color.
“Environmental justice bleeds into health, immigration, women's issues, civil and human rights—into criminal justice. And, at this point when we're at this crisis time within this fight, we should be looking to blend those different issues together to build that work and to make our movement that much stronger,” said Jamiah Adams. Centering the voices of those most impacted by environmental injustice is a crucial and tangible step in shifting the paradigm.
“Communities have solutions if they are engaged in environmental decision making, and part of the environmental racism has been to keep those people out of decision making, said Peggy Shepard. But, when we can engage them, when we can train community folks to go and testify to the city council hearing to speak, tell their own story at the rally…what they are really feeling on the ground, that is what really makes a difference.”
What can funders and philanthropists do differently?
Funders and philanthropists play an important role in shifting the paradigm and centering the experiences of those most severely impacted by environmental injustice. Yet, it is critical that funders go beyond merely recognizing that environmental justice work is intersectional. In order to achieve greater impact, they must meaningfully change to their approach to funding.
One of the most important ways funders and philanthropists can make a greater impact on environmental justice is by implementing a participatory grantmaking approach, which Jamiah Adams called “a more equitable model of determining where funds are needed.” The Ford Foundation describes ‘participatory philanthropy’ as encompassing the integration of grantee feedback into grant guidelines and strategy, as well as inviting non-grantmaking community members to sit on boards and participate in decision-making. By allowing more voices to be at the table, funders can both gain a deeper understanding of the funding need, and the level of investment needed to advance environmental justice efforts.
One of the key changes that funders need to make, from Melissa Miles’ perspective, is gaining an understanding of how long and arduous it can be to advance environmental justice policy.
“I think it's really important—when we talk about a funding perspective—to understand that the E.J. [environmental justice] law in New Jersey took over a decade to come to—E.J. advocates never stopped waving that flag,” she said. “When the government was telling us they didn't have the power to do it, or the science to do it, you know, we kept scouring the country for experts to help us.
”When everyone started to see that when Black people said, ‘I can't breathe,’ it wasn't only due to police brutality, but also due to the amount of PM2.5 in [the air in] Black communities. …When that started to become clear, then our law started to move,” she continued, “And, it started to move because we never stopped pushing. So, how do you fund a campaign that lasts 11 years? How do you even talk about work when we know that victories are not easy and in environmental justice and they're not fast? When we talk about things like funding capacity, you know—that's the long-term game.”
If funders wish to make a greater impact on environmental justice, they must take into account the nature and pace of this work. Longer-term investments and increased investments in capacity are necessary.
Peggy Shepard also stressed that funders can increase their impact by investing in organizations that have a strong base of community partnerships. “I think environmental donors are very plugged into certain policies and so they're often looking for groups that are working on those issues. Otherwise, I don't think they really kind of have their head to the ground on what's going on,” she said. “A lot of big donors are really very focused on their particular kind of issue; I think what they don't understand, and [what] they're beginning to understand, is that the most effective policies happen when there has been a base built.”
Perhaps most importantly, funders can take responsibility for assessing their funding processes, and make them more equitable. Melissa Miles shared that she is seeing a shift with funders.
“There are funders who are very conscientious about what they’re asking, and others—not so much,” she said. “Others just aren’t at that place yet where they’re asking themselves, you know, what are we asking for for this funding? What are we asking for once they get it? How much time will that take? Is this the language they speak?” By considering how their processes and metrics can lessen the burden on environmental justice advocates, funders can both achieve greater impact and increase their responsiveness to community needs.
What can environmental justice advocates do to build a stronger movement?
To build a stronger movement requires the involvement of more stakeholders. Today, communities are evolving how they discuss and think about power.
Lylianna Allala said institutions are “thinking critically about how we shift the systems and infrastructure around shared power decision making models, reimagining the way that we infuse resources and funds into our community—and doing that in partnership as best we can now.”
Peggy Shepard added, “Developing partnerships is so key—partnerships with law schools, partnerships with academic institutions that can help provide the data you need for your evidence-based campaigns. All of those things give you more credibility in terms of the media, in terms of policymakers and really interacting with elected officials.” She noted that political involvement and the election of policymakers who advance environmental justice is a crucial part of building a stronger movement around environmental justice. Without policymakers who pass environmental legislation that improves communities, this work would be stalled.
The advancement of environmental justice requires investment from stakeholders across regions, industries, experiences, and demographics. As individual members of our communities, collective investment and participation in environmental justice advocacy and the political process is our opportunity.
Melissa Miles closed the discussion with this: “We understand that when we address issues in environmental justice communities, everyone benefits—that’s the beauty of it. The whole city gets better, the nation gets better, the world gets better, so this is an investment in the future—in everyone's future.”
Caitlin Williams
Caitlin entered into fundraising first as a grant writer and later as a major gift officer. Working the University of Chicago, NYU Law, and CUNY, she witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of donors’ philanthropy on students’ lives. She has also worked with organizations advancing gender equity and serving under-resourced K-12 students.