Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
Featured Stories
Conservation Law Foundation: Rhode Island Unveils 2025 Climate Action Strategy
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 19 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Rhode Island Unveils 2025 Climate Action Strategy
CLF looking toward Governor's implementation
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(Providence, RI) - Rhode Island has just approved its 2025 Climate Action Strategy, which is intended to outline a plan for slashing carbon pollution as required by the state's Act on Climate law. CLF released the following statement in response.
"The Climate Action Strategy details how far Rhode Island must go to slash climate-warming emissions, but most of its proposals are a continuation
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 19 -- The Conservation Law Foundation issued the following news release:
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Rhode Island Unveils 2025 Climate Action Strategy
CLF looking toward Governor's implementation
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(Providence, RI) - Rhode Island has just approved its 2025 Climate Action Strategy, which is intended to outline a plan for slashing carbon pollution as required by the state's Act on Climate law. CLF released the following statement in response.
"The Climate Action Strategy details how far Rhode Island must go to slash climate-warming emissions, but most of its proposals are a continuationof business as usual. That is not enough," said Darrell Brown, CLF's Vice President for Rhode Island. "We need a clear plan and commitment from our state agencies to real solutions that give Rhode Island a shot at success. Climate change isn't waiting, so neither can we. I look forward to seeing how Governor McKee and the legislature create measurable and actionable next steps to implement the strategy in the new year."
Now that Rhode Island's Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council has approved the strategy, it will inform the state's upcoming legislative session and provide guidance to the Governor and executive agencies on the steps they need to take to meet Rhode Island's climate commitments.
CLF experts are available for comment.
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Original text here: https://www.clf.org/newsroom/rhode-island-unveils-2025-climate-action-strategy/
Strengthened methane regulations represent a step forward for climate
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 18 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release:
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Strengthened methane regulations represent a step forward for climate
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VANCOUVER UNCEDED MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH TERRITORIES (December 16, 2025)
Thomas Green, senior climate manager at the David Suzuki Foundation, said :
"The Foundation welcomes the federal government's strengthened oil and gas sector methane regulations the first meaningful action on climate after months of setbacks. This is a critical step toward delivering the rapid emissions cuts science demands.
... Show Full Article
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 18 -- The David Suzuki Foundation posted the following news release:
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Strengthened methane regulations represent a step forward for climate
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VANCOUVER UNCEDED MUSQUEAM, SQUAMISH AND TSLEIL-WAUTUTH TERRITORIES (December 16, 2025)
Thomas Green, senior climate manager at the David Suzuki Foundation, said :
"The Foundation welcomes the federal government's strengthened oil and gas sector methane regulations the first meaningful action on climate after months of setbacks. This is a critical step toward delivering the rapid emissions cuts science demands.Given that the oil and gas sector is responsible for almost a third of Canada's climate pollution problem and has been failing to act, these rules were long overdue.
"While it is disappointing that the final rules fall short of the 75 per cent reduction proposed in draft form, 72 per cent is a major improvement from the 2018 regulations, which required methane emissions to be reduced 40 to 45 per cent.
"The progress shown in today's announcement must not be undermined through weak equivalency agreements. Any deal with Alberta or Saskatchewan must be backed with transparent modelling, measurement and verified compliance that deliver equal or better results by 2030 otherwise the federal rules must apply. The Alberta-Ottawa pipeline deal announced in November inexplicably delays achieving a 75 per cent methane reduction target from 2030 to 2035, locking in emissions equivalent to those of 12 million cars a year.
"Similarly, cutting landfill methane is a cost-effective climate measure, but it must address the source of the problem: accelerating waste reduction, organics diversion and circular economy approaches. While provinces including B.C. and Quebec already have landfill methane regulations, federal rules will ensure all provinces have to act on landfill methane pollution.
"Properly regulating methane is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to cut pollution that contributes to asthma attacks, heart disease and premature deaths. Methane action is a win for workers, communities and the climate, delivering rapid climate benefits, helping to meet Canada's climate commitments, creating economic opportunities through good local jobs and supporting skilled workers throughout the country."
