Trust for Governors Island’s Post

I’ve loved helping Hubbub launch their Nature Hubs fund and winners and seeing some of the amazing projects up and running all over the country. On a personal note, community gardening is a topic very close to my heart. Not only am I part of the allotment-holding community, I also volunteer in a primary school, teaching kids how to grow food and look after nature. Every week I witness the pure joy these children feel from seeing their seeds germinate, observing insects and even sampling elderflower cordial from the elderflowers they’ve picked. We need to create a foundation for children to protect and work with nature in the future and I truly believe school and community gardening can play a big role in this. Academic research shows how access to gardens at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils. So why is it not more of a priority considering the huge environmental challenges we’re facing? Well there’s no money. Most teachers aren’t trained in this area and just don’t have the capacity. Parent volunteers are scarce as they too are under pressure to work all hours and many don’t have the basic gardening skills needed. I don’t know what the answer is but I can’t help but feel there are solutions out there (local retired garden enthusiasts working with schools?). They just need resource and funding. I do hope the new government takes action on this… but I’m not holding my breath. In the meantime, it’s brilliant to see companies like Starbucks fund community gardening projects and help more people access green space and get closer to nature. Wouldn’t it be great for more of the private sector to help boost school gardening too?

"The wave is coming, and too many rural places — as well as philanthropic funders, technical assistance partners and federal agencies — are currently overwhelmed and unprepared, as they have been for decades. As a result, there will be challenges unaddressed, opportunities missed and communities left behind. However, ships are being built, and if we can use this moment to catalyze, accelerate and sustain emerging regional rural ecosystems, then this can become a transformational moment for historically underserved rural and tribal places. Let’s look to the lessons of the past, finish building, and ride this wave to a better future."

Funding opportunity: The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fund For Nature for non profit organisations. Up to £5000 available. The fund has been established by a grant from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and is being managed by Natural Cambridgeshire , the Local Nature Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, working in partnership with Cambridgeshire Community Foundation. Funding is intended for projects that support community-led nature recovery in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough that will: ⭐Increase biodiversity and key wildlife habitats. ⭐Increase community cohesion by helping local people to understand, appreciate and enjoy their natural spaces. ⭐Promote public health and well-being. ⭐Create resilient countryside and communities, where nature is at the heart of the approach to addressing climate change. ⭐Champion examples of best practices for sustainable development and management of green open space. Closes 1 May 2024. Find out more: https://buff.ly/48IE4QK

Wrote an essay… which is really a musing on how philanthropy can and should function similarly to mycorrhizal networks. How we can alchemize oppressive systems into equitable communities where we all rise together. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gWpSFdi3

Throwback Thursday: Ready to reshape the future of climate philanthropy? Explore the transformative journey of the Fund for Frontline Power, where grassroots leaders are challenging funding inequities and amplifying community-driven solutions. In a landscape where billionaire-driven initiatives often exacerbate funding disparities between frontline communities and 'big greens,' redirecting resources to communities at the forefront of the climate crisis is paramount. Prioritizing the bottom-up strategies of climate action leaders over top-down approaches is urgent. Grassroots organizations offer solutions that are both mitigative and adaptive. Yet, they receive disproportionately little philanthropic support. This disparity underscores the critical need to amplify grassroots voices and support initiatives that center equity and justice. Join us in reshaping the narrative of climate philanthropy. Download https://bit.ly/4aMcxPU the full report 'Good, Bad, Bezos and Beyond,' to discover how grassroots-led initiatives are driving real change. #GrassrootsClimateAction #CommunityLedPhilanthropy #EquitableClimateFunding #FrontlinePower #BillionaireAccountability

BizforClimate is thrilled to announce our participation in the Stories for Change program, a remarkable initiative by Coelement Inc. This partnership allows us to leverage the power of storytelling to amplify our mission and inspire the business community towards impactful climate action. A special thanks to Coelement and Adam Duguay for selecting us for this opportunity. Together, we're set to make our story resonate louder and further. 🌍 BizforClimate Teams Up with Stories for Change "We believe powerful storytelling can accelerate business, but we also deeply believe it should be harnessed as a force for good," says Adam Duguay, Principal | Director of Creative Execution at Coelement. "That’s why we started Stories for Change, an annual fundraising initiative that helps nonprofit and charitable organizations in our community focused on positive social and environmental impact.” "The BizforClimate vision and purpose aligns perfectly with the Stories for Change mission. We want to fuel their efforts to inspire the business community and drive climate action policy -- provincially and across the country," Adam adds. “We are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in Stories for Change," says Derek Earl, Founder of BizforClimate. “Thanks to this partnership, we have the opportunity to tell our story in new and impactful ways, and invite more businesses to support this cause.” Let's use our collective business horsepower to work together, creating sensible, economically sound, and meaningful change. Join us in this exciting journey as we unfold our story with Stories for Change. Video coming soon. #BizforClimate #StoriesForChange #Coelement #ClimateAction #SustainableBusiness

Every day, at least 5 people ask me- May, why nonprofits? I decided to share my thoughts on why we should ALL care about nonprofits, now more than ever: 1️⃣ Change Agents: Nonprofits are on a mission to make a positive impact! They tackle big issues, driving the change we all want to see. Supporting them means being part of something bigger than ourselves. 2️⃣ Community Champions: Think of nonprofits as the ultimate squad for our neighborhoods. They bring people together, offer vital services, and create that sense of community we all crave. 3️⃣ Innovation Hubs: Nonprofits are the cool kids with the coolest ideas! Unleashed from profit pressure, they're free to get creative, finding innovative solutions to problems that might otherwise be overlooked. 4️⃣ Nature Protectors: Some nonprofits are like superheroes for Mother Earth! They're committed to environmental conservation, ensuring we pass on a green and healthy planet to the next gen. 5️⃣ Emergency Allies: When the going gets tough, nonprofits are the first on the scene. They're the emergency squad, providing vital support and making sure everyone gets back on their feet. Caring about nonprofits isn't just a good deed; it's investing in a world where kindness and positive change rule the day. Let’s open a discussion- is there a specific nonprofit you highly care about? Why?

The kind of ancestor I want to be is one who supports racial, economic, and social movements to build, contest and win power, so that all of us have full access to healthy food, renewable energy, clean air and water, good jobs, and healthy living environments. May the work of our movements serve to reimagine ways to govern and steward capital. When we consider the magnitude of natural and man-made disasters happening, we need all of our philanthropies to deploy all of our assets to usher in the world we want, the world we need. I welcome co-conspirators in building the portal to this world. For those ready to usher in a #JustTransition, I invite you to read about the future I am working towards in 2024 and beyond: https://lnkd.in/gfT8qJu3

Forum for the Future just published a three part blog series on our work over the past couple of years with the civil society and philanthropic sectors. You can read Ariel Muller's latest here: https://lnkd.in/duTvAvGh And check out the previous blogs by Hannah Pathak and yours truly!