MacArthur Foundation-8.25.15The climate movement is at a crucial juncture. With prominent faith leaders speaking out for climate action, the recent launch of the Clean Power Plan, and the U.S., China, and Brazil making major climate commitments in advance of the Paris U.N. conference, we’re seeing a major shift in the right direction – but Congressional support for meaningful climate policy is still lacking.
To help build voter consensus and put climate issues at the heart of the 2016 election, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has pledged $50 million to environmental organizations that are promoting climate leadership. We are honored to be one of the beneficiaries, and to be named among such illustrious organizations as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club.
At $3 million, this is MacArthur’s third and largest grant to ecoAmerica. They have been important champions of our climate communications research and our efforts to empower leaders across multiple sectors through our MomentUs initiative. We’re very proud to have their continuing support.
MacArthur’s $50-Million Climate-Change Push Aims at Voters
By Alex Daniels, contributor to The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The MacArthur foundation announced Wednesday that its $50-million pledge to climate change will be distributed among nine established environmental organizations to build consensus and put the issue on voters’ minds during the 2016 presidential race.
The climate-change commitment is part of an overhaul announced last week by Julia Stasch, the Chicago foundation’s president.
The nine beneficiaries of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s climate-change effort:
• The Environmental Defense Fund and the Nature Conservancy will split $20 million for general operating expenses and coalition building.
• The Sierra Club will get $15 million for its Beyond Coal campaign.
• ClimateWorks Foundation, ecoAmerica, Energy Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council will receive $3 million each, largely for general operating support.
• Environmental Law and Policy Center will get $1.5 million for general operating support.
• The Carbon Disclosure Project will receive $340,000 to accelerate the completion of a carbon pricing system.
A handful of smaller grants in the fourth quarter of this year will bring the total to just over $50 million.
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Image credit: NASA