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For more information or interviews, please contact:
Rosie Rattray, rrattray@davidsuzuki.org, 416.570.3728
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Original text here: https://davidsuzuki.org/press/strengthened-methane-regulations-represent-a-step-forward-for-climate/
Health Foundation Comments on the Employment Rights Bill Returning to the House of Lords
LONDON, England, Dec. 18 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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Health Foundation comments on the Employment Rights Bill returning to the House of Lords
Commenting ahead of the Employment Rights Bill returning to the House of Lords, Sam Atwell, Policy and Research Manager at the Health Foundation, said:
'The government is right to maintain its commitment to strengthening the UK's comparatively weak statutory sick pay (SSP) system by extending SSP eligibility to 1.3 million additional workers and give access to sick pay from the first day off sick. This will mean that
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Dec. 18 -- The Health Foundation posted the following news release:
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Health Foundation comments on the Employment Rights Bill returning to the House of Lords
Commenting ahead of the Employment Rights Bill returning to the House of Lords, Sam Atwell, Policy and Research Manager at the Health Foundation, said:
'The government is right to maintain its commitment to strengthening the UK's comparatively weak statutory sick pay (SSP) system by extending SSP eligibility to 1.3 million additional workers and give access to sick pay from the first day off sick. This will mean thatmore workers, particularly those working part-time or in lower paid jobs, will have stronger protections that enable them to better manage their health problems when they arise and remain in work.
'These changes are an important step in supporting a healthier and more resilient workforce, but the very low inadequate rate of SSP also needs to be addressed and reviewed this parliament.'
Notes to editors
* The Health Foundation's briefing on the Employment Rights Bill can be accessed online
* Health Foundation analysis on 'Making statutory sick pay work: The case for going further to support healthier working lives'
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Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/health-foundation-comments-on-the-employment-rights-bill-returning-to-the-house-of-lords
Feeling like Scrooge? OMRF scientists might know why
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 18 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Feeling like Scrooge? OMRF scientists might know why
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Whether you feel a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday season or you crave the good feelings that accompany generosity, the cause may stem, at least in part, from your hormones and the chemicals in your brain.
That's the assessment of a pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists.
Research has linked stinginess to testosterone. It's a predominantly male hormone, which may explain the extreme miserliness of Scrooge,
... Show Full Article
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Dec. 18 -- The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation posted the following news:
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Feeling like Scrooge? OMRF scientists might know why
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Whether you feel a bit like Ebenezer Scrooge this holiday season or you crave the good feelings that accompany generosity, the cause may stem, at least in part, from your hormones and the chemicals in your brain.
That's the assessment of a pair of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists.
Research has linked stinginess to testosterone. It's a predominantly male hormone, which may explain the extreme miserliness of Scrooge,whose name remains synonymous with greed nearly 200 years after the publication of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."
In a 2009 study, researchers applied either a testosterone cream or a placebo cream to male college student volunteers. They then tested the generosity of both groups by giving each student $10 and having them split the money with another participant however they wished.
The results: Those on the testosterone cream gave 27% less to their fellow participants than those on the placebo cream. A more potent variant of testosterone showed even more dramatic effects, as those with the highest levels in their bloodstream gave their study partner an average of 55 cents, compared to $3.65 given by those with the lowest amounts.
"The subjects were randomized and were 'blind' to whether they were using the real hormone cream or the placebo," said OMRF physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D. "In scientific research, that's the gold standard for assuring reliable results."
Another factor in Scrooge's stinginess could have been dopamine, which acts as a neurotransmitter for the brain's reward system, said Mike Beckstead, Ph.D., who holds the Hille Family Foundation Chair in Neurodegenerative Disease Research at OMRF.
"Dopamine is more designed to signal immediate gratification, while the rewards of generosity are more delayed," said Beckstead, who studies the brain chemical in his lab at OMRF. "Dopamine would teach you that if you spent $100 on a gift for somebody, that's a net negative to you, because the immediate act of giving is that you're $100 poorer."
Conversely, Beckstead said, high levels of two other brain chemicals, serotonin and oxytocin, would lead someone toward generosity.
"Serotonin promotes mood and well-being, while oxytocin is often called the brain's love chemical. It's focused on trust and social connection and intimacy," Beckstead said.
This isn't true only in humans. Several studies have found that oxytocin drives mammals like elephants and dogs to show altruism toward distressed animals of the same species. Earlier this year, scientists found that mice do the same thing.
