Report: Biggest Green Groups Get the Most "Greenbacks"
By Mike Clifford
Public News Service New York
February 28, 2012
The biggest groups get the biggest bucks when it comes to charitable foundations granting money to conservation organizations. At the same time, in many cases, important conservation projects taken on by smaller groups in New York and across the nation are being overlooked.
A new report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) says the "funding ecosystem" needs revamping, to share the wealth with some of the smaller grassroots groups. It says says people at the local level are often the ones most affected by their area's environmental and climate challenges, but the researchers found they receive only 15 percent of the grant money given by foundations for environmental work.
Aaron Dorfman, who heads the NCRP, says the charitable funders need to change that.
"They've got the freedom to take risks and experiment. And foundations are supposed to be society's 'passing gear,' to really invest in those things that might not be attracting support otherwise. We just don't see that happening."
