Grantmaking

Resources Legacy Fund works to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature by building alliances that mobilize influence, knowledge, and expertise. Connecting philanthropic funding with organizations advancing environmental outcomes, equity, and justice is the keystone of our work.

RLF’s grantmaking seeks to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by directing funds to those who have been marginalized and to build long-term capacity within their communities. We believe that the most effective alliances represent diverse experience and perspectives, and that the most meaningful and lasting outcomes are often co-created with those typically underrepresented in decision making. With our funding partners, we seek to change how environmental solutions are understood, developed, and implemented. Learn more about our grantmaking approach.

As a general rule, RLF reaches out to potential new grantees and partners to help develop and implement program strategies. But we appreciate opportunities to hear new ideas and meet potential partners, even if it’s only for future consideration. We invite you to explore our program areas and website. If your work aligns with ours, we welcome a conversation.

Grantee Spotlight

Azul

Azul is a grassroots environmental justice organization working with Latinx communities to protect the coasts and ocean. Founded in 2011 by Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš to elevate Latinx perspectives and participation in ocean conservation, Azul has become a global leader on plastic pollution as an environmental injustice, and issues including social justice, climate change, coastal access and inclusion, and marine protected areas, and it has secured numerous policy wins alongside its Latinos Marinos network. Azul is a co-host of California Ocean Day, an annual advocacy and education day at the state capitol where Azul brings Latinx youth and community advocates to engage legislators on priority ocean justice issues. Resources Legacy Fund has been proudly supporting Azul since its launch, learning from the organization’s tremendous issue expertise, great passion, and deep community organizing, policy, and advocacy skills. It has been a great honor to see them build a broader, more diverse and inclusive community of ocean advocates, while setting the bar for others. In April of 2021, Azul and the United Nations Environment Programme released a comprehensive report, NEGLECTED: Environmental Justice Impacts of Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution, which calls for the recognition of communities affected by plastic waste and their inclusion in decision making. It has been a key resource for delegates, decision makers and advocates working to design a binding global plastics treaty. In July 2022, Azul released a first-of-its-kind poll, fielded by BSP Research, on Latinx attitudes on ocean conservation and policy. The poll found that U.S. Latinos are overwhelmingly supportive of Azul’s ocean justice and climate policy goals, including limiting offshore drilling and advancing coastal access.

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Pogo Park

In 2007, residents in the City of Richmond’s underserved Iron Triangle neighborhood founded Pogo Park to build safe parks in their community. In less than ten years, this motivated grassroots organization renovated and renewed Elm Playlot, a .5-acre pocket park in the heart of the neighborhood. They transformed a park once described as “dirty, dull, and dangerous” into a community hub that provides a beautiful, safe, green space for families to play; an oasis for healthy, enriching activities; and jobs for community members who operate and maintain the park. Now, Pogo Park is partnering with the City of Richmond to create Harbour-8 Park just a half mile from Elm Playlot. With $8.5 million in Proposition 68 funding from the State of California, Harbour-8 Park will include a new community center, children’s play area, zip line, picnic area, public art and greening. Pogo Park’s work has been recognized as a national model for community engagement, and the parks they transformed were featured among destinations around the world in the “The Field Guide for Parks and Creative Placemaking.” RLF’s California Conservation Innovations program, in coordination with Packard Foundation’s Mission Investments loan program and several other business and philanthropic partners, has provided sustained support to help Pogo Park deliver on its vision.

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Green Leadership Trust

The Green Leadership Trust (GLT) is an influential network of people of color who serve
as board members for more than 80 environmental organizations ranging from national to local nonprofits and philanthropies. Established in 2013, GLT works to build power for the environmental movement by diversifying its most senior leadership. In 2022, RLF’s Western Communications Hub made a capacity-building grant to GLT to support its strategic and digital communications efforts. In preparation for its 10th anniversary, GLT is revamping its messaging, online outreach, and communications strategies to maximize impact and grow its unique model of supporting multigenerational leaders of color in their environmental work. GLT’s work is grounded in equity and justice, forging environmental solutions not with trade-offs, but by addressing multiple issues simultaneously, strengthening democracy, engagement, and resilience in all communities.

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Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association

The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) provides low-cost, bilingual (Spanish/English), organic farm management training to limited-resource farmers in the Salinas Valley. RLF’s Land-Sea Connection (LSC) Program provides support for ALBA’s 1-year course, which balances field training with classroom instruction on marketing, compliance, and business management. Graduates of the course may launch an organic farm enterprise in ALBA’s incubator program where they gain subsidized access to land, farm equipment, and free technical assistance for an additional 4 years. In 20 years, ALBA has helped over 100 field laborers transition to farm business ownership, and trained hundreds more for careers in sustainable agriculture. Though we welcome aspiring farmers from all backgrounds, the majority of participants are Mexican immigrants seeking a better life. The COVID pandemic and an aging irrigation system presented compounding challenges to ALBA and its work in recent years. Thanks to ALBA’s ingenuity and support from LSC’s emergency COVID grant funding, ALBA was able to adapt its produce distribution model, develop virtual farmer training, and install a new irrigation well and pump that will keep the program running for decades. ALBA provides a farmer incubator model that empowers a new generation of farmers, uplifts immigrant farmers, and expands climate and watershed-friendly agriculture techniques.

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Tulalip Tribes

The Tulalip Tribes are direct descendants of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other allied tribes and bands signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott. Of their growing tribal population of more than 5,100 members, 2,700 reside on the 22,000-acre Tulalip Indian Reservation located 40 miles north of Seattle where the Snohomish River meets the Puget Sound. The Tulalip Tribes’ Natural Resources Department, through the Restoration, Acquisition and Stewardship Program is leading an extensive salmon restoration effort in Washington’s Snohomish River watershed as one of two priority river basins within their Treaty-reserved fishing, hunting, and gathering area. In 2021, RLF’s Open Rivers Fund supported Tulalip’s work with a private landowner to remove a small dam blocking fish passage on a Snoqualmie River tributary. Just months after the dam was removed, salmon redds were found upstream of the former dam site. In Spring 2022, over 70 coho, rainbow trout, and chinook fry/parr were observed in the newly opened reach and 300-foot constructed channel, demonstrating the immediate impact of the project.

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