OVERVIEW: The Bay & Paul Foundations is committed to the environment, education, and arts and culture as a matter of “social compact” and as “agents of change.”
IP TAKE: The environment is a primary focus of this foundation, a cause it describes as “ecosystem integrity.” Importantly, The Bay & Paul Foundations also frame its support of the environment as support of a social movement. It expects your proposal to demonstrate both program rigor and vision for making life better for future generations. Conservation is the major giving throughline for this funder's environmental grants.
PROFILE: The Bay & Paul Foundations is a name in plural because in 2005 two long-established sister foundations merged into one: The Bay Foundation and the Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation. Their commonality was Josephine Bay Paul, who established the former foundation with her first husband, and the latter with her second husband.
Now streamlined, giving from The Bay & Paul Foundations stems from a desire to support a social movement that supports a just and ecologically sound society. Or, as the foundation puts it: “Our vision is of vibrant communities whose skillful collaborations assure just and ecologically robust outcomes for present and future generations.”
Since you’re here for your support of conservation programming, take heart in knowing that this is the primary focus of environmental giving for The Bay & Paul Foundations. It funds conservation through its Research & Initiatives for Ecosystem Integrity focus area, with an additional aim to “preserve or repair biodiversity” by supporting work “often emphasizing culturally significant natural heritage conservation.” (See, the word "conservation" is right there; "preserve" and "repair" are also key words for support of your program.)
The Bay & Paul Foundations also don’t take human life out of the equation, noting that environmental work should also address “economic and social sustainability goals.” This doesn’t mean The Bay & Paul Foundations are letting us off the hook; if anything, it’s the opposite. In addressing the human factor of environmental programming, the foundation is also referring back to its mission “to foster and accelerate initiatives that prepare agents of change working to strengthen our social compact and develop authentic solutions to the challenges of this pivotal century.”
Other key words reinforcing this foundation’s view of its granting as social movement are found in its values statement: Courage, patience, humility, listening, understanding, collaboration, opportunities.
For conservation, recent support includes:
- $27,200 to the Global Greengrants Fund (Boulder, CO)
- $25,000 to the Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (Chappaqua, NY)
- $25,000 to the Institute For Health And Global Environment (Boston, MA)
- $25,000 to the Nature Conservancy (Arlington, VA)
- $15,000 to the Center for Sustainable Systems (Ann Arbor, MI)
- $12,000 to the EcoLogic Development Fund (Cambridge, MA)
- $7,500 to Green Across the Pacific (Shoreham, VT)
- $7,000 to Sustainable Harvest International (Ellsworth, ME).
The foundation funds its environmental giving nationally, and has an open, online LOI process. Biannual deadlines vary; check the website for upcoming dates.
PEOPLE:
Frederick Bay, President & CEO
