Grants for Environmental Conservation

NOTE: The Overbrook Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for support from organizations not currently funded by the Foundation. However, we remain committed to our primary fields of interest and are eager to hear news from organizations working in those areas of human and rights and the environment presently of priority to the Foundation.

Mission

The Overbrook Foundation is a progressive family foundation that supports organizations advancing human rights and conserving the natural environment.

Values

Honoring the vision and dedication of its founders, Helen and Frank Altschul, The Overbrook Foundation:

• Honors its role as a steward of both the public trust and the Foundation's mission
• Advances programs ethically, responsibly and respectfully
• Is transparent and open
• Engages in its work in a deliberate and thoughtful way
• Takes measured risks
• Employs diverse approaches to seize opportunities and respond to challenges
• Supports social justice and environmental sustainability
• Promotes advocacy, accountability and reform of institutions and government

Focus Areas

Environment

The Environment Program provides support to environmental organizations in the United States and in Latin America. In Latin America, the Program funds initiatives that advance biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development, with a specific focus on the Mesoamerican region. The Foundation’s Environment Program also seeks out initiatives, primarily in the United States, that tackle some of today’s biggest environmental challenges, including corporate and consumer practices, climate change, and waste. The Program’s Movement Building portfolio aims to understand and support movements – rather than specific organizations or issues – to make them stronger, more resilient, and more impactful.

The Foundation’s Environment Program will consider supporting organizations working on the following issues:

Latin American Biodiversity Conservation

The Overbrook Foundation recognizes the value of protecting endangered biodiversity and the vital environmental and social benefits it provides. The Biodiversity Conservation program area supports programs in Latin America, with a specific focus on Mesoamerica, where globally important species and ecosystems face a wide range of threats. The Foundation seeks out projects that create practical solutions to these threats, particularly those that promote sustainable livelihoods and engage local communities in conservation efforts.

Corporate and Consumer Practices

The Foundation’s Corporate and Consumer Practices program area supports organizations that build towards a sustainable future, particularly by shifting corporate and consumer environmental practices. Funded projects range from direct engagement with corporations, to activism against destructive industries, to public education and media that amplifies efforts to improve consumer behavior surrounding energy and consumption. These initiatives work towards a sustainable economy that relies less on destructive, extractive practices and more on renewable, circular production and consumption models. In seeking projects making an impact in these areas, the Foundation prioritizes organizations that are grassroots-led, that hold the potential to serve as industry or community “tipping points,” and that apply a climate change analysis to their work.

Innovative Solutions 

Advances in technology, the growth of social media, and increased global awareness and investment are providing new and exciting environmental tools. The Foundation began a small program area that invests in organizations that are creating, developing, and implementing new and innovative approaches to sustainability and conservation.

Movement Building

The Movement Building program area was created in 2014 in an effort to understand and support movements – rather than specific organizations or issues – to make them stronger, more resilient, and more impactful. This area supports organizations that build networks and alliances, recognize the interdependence of their work with that of other organizations, and seek to advance the mission of the broader progressive movement, beyond individual issue areas. While formally a part of the Foundation’s Environment Program, the Movement Building portfolio ties together the Environment and Human Rights Programs, emphasizing organizations that work in the intersections of both movements.

Human Rights

The Overbrook Foundation has supported civil and human rights since its earliest years. Carrying this legacy forward, Overbrook currently provides funding to human rights organizations in the United States and Latin America.

For Overbrook, human rights organizations are those that see human rights as universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent. They lead with the people and communities impacted by the issues they are working on. They are values driven, have an all of us or none of us perspective in their analysis and messaging, and they work across sectors and identities, recognizing the range of their constituents’ needs and rights. Overbrook’s human rights grantmaking is currently focused on three programmatic initiatives and one initiative remains in development.

Internationally, the Foundation funds organizations that support human rights defenders at risk in Mesoamerica. As a part of this focus, Overbrook supports groups providing legal assistance, training, emergency grants, advocacy, accompaniment, networks and/or psychosocial support to human rights defenders at risk given the grave threats many activists face for engaging in their important human rights work.

