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The Bush Foundation’s funding for the environment dates back to the 1970s, and early contributions included intermittent grants to The Nature Conservancy to help ensure preservation of tracts of land with “particular environmental or biological significance.”
In 1999, the Foundation began to consider a greater focus on “environmental humanism.” This resulted in the identification of ecological health as a Foundation grantmaking area in 2001, a focus that continued through the summer of 2008.
Summary of Giving
Between 2001 and 2008 the Foundation awarded 145 grants totaling roughly $25 million to 74 organizations (see full list). Areas of focus included:
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Children’s environmental health |
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Clean and renewable energy |
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Environmental justice |
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Sustainable farming and food systems |
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Toxins |
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Water and air quality |
Learn More....
Background
Lessons Learned
Grants Overview and List
Timeline
Evaluation and Reports
Related Reports and Articles
Opportunities for Leadership, Learning and Impact in Ecological Health and Sustainable Communities (PDF), The Headwaters Group, 2007
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This follow-up to the 2006 report outlines three possible target areas for ecological health grantmaking, including scenarios for each with cost estimates and potential outcomes. |
Ecological Health: Assessing Learning, Leadership, and Impact (PDF), The Headwaters Group, 2006
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This report reviews the ecological health funding trends and nonprofit capacity in Minnesota and the Dakotas, and reviews the landscape of environmental issues facing the region. |
Ecological Health: A Journey of Learning (PDF), Lee-Hoon Benson, Bush Foundation Program Officer, Giving Strength magazine, 2006, Vol. 3, Issue 1
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This short article summarizes some of the Bush Foundation’s key learnings in the area of ecological health. |
Growth Pressures on Sensitive Natural Areas in the DNR’s Central Region (PDF), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2006
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This DNR report, funded by a Bush Foundation grant, explores the issues related to population growth that may place extreme pressure on sensitive natural systems, including wetlands, streams and upland habitats. |
Return to Bush Legacy Home Page
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How Bush Grants Made A Difference |
Friends of the Mississippi River (PDF) – Bush grants enabled Friends of the Mississippi to help citizens, environmentalists and officials become active in water stewardship. |
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Three Ecological Health Case Studies |
Minnesota Institute of Public Health – A funded study on the connection between pesticides and cancer rates in North Dakota’s Red River Valley, resulted in a sweeping public education campaign.
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Fresh Energy – Two grants supported the rebranding of Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy to Fresh Energy, and helping to improve clean energy technologies and strategies.
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Land Stewardship Project – A two-year grant helped enhance and expand local, sustainable farming.
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