A Just Transition recognizes that a healthy economy and a clean environment can co-exist. We support a vision-led, unifying and place-based set of principles, processes and practices that builds economic and political power and works to shift from an extractive economy (one that relies on the extraction of labor, natural resources, culture) to a regenerative economy.
We are committed to recognizing, listening to and moving resources in support of existing grassroots and frontline leaders in the environmental and climate justice movements as they continue to build their political, economic and cultural power.
We support policy changes that work towards reducing racial disparities of environmental and climate impacts. These solutions will reduce carbon emissions and address environmental problems that ensure the right of all people to live, learn, work and play in safe, healthy and clean environments.
Leading by example, we aim to increase environmental funding from public and private sources to frontline and grassroots organizations and movements with a racial equity lens.
People of color and low-wealth people, particularly those living in frontline communities, are faced with disproportionate, negative impacts of environmental degradation, climate change and failing infrastructure, and have been plagued by decades of disinvestment and racist planning practices. Historic power imbalances from centuries of structural racism have resulted in the people most affected by environmental impacts being the least heard and valued.
The environmental and climate justice movements address this disparity by centering impacted communities in the design and implementation of climate solutions. These interrelated movements encourage self-determination of all people and are opposed to the role of trans/multi-national corporations in environmentally decimating communities.
Through deep collaboration with our grantee partners and philanthropic colleagues, we intentionally support people and organizations that build power within communities of color and low-wealth communities to address the systemic environmental injustices caused by historic power imbalance. These movements are highly informed and have their own analysis about advancing environmental and climate justice solutions and the Sustainable Environments program elevates this work as it is organized in the field by naming both movements.
We use a variety of tools beyond grantmaking such as convenings, program related investments, and communications to play a role in shifting investments to frontline and grassroots organizations, particularly those led by people of color.
VIDEO: Helen Chin, former Program Director for Sustainable Environments discusses why and how the foundation supports Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities to advance equity.
You can explore recent Environmental & Climate Justice grants below.
And view other Sustainable Environments grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
The Solutions Project
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Grassroots Global Justice
To support a multi-racial cross-sector collaboration advancing strategies in frontline communities to improve environmental quality, rebuild place-based governance, and increase their visibility as strategic leaders, not just victims. |
Active | $175,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
THE POINT Community Development Corporation
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $375,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Georgia WAND Education Fund, Inc
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $150,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Grassroots Global Justice
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Movement Strategy Center
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
The Equity Alliance
general operating support |
Closed | $25,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
ALIGN: the Alliance for a Greater New York
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Closed | $50,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
Environmental Grantmakers Association
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Closed | $10,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
Initiative for Energy Justice
The purpose of this grant is general program support for Initiative for Energy Justice. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Reclaim our Power
To support Local Clean Energy Alliance for The Reclaim our Power: Utility Justice Campaign. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Climate Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
North Star Fund
The purpose of this grant is project support for the design, development, launch, and implementation of New York’s first statewide grassroots organizing donor/funder collaborative supporting coalitions led by members closest to the injustices they seek to address. |
Active | $1,000,000 | 28 months |
| 2022 |
Southern Power Fund
The purpose of this grant is project support for the Southern Power Fund. |
Closed | $1,000,000 | 12 months |
| 2022 |
Center for Story-based Strategy
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $700,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Just Transition Fund
The purpose of this grant is general program support to Just Transition Fund (JTF). |
Closed | $150,000 | 24 months |
| 2022 |
Kentucky Coalition, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $513,424 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Highlander Research & Education Center, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $600,000 | 72 months |
| 2022 |
People's Action Institute
The purpose of this project support grant is to support People’s Action Institute’s Climate Justice program; deepening organizing activities and running climate justice campaigns that center around the interest of working-class people and communities of color. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Greater New Orleans Foundation
The purpose of this grant is to provide project support to the Environment Program of the Greater New Orleans Foundation which promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability and resilience in the Greater New Orleans region. |
Closed | $375,000 | 24 months |
| 2022 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general program support to New York Energy Democracy Alliance, a statewide alliance of community-based organizations, grassroots groups, and policy experts working together to advance a just and participatory transition to a resilient, localized, and democratically controlled clean energy economy in New York State. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
New Economy Coalition
The purpose of this grant is to provide general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