Domestically, the Foundation currently awards grants in two areas. First, it supports organizations challenging the undue influence of moneyed interests in the U.S. political system. These organizations are working to make our government and policy makers more accountable to the people by reforming the role of money in our political system. The Foundation’s gender rights program currently supports organizations working across reproductive justice and LGBT rights issues. This includes a focus on funding organizations advancing the reproductive justice movement and those challenging overly broad religious exemptions being used to undermine LGBT rights, racial justice and reproductive justice.   

Finally, the Foundation is exploring a newer area of grantmaking using a human rights approach to challenge mass incarceration and criminalization, building on Overbrook’s long term support for organizations advancing a U.S. human rights movement. This initiative remains in development.

As described above, the Foundation’s Human Rights grantmaking can be divided into the following initiatives:

• Domestic Human Rights
• Gender Rights
• Human Rights Defenders
• Money in Politics

SC Johnson Grants and Product Donations Help Make Our Communities Better

Wherever we operate, we want to help make that place better, because we are there. This aspiration began more than a century ago, with our founder, Samuel Curtis Johnson. It’s reinforced by our corporate values statement, and acted on by SC Johnson people around the globe.

Since 1937, SC Johnson has given five percent of all pretax profits to charities. The year 2017 marked 80 years of company giving, and nearly six decades of our charitable foundation, SC Johnson Giving, Inc.

Understanding SC Johnson Charitable Contributions

Our primary corporate giving focus is on institutions or organizations that serve or directly affect communities where we have operations. Our areas of interest include:

Areas of Focused Giving

Community & Economic Development - Programs that improve the quality of life in the areas of economic and community infrastructure, capacity building, economic development, safe neighborhoods, cultural experiences and job training.

Social Services - Programs that provide supportive services for low-income/at-risk individuals or families to help them on the road to self-sufficiency, such as services for families, disabled or elderly citizens, domestic disaster prevention, temporary shelter, and support for those who are disadvantaged or living in poverty.

Health & Well-Being - Programs that help educate about and combat mosquito-borne diseases, or encourage public health and wellness education and equitable access to health care.

Education - Programs that emphasize student academic achievement, with a focus on academic enrichment and advancement, such as early childhood education, K-12, post-secondary, technical and vocational schools.

Sustainability & Environmental Programs - Programs that encourage sustainability through stewardship of community ecosystems, pollution abatement, natural resource conservation, environmental beautification, renewable energy and wildlife preservation.

National Environment

Program goals: to mitigate climate change; make communities more resilient to climate change; protect public health from the hazards of toxic chemicals and pollutants; and preserve biological diversity.

Grants are made to promote more environmentally sustainable, resilient, and just communities that:

• Mitigate climate change by:
• promoting energy efficiency and alternative sources of energy for buildings;
• shifting to electric or low-emission vehicles and greater use of mass transit;
• promoting a smarter, more resilient grid and distributed (on site) generation;
• reducing emissions from existing fossil fuel-powered facilities and extraction activities; and
• establishing regional programs, performance standards, and regulations that help reduce emissions.
• Make communities, especially the most disadvantaged, more resilient to a changing climate by:
• creating infrastructure that reduces storm-water run-off and absorbs storm surges;
• protecting shoreline communities by conserving or enhancing natural barriers;
• encouraging more sustainable building design and land use through policy reforms; and
• better planning and preparation for weather-related emergencies, especially for low-income and other vulnerable residents.
• Protect public health from the hazards of toxic pollutants by:
• supporting targeted scientific research that can be used to develop policy;
• promoting safer chemical and heavy metal policies and practices, especially for infants, children and other vulnerable people;
• eliminating toxic chemicals from products through market campaigns focused on retailers and manufacturers;
• enhancing protections for low-income communities near polluting facilities; and
• minimizing the hazards of new and expanded fossil fuel extraction on nearby communities.
• Preserve biological diversity through habitat conservation by:
• establishing, enhancing, and monitoring wildlife migration corridors; and
• supporting functional connectivity between fragmented habitat that enables species to move and live safely.

