A Just Transition recognizes that a healthy economy and a clean environment can co-exist. We support a vision-led, unifying and place-based set of principles, processes and practices that builds economic and political power and works to shift from an extractive economy (one that relies on the extraction of labor, natural resources, culture) to a regenerative economy.
We are committed to recognizing, listening to and moving resources in support of existing grassroots and frontline leaders in the environmental and climate justice movements as they continue to build their political, economic and cultural power.
We support policy changes that work towards reducing racial disparities of environmental and climate impacts. These solutions will reduce carbon emissions and address environmental problems that ensure the right of all people to live, learn, work and play in safe, healthy and clean environments.
Leading by example, we aim to increase environmental funding from public and private sources to frontline and grassroots organizations and movements with a racial equity lens.
People of color and low-wealth people, particularly those living in frontline communities, are faced with disproportionate, negative impacts of environmental degradation, climate change and failing infrastructure, and have been plagued by decades of disinvestment and racist planning practices. Historic power imbalances from centuries of structural racism have resulted in the people most affected by environmental impacts being the least heard and valued.
The environmental and climate justice movements address this disparity by centering impacted communities in the design and implementation of climate solutions. These interrelated movements encourage self-determination of all people and are opposed to the role of trans/multi-national corporations in environmentally decimating communities.
Through deep collaboration with our grantee partners and philanthropic colleagues, we intentionally support people and organizations that build power within communities of color and low-wealth communities to address the systemic environmental injustices caused by historic power imbalance. These movements are highly informed and have their own analysis about advancing environmental and climate justice solutions and the Sustainable Environments program elevates this work as it is organized in the field by naming both movements.
We use a variety of tools beyond grantmaking such as convenings, program related investments, and communications to play a role in shifting investments to frontline and grassroots organizations, particularly those led by people of color.
VIDEO: Helen Chin, former Program Director for Sustainable Environments discusses why and how the foundation supports Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities to advance equity.
You can explore recent Environmental & Climate Justice grants below.
And view other Sustainable Environments grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
People's Action Institute
The purpose of this project support grant is to support People’s Action Institute’s People and Planet First program. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
New Economy Coalition
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Kentucky Coalition, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Taproot Earth
The purpose of this project support grant to Gulf South to Appalachia Regional Formation Community Control Fund is for a pooled fund of philanthropic dollars to be distributed through a participatory budgeting process by and for grassroots communities across the South and Appalachia. |
Active | $400,000 | 24 months |
| 2025 |
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $350,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general program support to New York Energy Democracy Alliance. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation
The purpose of this grant is to provide general program support to Organizing Resilience, a program of Amalgamated Charitable Foundation. |
Active | $200,000 | 24 months |
| 2025 |
Community Labor United
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $275,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Jobs to Move America
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $750,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Greater New Orleans Funders Network
The purpose of the grant is to support Greater New Orleans Funders Network’s Restoration and Rejuvenation Initiative. |
Active | $15,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Climate Justice Alliance
The purpose of this project support grant is for digital security. |
Active | $25,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Ironbound Community Corporation
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
California Environmental Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice
The purpose of this grant is general program support to Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice. |
Active | $425,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of the grant is Surdna’s contribution to NYEDA’s annual matching fund drive for their 10-year anniversary. |
Active | $5,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Indigenous Environmental Network/Indigenous Educational Network of Turtle Island
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $325,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
New York Renews Resource Center
The purpose of this project grant is to support New York Renews Resource Center for their 501(c)(3) work. |
Active | $225,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Taproot Earth
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Foundation for Louisiana
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $600,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
ALIGN: the Alliance for a Greater New York
The purpose of the grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Greater New Orleans Funders Network
The purpose of this grant is general program support for the Greater New Orleans Funders Network. |
Active | $115,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Solidaire Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $200,000 | 24 months |
| 2024 |
The Funders Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $705,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Center for Coalfield Justice