"Those stories you hear about dolphins protecting swimmers from sharks - that's altruism," Beckstead said. "And the main brain chemicals involved with that are serotonin and oxytocin."
Both OMRF scientists cautioned that neither high levels of testosterone and dopamine, nor low levels of the altruistic brain chemicals, doom anyone to a lifetime of stinginess.
"Studies have shown that generosity is both innate and a learned behavior," Scofield said. "Like Scrooge eventually realized, we seldom regret being generous. The regret usually stems from not learning that lesson earlier in life."
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Original text here: https://omrf.org/2025/12/18/feeling-like-scrooge-omrf-scientists-might-know-why/
Community Foundation Awards $841,000 in Resilience Fund Grants to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Dec. 18 -- The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida issued the following news release on Dec. 16, 2025:
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The Community Foundation Awards $841,000 in Resilience Fund Grants to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida announced today that 18 nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $841,000 in grants from the Northeast Florida Resilience Fund.
Established in June 2025 with a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor and supplemented with $50,000 from Foundation-directed resources, the fund was created to help nonprofits
... Show Full Article
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Dec. 18 -- The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida issued the following news release on Dec. 16, 2025:
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The Community Foundation Awards $841,000 in Resilience Fund Grants to Strengthen Nonprofit Sector
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida announced today that 18 nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $841,000 in grants from the Northeast Florida Resilience Fund.
Established in June 2025 with a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor and supplemented with $50,000 from Foundation-directed resources, the fund was created to help nonprofitsstabilize and strengthen operations amid significant public funding shifts.
The grants focus primarily on organizations providing services to meet basic needs--including food, housing, and healthcare. The program will serve vulnerable populations across the six-county Northeast Florida region, including Baker, Clay, Duval, St. Johns, Nassau and Putnam counties. Funding supports both immediate stabilization and long-term capacity building. The remaining resources in the fund will be dedicated to grants promoting strategic partnerships in 2026.
Grant Recipients and Amounts:
* Baker County Council on Aging, Inc. - $50,000 - to expand the Meals on Wheels program to serve more seniors in Baker County.
* Beaches Habitat for Humanity - $50,000 - to support the Coastal Haven affordable housing project in Duval County.
* Beyond90 -$50,000 - to provide culturally appropriate food distributions for refugee families in partnership with Lutheran Social Services.
* Catholic Charities Bureau, St. Augustine - $41,000 - to stabilize food and housing assistance programs in St. Johns and Putnam counties.
* Clara White Mission - $25,000 - to restore the food assistance program, which provides 870 meals weekly in Duval County.
* Giving Closet Project - $50,000 - to collaborate with Presbyterian Social Ministries to streamline clothing distribution services.
* Lee Conlee House - $50,000 - to support staffing and shelter operations for domestic violence survivors in Putnam County.
* Lift Jax - $50,000 - to develop a shared service model for revitalization efforts in Jacksonville's Historic Eastside.
* Mission House - $50,000 - to fund clinic staff positions serving uninsured citizens at the Beaches.
* NAMI Jacksonville - $50,000 - to support mental health services and suicide helpline operations.
* Northside Community Involvement - $25,000 - to enhance food pantry and delivery services for families in Duval County.
* Pie in the Sky - $50,000 - to deliver fresh produce to low-income seniors in St. Johns County.
* Quigley House - $50,000 - to maintain staffing for Clay County's only domestic violence shelter.
* Read USA - $50,000 - to expand literacy tutoring at Biltmore Elementary in collaboration with Teach for America.
* St. Gerard Campus - $50,000 - to stabilize childcare and education programs and strengthen operations through technology and training.
* The Way Free Medical Clinic - $50,000 - to support the Way@Work program and clinic operations for Clay County's only healthcare provider for low-income and uninsured residents.
* Volunteers in Medicine - Jacksonville - $50,000 - to sustain healthcare programs for uninsured adults in Northeast Florida.
* We Care Jacksonville - $50,000 - to strengthen healthcare coordination for uninsured adults through JaxCare Connect, a healthcare collaborative of six clinics providing services to low-income, under-resourced, and uninsured people.
"Philanthropy cannot fill every gap created by public funding shifts, but it can make targeted investments to strengthen nonprofit capacity," said Amy Crane, Vice President of Programs. "We are deeply grateful to the donor who entrusted The Community Foundation to invest in opportunities to help make nonprofits in Northeast Florida more resilient."
