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Protecting the planet is critical. Thanks to one donor’s fund dedicated to improving the global environment, our grantmaking in this area spans the world. Download a PDF of this page.
Energy wind turbines
Wind Power
We backed efforts by the Campaign for Atlantic Offshore Wind that successfully got the nation's first wind farm built off the coast of Block Island.
COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

Human-driven climate change is a profound challenge. The Trust supports efforts to reduce climate pollution, promote clean energy investments and innovations, and ensure all communities benefit from the clean energy revolution. We’ve helped:

  • Develop our nation’s offshore wind resources.
  • Build the capacity of community groups to influence climate and energy policy.
  • Get millions allocated for the electrification of transit and school bus transportation in NY State.
Two men installing a solar panel on a roof.
Clean Energy
We promote and accelerate the use of solar and wind power as clean energy solutions.
STRENGTHEN CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Shoreline communities are feeling the brunt of climate change. To help these places respond to climate risks, The Trust helped:

  • Develop guidelines for resilient waterfront design.
  • Support reform to federal flood insurance and disaster mitigation policies.
  • Prepare communities for future floods, coastal storms, and other natural disasters.
Healthy Families
Healthy Families
We're supporting the Getting Ready for Baby Coalition to get teethers, toys, and other baby products with harmful chemicals off store shelves and replace them with safer alternatives. Photo by Amy Wolf for The Trust
REDUCE TOXIC EXPOSURE AND POLLUTION

Toxic chemicals permeate our economy. We need to remove unhealthy products from the marketplace and our environment. We’ve helped:

  • Cities adopt policies that protect children from neurotoxic chemical exposures.
  • Support a global effort to eliminate lead paint by 2020.
  • Remove flame retardants and other harmful chemicals from consumer products.
A pronghorn antelope.
Animal Crossing
We’re supporting projects that help preserve wildlife, like the pronghorn antelope, by creating animal crossings to connect habitats divided by highways. Photo by Jeff Burrell for the Wildlife Conservation Society
HELP WILDLIFE THRIVE

We are in the midst of our planet’s sixth mass extinction. To preserve biological diversity, The Trust funds the protection of migratory pathways and the connection of fragmented habitats. We’ve helped:

  • Develop a model legal designation for conservation corridors that countries around the world could adopt.
  • Support policies and land use measures that allow wildlife to migrate safely, especially across the U.S.–Canadian border.
  • Restore critical habitat in the corridor from the Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean.
Park Lovers
Park Lovers
We have donors who left money to support parks. We make grants in their names to maintain parks and expand programming. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
MAKE NEW YORK CITY GREENER

Trust support has helped create open space, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods more resilient to climate change. We’ve helped:

  • Plan the High Line, Governors Island, and the Brooklyn Greenway.
  • Promote the use of green roofs, street trees, and community gardens to manage storm-water runoff and beautify communities.
  • Support mass transit improvements, greenways, and walkable, bike-able streets.