West Central Initiative (WCI) is one of six community foundations in Minnesota created by the McKnight Foundation in 1986 to response to the farm crisis. Together, we cover the area of the state called “Greater Minnesota.” We have cities and towns in all of our regions, but we are commonly understood to be representative of rural Minnesota.
Environment
The world faces pressing challenges that require global responses – the climate crisis, entrenched inequality, migration, and more. But with international cooperation increasingly at risk, actions taken at the local level are ever more vital.
Natalie Ross previews the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, highlighting three of the topics the Council will be focusing on during the event.
When I noticed late last year that the Council on Foundations’ annual conference would focus on climate change, I was delighted. For The Fund for New Jersey and other place-based funders, climate change has been a daunting challenge.
The Year in Review highlights the scope of the Council on Foundation's work in 2015.
As I've read and watched others' reflections on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's destruction of a great American city, I'm compelled to tell some of my story.
With the American Business Act on Climate Pledge, Walmart saw formally supporting it as meeting all five of these tests, and therefore being a prudent decision for our business. It was a natural extension of our decade-long commitment to reduce emissions, and make our business more efficient.
Council on Foundations Q&A with Ann Sewill, Vice President of Housing & Economic Development, California Community Foundation
Picture your favorite childhood escape or a vacation destination you frequented with loved ones. Now, you are surprised by a child tugging at your sleeve asking, “What are you doing to address the impacts of climate change?”
As we celebrate and ponder a century of Community Foundation impact in our society, the convergence of community and climate is increasingly relevant. In just a few days, EGA, the Council on Foundations, and Funders Network for Smart Growth are bringing together community foundations who have led the field in incorporating sustainable communities and resilience into their work with leaders in climate science to have more dialogue on how environment, communities and community foundations connect and need to connect as we face increasing challenges to our neighborhood and world.