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About The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida (www.jaxcf.org), Florida's oldest and one of its largest community foundations, works to stimulate philanthropy to build a better community. The Foundation helps donors invest their philanthropic gifts wisely, helps nonprofits serve the region effectively, and helps people come together to make the community a better place. Now in its 61st year, the Foundation manages more than $750 million in assets as of 10/31/2025 and has made more than $850 million in grants since inception.
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Original text here: https://www.jaxcf.org/the-community-foundation-awards-841000-in-resilience-fund-grants-to-strengthen-nonprofit-sector/
California Restores $7.3M for Climate Projects in San Diego's Historic Barrios After EPA Cuts
SAN DIEGO, California, Dec. 18 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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California Restores $7.3M for Climate Projects in San Diego's Historic Barrios After EPA Cuts
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December 18, 2025 - San Diego, CA - Long-planned investments in cleaner air, safer streets and expanded green space will move forward in San Diego's historic barrios after the California Strategic Growth Council approved an additional $7.3 million to close a funding gap left by cuts to previously awarded EPA grants.
The Dec. 10 decision restores the Rooted in Comunidad, Cultivating Equity (RICCE)
... Show Full Article
SAN DIEGO, California, Dec. 18 -- The San Diego Foundation posted the following news release:
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California Restores $7.3M for Climate Projects in San Diego's Historic Barrios After EPA Cuts
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December 18, 2025 - San Diego, CA - Long-planned investments in cleaner air, safer streets and expanded green space will move forward in San Diego's historic barrios after the California Strategic Growth Council approved an additional $7.3 million to close a funding gap left by cuts to previously awarded EPA grants.
The Dec. 10 decision restores the Rooted in Comunidad, Cultivating Equity (RICCE)initiative a Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant to its originally proposed $29.5 million funding level, ensuring that all community-identified improvement projects can proceed as planned. The additional funding was made possible by the passage of Proposition 4 in 2024, which supports expanded investment in climate-related projects. The initiative is led by San Diego Foundation and the Environmental Health Coalition, working alongside 10 dedicated community partner organizations.
Developed through extensive community engagement in Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Shelltown, Stockton, Grant Hill, Mount Hope and Southcrest, the project reflects priorities identified directly by residents, including:
* Improved air quality near industrial corridors
* Safer, more accessible streets and transit connections
* Urban greening and expanded open space
* Workforce development tied to climate-related careers
* Increased affordable housing and anti-gentrification efforts
"This funding restoration demonstrates California's commitment to supporting community-driven climate solutions, even during times of uncertainty," said Mark Stuart, President and CEO of San Diego Foundation. "San Diego Foundation remains dedicated to being a steady, reliable partner for the residents of the historic barrios, ensuring that investments align with community priorities and that a healthier, more sustainable future can move forward as planned."
The supplemental award restores California's original level of support for the project following funding volatility that affected climate initiatives statewide:
* The Rooted in Comunidad, Cultivating Equity initiative was initially awarded $22 million in 2023, with project partners encouraged to seek additional resources to close the remaining gap.
* While federal funding for the initiative awarded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024 was later rescinded in 2025 as part of a national policy shift, the state of California's action ensures stability for the community-driven work and allows implementation to proceed as planned.
"This funding is an initial step in restoring hope and trust in a community that wasn't just devastated by the EPA funding cuts this year, but that has been underinvested in for generations," said Jose Franco Garcia, Executive Director of Environmental Health Coalition. "This is a huge win for San Diego's historic barrios, especially the over 400 community members who participated in the grant application process, helping identify which improvement projects will preserve, protect, and strengthen their community."
California's TCC program invests in neighborhood-level climate solutions in communities facing longstanding environmental and economic challenges. Projects are required to be developed with meaningful community input and to deliver measurable benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved public health and economic opportunity. The RICCE initiative represents one of four projects across the state selected for TCC funding in 2023.
With full state funding now secured, project partners are moving forward with implementation while continuing to explore additional resources to address the loss of federal support.