We encourage initiatives that cut across these program areas, especially those focused on smart growth, sustainable agriculture and regional food systems, and sustainable production.

International Environment

Each year, we make only two or three international grants to U.S. organizations that are building the capacity of government, academic institutions, private sector entities, and nonprofits to:

• Protect biodiversity;
• Improve environmental health; and
• Reduce greenhouse gases around the world.

Note: UPS does not accept or respond to unsolicited grant proposals. Nonprofit funding is determined in one of two ways: The UPS Foundation solicits grant proposals from preeminent organizations within our focus areas or through a recommendation made by a UPS employee who is actively volunteering with the agency. The best way for your organization to be considered for funding by UPS is to engage UPS volunteers and then ask them to log their volunteer hours in the Neighbor-to-Neighbor tracking system. Any hours logged are open for funding opportunities by our local offices.

The Logistics of Caring

UPS founder Jim Casey established The UPS Foundation in 1951 with a mission to help build stronger, safer and more resilient communities around the world. And that's exactly what we've been doing for more than 60 years now.

To us, giving means more than writing a check. It means combining employees' skill, passion and time with our logistics expertise, transportation assets and charitable donations to make a measurable difference in society. In 2016, we invested nearly 2.7 million volunteer hours and more than $116 million dollars into our global communities. 

As our communities continue to grow and evolve, so do we. The Foundation's current philanthropic approach focuses on four areas that represent the purpose of our mission and reflect UPS's corporate values and expertise.

Focusing Our Efforts

Diversity & Inclusion

UPS’s longstanding policies and inclusive culture make it one of the most diverse companies in the world. We know an internal focus isn’t enough, and so The UPS Foundation also supports community efforts to provide diverse populations with advancement opportunities.

Volunteerism 

UPS employees are passionate about making the world a better place, which is why they volunteered more than 2.7 million hours in local communities with their favorite nonprofit organizations last year. The UPS Foundation provides those organizations with the operational expertise, leadership development and technology enhancements they need to tackle today's societal challenges.

Community Safety 

UPS aims to make the world a safer place by using our company's logistics expertise and training to teach safety practices in the local and global communities we serve. The UPS Foundation supports these efforts by creating and funding programs focused on road safety and humanitarian relief and resilience. In 2016, The UPS Foundation donated $13 million in financial and in-kind contributions to organizations that embody community safety.

Environmental Sustainability 

Every day, UPS delivers nearly 17 million packages by air, land and sea. We’re constantly operating within the environment, so it’s important that we do our part to preserve and protect it, long-term.

To do so, The UPS Foundation provides financial and employee volunteer support to environmental programs with a focus on reforestation and conservation, carbon reduction efforts and environmental research/education.

The Park Foundation was formed in 1966. Its original focus was on education and grant-making in communities where Park Communications had interests. When he died in 1993, Mr. Park bequeathed more than 70 percent of his holdings to the Foundation.

The Foundation is dedicated to the aid and support of education, public broadcasting, environment, and other selected areas of interest to the Park family. Scholarship programs have been established in Mr. Park’s name at the two institutions with which he was so close — Ithaca College and North Carolina State University. The two scholarship programs emphasize academic excellence, leadership, and community service — in keeping with Mr. Park’s values. Public broadcasting is a particularly meaningful recipient of funding because the Foundation had its origin in the world of communications. More recently, the Foundation’s interest in environmental causes has been refined to focus on issues of freshwater, particularly in the eastern United States.

Media

The Foundation supports public interest media that raises awareness of critical environmental, political and social issues to promote a better informed citizenry in the U.S. It supports quality, non-commercial media that is substantive, fair, and accurate. Program priorities include investigative journalism, media policy and public broadcasting.

Investigative Journalism

Supports excellence in reporting on nationally-significant public affairs issues in the U.S. Competitive proposals will show evidence of groundbreaking content employing multi-platform media tools with potential to achieve broad distribution and social impact.

