Climate Change / Energy
A Blog for and about Funders Focused on Health and the Environment
What does the future look like? Michael Lerner, President of the Jenifer Altman Foundation and the Barbara Smith Fund, and HEFN co-founder, reflects upon seeking the path to courage in the face of prospects for global and regional collapse and resilience in...
Climate change is impacting many natural and human systems that are critical for supporting human health such as agriculture, infrastructure, and the economy. Nearly eighty funders from different fields convened in Detroit, Michigan, to explore these...
Some would say that the climate change and health connection is having its “moment.” It could not have arrived too soon. Environmental funders have, to a large extent, provided the primary philanthropic support for fighting climate change. That may be...
Farhad Ebrahimi explains why the Chorus Foundation is investing long-term grant support in three communities, to speed their just transition to a regenerative economy that works for people, places, and planet.
Just over a year ago, the Divest Invest movement announced that entities managing assets of more than $52 billion had agreed to divest from fossil fuels. Fast forward one year and the movement has taken off. The assets under management (AUM) of individuals...
This blog highlights recent awards recognizing innovative environmental health and justice contributions and champions.
Foundations are finding compelling motives and innovative areas for making grants linking climate and health. This post introduces a new report highlighting issues and examples of grantmaking addressing climate change in order to achieve critical goals like...
Rapidly escalating fossil fuel development is posing new threats to the Great Lakes region. Left unchecked, a surge in oil and gas development in the bi-national Great Lakes could reverse recent gains made in the basin, as well as threaten public safety and...
It’s much easier to understand and tackle problems we can see. Often a very real health threat from some environmental condition is not getting the attention it deserves because it’s hard to see. But people are finding many creative ways to make...
New data shows Boston hospitals have cut their energy use by six percent over the last three years, despite continued facility growth. These reductions have not only saved the hospitals $12 million—they have helped put Boston on track to achieving its...
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Who We Are
HEFN Executive Director
Kathy Sessions is HEFN's Executive Director. In 1999 Kathy helped funders create HEFN, and she has worked to build HEFN and environmental health and justice philanthropy ever since. She oversees HEFN’s programs and services, working closely with staff,...