HEFN’s Advancing Solutions priority encompasses programming that aims to help participants clarify which larger shifts in power they want to advance and how those shifts can happen, and complements this bigger-picture thinking with practical learning with peers about what implementation of systems-focused work looks like, day-to-day. At its core, “Advancing Solutions” is designed to help funders understand major environmental health and justice problems, and support funder collaboration to accelerate problem-solving. Active programs and working groups under this priority include:

Detox/Decarb Working Group

This workgroup holds regular meetings, co-led by working group chairs and HEFN staff, with additional calls for a sub-group of members who are working to increase funding to the field of toxics specifically.

The petrochemical supply chain connects these two funder groups within the HEFN umbrella, which were previously organized separately under the “past petro” and “catalysts” working groups. This program aims to engage the broader climate funding community in conversations at the level of the entire supply chain, in ways that show the interconnection between decarbonization and detoxification. Despite the inspiring and growing efforts of a myriad of movement leaders and philanthropists to weaken it, the fossil fuel and related industries continue to ruin the health and infringe on the justice of communities worldwide, while leading us into ever deeper climate catastrophe. With the unprecedented amount of federal and private funding being invested in decarbonizing our country’s infrastructure, little attention is being paid to ensuring that the new investments are also healthy and non-toxic. HEFN is launching a working group to strategize the role philanthropy can play in ensuring that we are multi-solving with solutions that are “detox” as well as “decarb.” 

Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community

This community holds monthly learning community calls and supplementary programming throughout the year

Participatory grantmaking cedes decision making power about funding – including the strategy and criteria behind those decisions – to the very communities that funders aim to serve. HEFN’s Participatory Grantmaking ("PG") Learning Community was started in late 2019. Its goals are to support current practitioners of PG and to further just and equitable PG in philanthropy. The community hosts calls at least once a month that include deep dives on funds, discussion of key PG themes and tensions, and targeted support for the community's members.

Climate, Health, & Equity 

HEFN’s climate, health, and equity work is focused on advancing funder collaboration on strategies of investing in those most impacted, including by:

• Developing a funder toolkit that supports funder engagement and movement up the ladder of engagement into investment and collaboration, including a landscape assessment of hubs of activity and investment opportunities;
• Working with funders on investing in those most impacted strategy development and collaboration;
• Philanthropic outreach to broaden the visibility of this area of work and encourage entry;
• Building philanthropic leadership on climate, health, and equity, including support for case making and elevating funder voices in