Two Trust staff members mulch young trees at a volunteer day run by grantee Bronx is Blooming in Joyce Kilmer Park.
The climate crisis is one of the biggest environmental challenges our planet faces. We’re investing in a more climate-resilient region and supporting efforts to make life greener in New York City and our surrounding counties. Below, meet some nonprofit partners that are helping local and regional communities lead climate movements, making our energy and our infrastructure more sustainable, and protecting our air, water, and green spaces.
The communities most affected by the social, health, and economic consequences of climate change and pollution are the voices that matter most when organizing for change. These groups advocate for equitable environmental policies, train climate justice leaders, and organize their neighbors to act.
The Bronx is Blooming is an environmental stewardship organization that mobilizes volunteers to care for the borough’s street trees, parks, and green spaces. Over the past decade, it has coordinated more than 18,000 volunteers and provided seasonal jobs to hundreds of high school and college students from the Bronx.
Gowanus Canal Conservancy stewards Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, one of the most polluted bodies of water in the country, and ensures that efforts to clean up the canal incorporate green infrastructure and reflect community priorities.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice was founded in 1988 by West Harlem residents who came together to respond to environmental challenges facing their neighborhood. A well-respected environmental justice group, it advocates at local, state, and federal levels, and helps communities respond to environmental policies that disproportionally affect low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
Emissions from the power, buildings, and transportation sectors are major contributors to the climate crisis. Development efforts that prioritize climate resilience, innovations in energy technology, and more environmentally friendly and accessible transportation are key parts of the solution. We highlight groups working on local and regional efforts below.
Clean Energy Group is a national advocacy, research, and technical assistance organization. It works with local environmental groups to replace fossil fuel power plants, known as “peaker plants” which are used to meet cities’ peak energy demand, with cleaner alternatives.
Tri-State Transportation Campaign was formed by a network of environmental groups in 1993 to decrease dependence on cars, combat sprawl, and promote transit-oriented development in the tri-state region. It is at the center of efforts to reduce transportation pollution by encouraging more commuters to use public transit and advocating to make public transit emission-free.
The Waterfront Alliance leads climate-resilient waterfront design and planning discussions in our region, helping environmental and community groups, businesses, and developers find ways to make the region’s waterfronts withstand more frequent flooding and become better places to play, learn, and work.
Grantee Atlantic Marine Conservation Society cares for injured local sea turtles in Westhampton Beach.
Through caring for the biodiversity of our region, we preserve a healthy and vibrant ecosystem that provides a range of benefits. Help our communities benefit from cleaner watersheds, greener public spaces, and the protection of native and endangered plant and animal life so we can become more responsible stewards of the planet that we share.
The Natural Areas Conservancy conserves the city’s naturally occurring forest, wetlands, and grasslands, specializing in scientific ecological monitoring and data-driven solutions. It focuses on maintaining healthy forests, protecting coastlines with nature-based systems, and promoting residents’ connection to urban nature.
WESTCHESTER: Friends of Rye Nature Center stewards the Rye Nature Preserve, a 47-acre municipal forest within the City of Rye. The agency preserves, protects, and manages the forest; restores degraded habitats and increases biodiversity; provides environmental education; and supports community access to nature year-round.
LONG ISLAND: Atlantic Marine Conservation Society protects Long Island’s marine ecosystem. It treats and cares for distressed and injured seals, dolphins, and sea turtles, and collects and shares data with environmental groups. It manages a sea turtle critical care facility in Westhampton Beach, where it treats and returns endangered sea turtles to the ocean.
This list is not exhaustive. There are many incredible nonprofits helping make our region a better place for all; we seek to highlight a few that may not be on your radar, but please reach out to our philanthropic advising department at info@nyct-cfi.org if you would like recommendations tailored to your charitable goals.
Peter Panapento
peter@turn-two.co
(202) 531-3886
Courtney Biggs
cbi@nyct-cfi.org
(212) 889-3963
Peter Panapento
peter@turn-two.co
(202) 531-3886
Courtney Biggs
cbi@nyct-cfi.org
(212) 889-3963