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 24 months |
| 2024 |
Greater New Orleans Foundation
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $375,000 | 24 months |
What is climate justice? How are foundations incorporating it into their work and making a positive impact? Author Seema Shah, Ph.D. explores these questions in "Centering equity and justice in climate philanthropy." Commissioned by Ariadne and…
By Kelly Nowlin and Ernest Tollerson | First published in Inside Philanthropy The recent IPCC report couldn’t be clearer: The world needs wide-scale, transformative action, swift action, to ensure we don’t blow past the critical 1.5 degrees…
“Surdna was proud to support Building Equity and Alignment for Impact’s (BEA) report, which found that 12 national environmental funders gave just 1.3% of their annual giving to environmental justice groups. There is an abundance of BIPOC-led…
"To address climate and environmental inequities, we need to think holistically about the role of race and what justice means. We need to look at all aspects of our life. And acknowledge that the root of many injustices is the commoditization of…
How can we in philanthropy do a better job of supporting the kind of collaboration and shared learning that grassroots organizations need to grow their movements? In 2019, the Surdna Foundation Sustainable Environments team set out to better…
The CFF 2020 Food Movement Support Fund is a one-time grant program administered by Community Food Funders (CFF) and North Star Fund. Surdna is a member of the Community Food Funders, a network of foundations in the NY-NJ-CT area that support…
With the closeout of the Sustainable Environments Program's Transportation, Regional Food Supply, and Urban Stormwater Management lines of work, Surdna produced a series of learning summaries that capture the lessons learned from funding in those…
Helen Chin has just led the Surdna Foundation’s Sustainable Environments Program through a strategy refinement process. “Now,” she says, with satisfaction, “We are able to connect more robustly with what’s bubbling from the ground…
When we talk about “building the capacity” of frontline and grassroots leaders who are changing structures, policies, and systems, what does that really mean for funders? Many funders use antiquated and static systems of inquiry to identify and…
You can explore recent Environmental & Climate Justice grants below.
And view other Sustainable Environments grants in our database.
|
Year Approved
|
Organization
|
Status
|
Amount
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
People's Action Institute
The purpose of this project support grant is to support People’s Action Institute’s People and Planet First program. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
New Economy Coalition
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Kentucky Coalition, Inc.
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Taproot Earth
The purpose of this project support grant to Gulf South to Appalachia Regional Formation Community Control Fund is for a pooled fund of philanthropic dollars to be distributed through a participatory budgeting process by and for grassroots communities across the South and Appalachia. |
Active | $400,000 | 24 months |
| 2025 |
New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $350,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general program support to New York Energy Democracy Alliance. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation
The purpose of this grant is to provide general program support to Organizing Resilience, a program of Amalgamated Charitable Foundation. |
Active | $200,000 | 24 months |
| 2025 |
Community Labor United
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $275,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Jobs to Move America
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $750,000 | 36 months |
| 2025 |
Greater New Orleans Funders Network
The purpose of the grant is to support Greater New Orleans Funders Network’s Restoration and Rejuvenation Initiative. |
Active | $15,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Climate Justice Alliance
The purpose of this project support grant is for digital security. |
Active | $25,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Ironbound Community Corporation
Spotlight
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
California Environmental Justice Alliance
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $450,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice
The purpose of this grant is general program support to Building Equity and Alignment for Environmental Justice. |
Active | $425,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
New York Energy Democracy Alliance
The purpose of the grant is Surdna’s contribution to NYEDA’s annual matching fund drive for their 10-year anniversary. |
Active | $5,000 | 12 months |
| 2024 |
Indigenous Environmental Network/Indigenous Educational Network of Turtle Island
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $325,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
New York Renews Resource Center
The purpose of this project grant is to support New York Renews Resource Center for their 501(c)(3) work. |
Active | $225,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Taproot Earth
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $500,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Foundation for Louisiana
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $600,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
ALIGN: the Alliance for a Greater New York
The purpose of the grant is general operating support. |
Active | $300,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Greater New Orleans Funders Network
The purpose of this grant is general program support for the Greater New Orleans Funders Network. |
Active | $115,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Solidaire Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $200,000 | 24 months |
| 2024 |
The Funders Network
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $705,000 | 36 months |
| 2024 |
Center for Coalfield Justice
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $250,000 | 24 months |
| 2024 |
Greater New Orleans Foundation
The purpose of this grant is general operating support. |
Active | $375,000 | 24 months |