About San Diego Foundation
San Diego Foundation believes in just, equitable and resilient communities where every San Diegan can prosper, thrive and feel like they belong. We partner with donors, nonprofits and regional leaders to co-create solutions that respond to community needs and strengthen San Diego. Since our founding in 1975, our community foundation has granted $1.8 billion to nonprofits to improve quality of life in San Diego County and beyond. Join us in commemorating 50 years of impact and looking toward the next 50 by learning more at SDFoundation.org.
About Environmental Health Coalition
Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) works for environmental justice in the San Diego/Tijuana region and throughout California. Founded in 1980, EHC has worked to reduce pollution and improve health and well-being for thousands of people in underserved, low-income communities.
Media Contact
Nancy Ives Schroeder, 619-540-3751, nancy@intesacom.com
Angelica Estrada, Environmental Health Coalition, AngelicaE@environmentalhealth.org
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Original text here: https://www.sdfoundation.org/news-events/sdf-news/california-restores-7-3m-for-climate-projects-in-san-diegos-historic-barrios-after-epa-cuts/
Boston Indicators Analysis Shows Greater Boston Renters Face Daunting Supply Challenges in Boston Suburbs
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release:
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Boston Indicators analysis shows Greater Boston renters face daunting supply challenges in Boston suburbs
New report on 'rental deserts' finds just one-in-five suburban homes is rented, leading to affordability, diversity woes
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A new report from Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation, finds a significant number of Greater Boston suburbs have discouraged the development of rental housing over the decades, leading to a situation where more than half of the census
... Show Full Article
BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Boston Foundation issued the following news release:
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Boston Indicators analysis shows Greater Boston renters face daunting supply challenges in Boston suburbs
New report on 'rental deserts' finds just one-in-five suburban homes is rented, leading to affordability, diversity woes
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A new report from Boston Indicators, the research center at the Boston Foundation, finds a significant number of Greater Boston suburbs have discouraged the development of rental housing over the decades, leading to a situation where more than half of the censustracts in those suburbs are considered 'rental deserts,' with severely limited rental capacity for renters of any income.
"Decades of restrictive policies blocking higher-density housing in favor of single-family homes have suppressed the production of renter-friendly housing and created rental deserts (where less than 20% of housing units are rentals)," said Aja Kennedy, Research Fellow at Boston Indicators and lead author of the report, entitled The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers. "The data connect this lack of rental units to lower racial and economic diversity and a closing of opportunities for low- and moderate-income families to move into or remain in suburbs where they would otherwise contribute to a vibrant, healthy community."
Geographic data draw a sharp difference in the distribution of rental deserts as one moves away from cities and their 'streetcar suburbs' into the region's most developed suburbs. Using a community type system developed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the report finds that just 3 of 294 census tracts in the metro core communities of Greater Boston meet the definition of rental deserts (with less than 20% rental housing stock). That number rises to 13 percent of tracts in so-called "Streetcar Suburbs" and regional urban centers.
But outside these areas, renting becomes much more restrictive. 224 of the 388 census districts in the region's Maturing and Developing Suburbs meet the rental desert criteria, and many of those communities maintain zoning policies that sharply limit the opportunity for new multi-family housing that is more likely to be rented. Greater Boston data show that single-family homes comprise 86 percent of homes in rental desert tracts, versus 43 percent in mixed-tenure areas, and just 8 percent in high-rental areas.
While Greater Boston is not the only area with rental deserts, the racial and economic gaps between rental deserts, mixed-tenant, and high rental census tracts in the region are striking. 83 percent of residents of Greater Boston rental deserts are white, compared with 62 percent in mixed-tenure areas and 44 percent in high-rental areas. Black residents make up just 2 percent of residents in rental deserts, while 5 percent are Hispanic and 7 percent are AAPI. In contrast, high rental tracts are 28 percent Hispanic, 15 percent AAPI, and 14 percent Black.
And perhaps not surprisingly, communities with fewer rental units are beyond the reach of many lower and middle-income households. 58 percent of households in Greater Boston's rental deserts have incomes over $125,000 per year, while just 18 percent have annual incomes under $60,000. In high rental areas, the numbers are almost reversed, with 49 percent earning under $60,000 and 26 percent earning over $125,000.
The analysis, including interactive charts, is available for reading now from Boston Indicators (https://www.bostonindicators.org/article-pages/2025/december/rental-deserts).
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Original text here: https://www.tbf.org/news-and-insights/press-releases/2025/december/rental-deserts-in-greater-boston
