The mission of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund is to energize and nurture long-term civic engagement in local intiatives that create and maintain healthy, just, safe and environmentally sustainable communities. We envision New England as a place where every citizen is inspired and empowered to participate in creating healthy, just, safe and environmentally sustainable communities - the places where we live, work and play.

The New England Grassroots Environment Fund (NEGEF) was created in 1996. In response to a clear need identified by the New England environmental community, the Fund is designed to validate and support grassroots activists working on hometown environmental issues. Financial support is readily available to established organizations, but not so for local, ad hoc committees or temporary coalitions. NEGEF is a creative approach to small grantmaking: a collaboration among larger foundations and citizen activists and a source of dollars for groups seldom recognized or rewarded.

For the past eleven years, NEGEF has awarded funds to Neighbors In Many Back Yards - your friends, neighbors, colleagues and the folks around the corner who care so passionately about human and nature's health that they sacrifice time, personal resources and needs to make the planet a little cleaner and more just.

The Grantmaking Committee meets two times a year to review applications and award grants. It is made up of eight members, one activist from each of the New England states and two individuals representing the foundation community. Members serve for two years. Current members are:

Activists:
Connecticut: Rabbi Andrea Cohen, Kiener, Interreligious Eco-Justice Network
Maine: Donna Minnis, Pemaquid Watershed Association
Massachusetts: Saulo Araujo, Grassroots International
New Hampshire: Tobias Marquette, Barrington Energy Task Force
Rhode Island: Bekah Greenwald, Rhode Island Earth Institute
Vermont: Carl Etnier, (Greater) East Montpelier Peak Oil Group


Funding Community:
Libby Monahan, Rhode Island Foundation
Amy Zell Ellsworth, Zell Family Foundation
Alyssa Blittersdorf / Evan Blittersdorf, Blittersdorf Foundation

Over the last twelve years, NEGEF has reviewed over 2415 applications and awarded 1390 grants to over 900 different community groups around New England. Grants have been distributed as follows as of July 2008:

Connecticut (since 2000) - 105 grants for $189,551
Maine - 243 grants for $429,768
Massachusetts - 436 grants for $763,395
New Hampshire - 175 grants for $284,640
Rhode Island (since 1999) - 136 grants for $240,474
Vermont - 294 grants for $488,744

Boston Grants Initiative (since 2004) - 85 grants for $498,577


Grants are also categorized by issue as follows:

Air - 37 grants for $62,900
Biotechnology - 14 grants for $24,000
Energy - 104 grants for $184,752
General - 13 grants for $19,300
Land Use - 406 grants for $704,209
Natural Resources - 121 grants for $197,799
Population/Consumption - 37 grants for $58,550
Toxics/Hazardous Waste - 293 grants for $438,171
Urban Environment - 159 grants for $296,089
Water - 204 grants for $341,802

TOTAL GRANTS DISTRIBUTED: $2,895,149

NEGEF wishes to thank the following foundations for the support and encouragement they have given since its beginning:

Anonymous Donor
Aria Foundation
Beldon Fund
Betterment Fund 
Jan and David Blittersdorf Foundation
Harris and Frances Block Foundation
Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Claneil Foundation
Cloud Mountain Foundation
Naomi & Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
Common Stream Fund
Jane B. Cook 1983 Charitable Trust
Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust
Currents of Change Fund
Davis Conservation Fund
Joseph & Eileen Donahue Charitable Trust
Fine Fund
Hartford Foundation, Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund
Howell Family Foundation
Island Foundation
Jane's Trust
Johnson Family Foundation
Kane Family Donor Fund
Henry P. Kendall Foundation
David L. Klein, Jr. Foundation
Lintilhac Foundation
Massachusetts Environmental Trust
Maverick Lloyd Foundation
John Merck Fund
Merck Family Fund
Herman & Frieda L. Miller Foundation
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation 
Norcross Wildlife Foundation
Penniman Family Foundation
Prince Charitable Trusts
Prospect Hill Foundation
Rhode Island Foundation
James E. Robison Foundation 
Seymour and Sylvia Rothchild Foundation
Estate of Richard Simches
Anna B. Stearns Foundation
Lydia B. Stokes Foundation
Sudbury Foundation
Tides Foundation, Peace Through Justice Fund
Lawson Valentine Foundation
Wendling Foundation
Wilkinson Foundation
Zell Family Foundation