New England Grassroots Environment Fund

Through its work, NEGEF specifically seeks to:

• Help community leaders move single issue, backyard debates to more systemic and long lasting solutions;
• Provide skills-building opportunities for volunteers and volunteer leaders;
• Link community based projects with statewide, regional & national efforts.

The goals and outcomes of our 2009 Strategic Workplan are:

Investing in the Grassroots

• Regionwide small grants
  • 2009 goal: Build a grant pool of $250,000
  • 2009 outcome: Support 150 groups (size of grants: $500 – $2,500)
• Urban grants
  • 2009 goal: Sustain a grant pool of $125,000
  • 2009 outcome: support 24 groups (size of grants: $500 – $10,000)
• Special grants
  • 2009 goal: Process $25,000 in new grants as fiscal sponsor
  • 2009 outcome: Disburse 4-6 additional grants (size of grant:$2,500 – $10,000)

Coaching, Networking, and Skills Building

• Coaching
  • 2009 goal: Increase direct coaching opportunities with applicants turned down for a grant and for grantees returning for a grant; communicate grantee expectations and anticipated results more clearly through ‘issues map’
  • 2009 outcome: Improved quality and program fit in applications coming to NEGEF; increased number of grantees returning for a second grant
• NEGEF Grassroots Retreat
  • 2009 goal: Co-host the 2009 NEGEF Grassroots Retreat with the Toxics Action Center; co-host and offer a leadership training program with Rockwood Leadership Program; target and reach out to key constituents that new to NEGEF to attend the retreat and trainings
  • 2009 outcome: short-term results: a substantive training experience for 150 participants and a more engaging, efficient, and affordable annual retreat. Long-term results: grantees remain active and involved at the local level through skills acquired, contacts made at the retreat and through a sense of identity with volunteer efforts in the region
• NEGEF Conference Sponsorships
  • 2009 goal: NEGEF staff will speak at or attend approximately on conference each month; NEGEF will include $2,000 in sponsorship fees in the annual budget for these events
  • 2009 outcome: Higher visibility for NEGEF
• Networking with NEGEF’s website
  • 2009 goal: Implementing the design of a Content Management System, a new web look and online application system; fundraise for components not covered by the current grant
  • 2009 outcome: Completion of Phase I development of the system; provide electronic data access to NEGEF staff, board, grantmaking committees and funding partners

Advocating for Community Grassroots Action

• Local Energy and Water Withdrawal Convenings
  • 2009 goal: Take a leadership role in convening network partners, starting with the energy and climate action community and the water withdrawal community
  • 2009 outcome: Improved coordination of the burgeoning number of local energy initiatives erupting across the region; an increase in the number of local level energy groups hearing about us from partners; a New England water withdrawal and privatization strategy to protect the region’s water supplies.
• Analysis of Regional Trends
  • 2009 goal: better organize NEGEF’s data by coordinating the applications and reports through the Content Management System; better utilize the voluminous amount of data from the 1,000+ groups in the NEGEF network to better communicate the important role local, informal community groups, committees and initiatives play in the region
  • 2009 outcome: Better identification of trends that suggest new opportunities for supporting the grassroots work in New England; position NEGEF to interpret needs, fill gaps and assist other funders with targeted grantmaking