Environment News from Your Community Foundation
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Advancing environmental initiatives in Northeast Ohio
The Cleveland Foundation boasts a rich history of advocating for the environment—from helping establish treasured green spaces like the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area to advocating for policies that advance clean energy and address climate change. As the second largest environmental grantmaker in Ohio, we believe healthy places are vital to healthy people and communities. That’s why we focus our leadership and funding to address environmental injustices, take action on climate, advance clean energy, protect our freshwater, and support equitable access to parks, greenspace and transportation solutions.
Stephen Love, program manager for environmental initiatives at the Cleveland Foundation, shared updates on the foundation’s efforts to protect and restore our region’s environment with Friends of Euclid Creek on Feb. 2. Watch the presentation now.
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Neighborhood Connections grant opportunity encourages new uses of public space
Neighborhood Connections is encouraging residents and grassroots groups to find creative ways to use outdoor spaces on chilly days - and to share their ideas with the community! Now through March 22, applications are being accepted for "Get Outside Grants" ranging from $500 to $5,000.
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Creating a more equitable environment for all Greater Clevelanders
In Cleveland and across the country, decades of deliberately racist policies and planning decisions have caused tremendous environmental harm to Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Disproportionate exposure to air and water pollution, climate change and lead exposure translate to higher rates of asthma, infant mortality, lead poisoning and other life-threatening comorbidities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored this reality.
The Black Environmental Leaders Association (BEL), The Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland Foundation and The George Gund Foundation are partnering to launch an open call for small-scale collaborations among traditional media outlets, hyper-local organizations, nonprofits and resident media makers/citizen journalists to build out an environmental justice reporting project in Greater Cleveland that will lift up environmental justice narratives, stories and solutions led by BIPOC leaders, organizers, organizations and residents. |
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Equity in electric vehicle adoption
Electric vehicles (EVs) are currently being adopted at a disproportionately higher rate in predominantly white communities—meaning those communities are disproportionately reaping the benefits of localized EV adoption.
To ensure equity in the distribution of the benefits of transportation electrification, it is crucial to understand the impacts of environmental racism, to explore and promote electric vehicle adoption, and to develop models for transportation electrification that benefit all communities.
In pursuit of this goal, EVHybridNoire and Clean Fuels Ohio developed a joint report detailing the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of next-generation mobility in the Greater Cleveland area to identify unmet transportation needs in target communities.
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Recent Environment grants
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Bike Cleveland ($25,000) – To work with Neighborhood Connections to establish mobility committees in two Cleveland neighborhoods to advocate for equitable transportation and pedestrian access, while also working with Clevelanders for Public Transit to coordinate city-wide transportation policy and advocacy goals
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National Wildlife Federation (NWF) ($120,000) – Two-year funding to work with the Greater Cleveland Interfaith Alliance to launch a Sacred Grounds Cleveland initiative; a program of NWF, Sacred Grounds is designed to increase resources and knowledge of sustainable habitat practices that manage stormwater (e.g. rain gardens), improve water quality, increase wildlife/pollinator habitat and inspire congregations, communities and individuals to become conservation leaders and stewards
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| Stephen Love
Program Manager of Environmental Initiatives
Stephen Love joined the foundation in 2014 as part of the community responsive grantmaking team. In 2018, Stephen became the foundation’s environment program officer, overseeing development of an environmental grantmaking strategy, including efforts to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the parks and greenspaces we enjoy by supporting policies and practices that link environmental protection, climate action, health, equity and economic prosperity. |
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