Environment and Climate Justice

New Hampshire’s forests, lakes, wetlands, and mountains are the state’s most treasured assets.

Not only is conservation an economic driver for the state, it also improves the health and well-being of Granite Staters who can enjoy time in nature. However, natural ecosystems in New Hampshire are increasingly threatened by development and climate change, and persistent inequities in access to nature determine who can experience its benefits. Environmental harms from pollution, climate change, and substandard neighborhood conditions are largely drawn along lines of race and income, which further deprives some communities, especially communities of color and low-income communities, of their right to a healthy environment.

Since 1962, the Foundation has made some $70 million in grants to protect and preserve the state’s natural resources.

As part of our efforts to make New Hampshire a community where everyone can thrive, we are working to support a more equitable environmental movement in New Hampshire, one that puts local environmental issues and climate change on par with conservation, preserves natural resources for their intrinsic value and community benefit, and responds to the interests of more people.

What we’re doing

Our environmental grantmaking strategy was developed after consultations with many community partners, including an in-depth survey of the environmental field in the region. Based on what we learned, we are supporting nonprofit partners to:

• Build capacity. Helping conservation nonprofits develop the capacity for meaningful community engagement and partnerships to expand their reach into marginalized communities.
• Increase access. Promoting greater access to the outdoors for all, with a focus on low-income communities, communities of color, and people with disabilities.
• Organize for environmental justice: Investing in organizations that build environmental justice capacity and grassroots efforts, ensuring that everyone has a voice in decisions affecting their local environment.
• Act on climate issues: Supporting advocacy for climate action at the state and local levels.
• Build a learning community: Facilitating opportunities for peer-learning and collaboration within and beyond the environmental sector to share experiences and broaden relationship networks.

In addition, the Foundation’s Wellborn Ecology Fund promotes ecological education and knowledge though place-based education initiatives; we are working with many generous people and innovative partners to restore and promote the health of Great Bay and its surrounding watershed; and our Upper Connecticut River Valley Mitigation and Enhancement Fund is supporting restoration and protection of the river and surrounding watersheds.