Media Policy

Supports nationally-significant initiatives that promote fair and open media systems and policies in the U.S. The Foundation supports projects that advance universal access to communications, a "neutral" Internet, diverse and independent ownership, public interest media and the future of journalism.

Public Broadcasting 

Supports nationally distributed and aired television and radio programming. Preference is given to in-depth, investigative reporting projects that include diverse, public interest voices and perspectives.

Documentary Films

Supports a very limited number of small grants to individual documentary projects related to civil society and democracy, environment and animal welfare. Requests for funding greatly exceed available resources and preference is given to projects with wide distribution and community engagement. Prior to submitting a proposal, prospective applicants should contact the Foundation via phone or e-mail to determine appropriate fit. Please be prepared to provide information regarding content and treatment, distribution, outreach, budget, funding sources (and fiscal sponsorship as appropriate).

Media projects are also funded in the Foundation's Environment program.

Environment

The Foundation’s Environment Program has two major interests:

• To ensure drinking water is clean, affordable, and accessible, protected and managed as a public necessity; and
• To challenge continued shale gas extraction and infrastructure expansion.

Drinking Water

The Foundation supports efforts on a national scale or in New York State that promote: strong and enforced water policies; increased investment in publicly owned and operated water infrastructure; empowerment of communities and individuals to exercise their rights to protect drinking water resources; and reduced consumption of bottled water.

On a limited basis, the Foundation is exploring opportunities to support organizing and advocacy at the national scale to address lead in drinking water.

Energy

The Foundation supports statewide efforts in New York that decrease reliance on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, by challenging the expansion of its infrastructure, including pipelines, compressor stations and new natural gas power plants. The Foundation will also consider requests that will help shift the state’s energy needs away from conventional fossil fuel sources and toward a clean energy system that is accessible, affordable and protective of citizens’ health.

Types of Activities Funded

The Foundation is interested in catalyzing action and is willing to consider diverse approaches that raise awareness and offer solutions to drinking water and energy concerns, including, but not limited to, policy development, advocacy, organizing, and corporate responsibility.

Additionally, the Foundation will consider support for investigative reporting outlets that raise awareness and provide new information on drinking water and shale gas energy issues. Stories may be national in scope, but funding is generally targeted to coverage of issues that are relevant to New York State.

Other

Other environmental grants that cover additional geographic and issue areas are made at the Foundation's initiative and the scope of these interests is separate from these guidelines. Please contact the Foundation for more information.

Animal Welfare

The Foundation supports nationally-significant efforts to ensure the humane treatment, care and well-being of domestic animals and the protection and conservation of endangered wildlife and wildlife in captivity in the U.S. The program supports innovative, comprehensive, solution-oriented models that lead to systemic change, reduce suffering, and foster a more compassionate society.

• Domestic Animals Support national efforts to reduce the number of homeless companion animals through the development of model high-quality, low-cost spay/neuter services and corresponding public education initiatives. The Foundation also supports public education and advocacy efforts to eradicate animal fighting practices.

• Wildlife supports nationally-significant efforts to advance the protection and conservation of wildlife with an emphasis on policy and advocacy work related to threatened and endangered species. Another specific area of interest is the lifelong care of primates rescued from research laboratories, entertainment and/or the pet trade.

NOTE: Grants for domestic animal shelters and wildlife rescue organizations are made only at the initiative of the Foundation. Unsolicited requests for domestic animal shelters will not be considered.

Through the Mazda Foundation, Mazda and its employees are working together to proactively help our neighbors - and the communities where we live and work - to build a better, brighter future. With contributions exceeding $11 million since its founding in 1992, the Mazda Foundation is playing a meaningful role in helping thousands of Americans realize their aspirations and dreams. It's also important to note that programs the Mazda Foundation supports range from children's organizations and educational scholarships to food banks, environmental programs and crucial disaster relief efforts.

The Mazda Foundation awards grants to programs promoting:

• Education and literacy
• Environmental conservation
• Cross-cultural understanding
• Social welfare
• Scientific research