Report: Biggest Green Groups Get the Most "Greenbacks"
By Mark Scheerer
Public News Service Maine
February 27, 2012
The biggest national environmental groups get the most charitable dollars, while important conservation projects taken on by smaller groups in Maine and across the nation often are overlooked. This finding is one of several in a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP).
People at the local level, such as the opponents of a proposed liquid propane gas (LPG) facility in Searsport, are likely to be those most affected by environment and climate challenges in their area, but the report says only 15 percent of foundation grant money for environmental work goes to the grassroots organizations addressing those issues.
... Millie Buchanan with the Noyes Foundation says her group makes a point of supporting communities that are the most affected by problems and are making efforts to initiate change on the grassroots level.
"New England is a region with a history of town meetings and emphasis on local input. If someone from D.C. comes in and tells folks they should be concerned about climate change, it's not necessarily going to fly. But if your neighbor talks to you about keeping control of your water, keeping more utility money in your pocket, it's likely to lead to collective action."
