HEFN's 2019 Annual Meeting will take place in Fresno in the thick of California’s San Joaquin Valley, which holds a number of valuable lessons for the rest of the country, as the United States grapples with the challenges of a changing physical, social and political environment.
A new Lead Funders Action Network brings together national, regional, state, and local foundations who are working collaboratively and strategically to address gaps in the field of childhood lead poisoning and make philanthropic investments more synergistic to advance the prevention of the disease.
Photo by Mi Pham for Unsplash
What can funders do to fight the “silent pandemic” of negative health impacts from chemicals that contaminate our air, food, and water? Jeff Wise, HEFN’s director of strategic programs, outlines the scope of the issue, and ways funders can help drive the systemic reform of toxics in the U.S.
Juliet Christian-Smith, senior program officer at the Water Foundation, shares her thoughts and previews an introductory guide for funders on how philanthropy can help support sustainable and equitable drinking water solutions.
Dana Kawaoka-Chen, executive director of the Justice Funders, encourages founders to adopt regenerative practices that realize a new vision of philanthropy that redistributes wealth, democratizes power and shifts economic control to communities.
HEFN bids a fond and deeply appreciative farewell to Steering Committee members Carolyn Fine Friedman and Phil Johnson for their countless contributions, and welcomes Ellen Braff-Guajardo, Ogonnaya Dotson Newman and Jake Mogan to the committee this year.
(Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash)
In counterpoint to weakening national environmental and public health safeguards, in 2018 HEFN and its funder community drew philanthropic resources into power-building for environmental health and environmental justice. With appreciation to all of its members, partners, and colleagues, here’s a snapshot of HEFN’s work in 2018.
What more – or different – actions can funders and a funder group take to build multiracial majorities strong enough to protect environmental health and justice? HEFN dove into this question through both learning and culture change at its 2018 Annual Meeting, “The Environmental Health and Justice Majority: Raising Voices, Building Power.” (Pictured: Marisla Foundation Field Partner, Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Communities for a Better Environment. Photo by Annie O'Sullivan Photography)
Shorey Myers, Executive Director of the Jenifer Altman Foundation and HEFN Steering Committee member, extends a personal invitation to funders to attend this year's HEFN Annual Meeting from Nov. 28-30 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to strategize, network and be inspired by the collective work to mobilize philanthropy around environmental health and justice solutions.
HEFN steering committee member, Carolyn Fine Friedman, shares how a personal interest in environmental health work was amplified through grantees of the Fine Fund who contributed to a multi-year effort that led to The Home Depot eliminating toxics from four of its product categories.
