As climate disasters in our region continue to persist in the form of rising sea levels, wildfires and poor air quality, how can funders expand their work to include a climate justice lens? This call will illuminate the intersectionality between climate change, community development, COVID-19 and racial equity. Our speakers will share how climate change is affecting our region and discuss the challenges, as well as policy and funding opportunities.   

This call will cover: 

• How organizers supported communities in the wake of the 2020 wildfires, and how funders can continue to support organizations doing similar work  
• How funders who don’t have climate portfolios can still support climate justice work and impacted communities  
• How health disparities are linked to climate change and systemic racism 

Speakers

Jim Desmond, The Nature Conservancy

Jim Desmond has been the state director of The Nature Conservancy in Oregon since February 2015. Prior to his current role, Jim held various leadership roles at Metro (the regional government serving Portland and its 24 suburbs) for 18 years, serving as director of Metro’s parks, natural areas, environmental education and the region’s recycling program. Jim led Metro's nationally recognized conservation efforts that protected 14,000 acres of land, 300+ miles of river and stream frontage, and planted 2 million trees and shrubs. 

 

Shilpa Joshi 

Shilpa Joshi (she/her) is an organizer and coalition builder. She worked on local and national environmental justice and climate issues as a youth organizer, field director, coalition manager and lobbyist for 14 years. For the last four years, she was the Coalition Director for Renew Oregon, organizing a broad swath of progressive organizations, labor unions and Tribes to advocate for comprehensive climate policy in Oregon. Before joining Renew, Shilpa led a statewide coalition to victory on a campaign to ban fracking in Maryland with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. She also serves as the board chair for the National Queer Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance, the only federal queer Asian advocacy organization in the US. 

 

Adrienne Hampton, The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition

Adrienne Hampton (She/Her/Hers) was raised in the Washington, D.C. area along the Potomac River and has lived in the greater Seattle area since 2011. Her passion for advocacy and amplifying the voices of community stems from her grandmother who was involved in community organizing and activism during the civil rights movement in upstate New York. Adrienne holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington. She resolves to work towards employing a cross-cultural understanding of human identity in conjunction with a loving of the land and waters. She is committed to the advancement of climate justice for thriving communities, fair decision-making and the preservation of cultural identities.

 

Esther Min, Front and Centered

Esther Min serves as the environmental health lead at Front and Centered supporting evidence-based and data-driven work across their programs. She brings experience developing environmental justice maps and supporting community-driven research with communities, for communities. 

 

 

Eligibility 

Participation in this meeting is open to philanthropic organizations that currently make grants. This includes corporate giving offices, private and public foundations, community foundations, government grantmakers and CDFI institutions with a philanthropic focus. You do not need to be a Philanthropy Northwest member to participate, but do need to represent an organizational philanthropic institution. Please do not join this call if you are a nonprofit organization. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact Nancy Sanabria.