President and Fellows of Harvard College
The purpose of this grant is to support the continuation and development of two of the Initiative for Responsible Investment’s projects: Investing in a Just Transition and the Trustee Leadership Forum for Retirement Security. |
Closed | $200,000 | 24 months |
What is climate justice? How are foundations incorporating it into their work and making a positive impact? Author Seema Shah, Ph.D. explores these questions in "Centering equity and justice in climate philanthropy." Commissioned by Ariadne and…
By Kelly Nowlin and Ernest Tollerson | First published in Inside Philanthropy The recent IPCC report couldn’t be clearer: The world needs wide-scale, transformative action, swift action, to ensure we don’t blow past the critical 1.5 degrees…
“Surdna was proud to support Building Equity and Alignment for Impact’s (BEA) report, which found that 12 national environmental funders gave just 1.3% of their annual giving to environmental justice groups. There is an abundance of BIPOC-led…
"To address climate and environmental inequities, we need to think holistically about the role of race and what justice means. We need to look at all aspects of our life. And acknowledge that the root of many injustices is the commoditization of…
How can we in philanthropy do a better job of supporting the kind of collaboration and shared learning that grassroots organizations need to grow their movements? In 2019, the Surdna Foundation Sustainable Environments team set out to better…
The CFF 2020 Food Movement Support Fund is a one-time grant program administered by Community Food Funders (CFF) and North Star Fund. Surdna is a member of the Community Food Funders, a network of foundations in the NY-NJ-CT area that support…
With the closeout of the Sustainable Environments Program's Transportation, Regional Food Supply, and Urban Stormwater Management lines of work, Surdna produced a series of learning summaries that capture the lessons learned from funding in those…
Helen Chin has just led the Surdna Foundation’s Sustainable Environments Program through a strategy refinement process. “Now,” she says, with satisfaction, “We are able to connect more robustly with what’s bubbling from the ground…
When we talk about “building the capacity” of frontline and grassroots leaders who are changing structures, policies, and systems, what does that really mean for funders? Many funders use antiquated and static systems of inquiry to identify and…
You can explore recent Environmental & Climate Justice grants below.
And view other Sustainable Environments grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
The Solutions Project
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Grassroots Global Justice
To support a multi-racial cross-sector collaboration advancing strategies in frontline communities to improve environmental quality, rebuild place-based governance, and increase their visibility as strategic leaders, not just victims. |
Active | $175,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
THE POINT Community Development Corporation
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $375,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Georgia WAND Education Fund, Inc
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $150,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Grassroots Global Justice
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
Movement Strategy Center
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2023 |
The Equity Alliance
general operating support |
Closed | $25,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
ALIGN: the Alliance for a Greater New York
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Closed | $50,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
Environmental Grantmakers Association
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Closed | $10,000 | 12 months |
| 2023 |
Initiative for Energy Justice
The purpose of this grant is general program support for Initiative for Energy Justice. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Reclaim our Power
To support Local Clean Energy Alliance for The Reclaim our Power: Utility Justice Campaign. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Climate Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
North Star Fund
The purpose of this grant is project support for the design, development, launch, and implementation of New York’s first statewide grassroots organizing donor/funder collaborative supporting coalitions led by members closest to the injustices they seek to address. |
Active | $1,000,000 | 28 months |
| 2022 |
Southern Power Fund
The purpose of this grant is project support for the Southern Power Fund. |
Closed | $1,000,000 | 12 months |
| 2022 |
Center for Story-based Strategy
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $700,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Just Transition Fund
The purpose of this grant is general program support to Just Transition Fund (JTF). |
Closed | $150,000 | 24 months |
| 2022 |
Kentucky Coalition, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $513,424 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Highlander Research & Education Center, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $600,000 | 72 months |
| 2022 |
People's Action Institute
The purpose of this project support grant is to support People’s Action Institute’s Climate Justice program; deepening organizing activities and running climate justice campaigns that center around the interest of working-class people and communities of color. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
Greater New Orleans Foundation
The purpose of this grant is to provide project support to the Environment Program of the Greater New Orleans Foundation which promotes environmental, social and economic sustainability and resilience in the Greater New Orleans region. |
Closed | $375,000 | 24 months |
| 2022 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general program support to New York Energy Democracy Alliance, a statewide alliance of community-based organizations, grassroots groups, and policy experts working together to advance a just and participatory transition to a resilient, localized, and democratically controlled clean energy economy in New York State. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
New Economy Coalition
The purpose of this grant is to provide general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 36 months |
| 2022 |
President and Fellows of Harvard College
The purpose of this grant is to support the continuation and development of two of the Initiative for Responsible Investment’s projects: Investing in a Just Transition and the Trustee Leadership Forum for Retirement Security. |
Closed | $200,000 | 24 months |