Here are notable new grant awards compiled by the Chronicle:
Bezos Earth Fund
$791 million to the first 16 grantees of this new climate-change grant maker that was created in February through a $10 billion pledge from the billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon. Five conservation organizations — the Environmental Defense Fund, the Nature Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund — are receiving $100 million each.
The Environmental Defense Fund will use its share to build and launch MethaneSAT, a satellite that will locate and measure sources of methane pollution around the world and share its data publicly.
The grant to the Nature Conservancy is for efforts to protect the Emerald Edge forest in the United States and Canada, promote sustainable agriculture in northwest India, and support the organization’s work to develop nature-based solutions to climate change.
The Natural Resources Defense Council will use its grant for policy advocacy to advance climate solutions and legislation among state governments, reduce oil and gas production, protect and restore forests and wetlands as methods of storing carbon, and promote responsible agriculture practices.
The World Resources Institute is also developing a satellite-based system to monitor carbon emissions and measure to the world’s forests, grasslands, wetlands, farms, and other areas that capture carbon through natural processes. The grant will additionally drive its work to advance policies to switch 450,000 school buses in the United States to electric vehicles by 2030.
The grant to the World Wildlife Fund will protect and restore mangroves, which grow along coastlines and protect coastal communities from storm flooding, and find new markets for seaweed as an alternative fuel source.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
$70 million to develop and deliver safe, low-cost Covid-19 vaccines to people who live in low- and middle-income countries. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, will receive $50 million for the Covax Advance Market Commitment, which is also receiving $16.2 million in matching government grants from the United Kingdom.
The foundation is additionally giving $20 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to advance new and promising vaccine candidates as the first round of vaccines in development complete their clinical trials and await final approval.
Heinz Endowments
$12.1 million in additional grants to address racial-equity issues in the Pittsburgh region. The new grants include $1.6 million to the Sarah Heinz House Association for a multiyear program to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at this organization in Pittsburgh’s North Side neighborhood.
Ball Brothers Foundation
$6 million to local nonprofit groups, schools, and work-force-development organizations in Muncie, Ind., as they adapt to providing services during the Covid-19 crisis and plan for the long term beyond the pandemic.
Salesforce
$3 million to nonprofit groups that are working to address the crises of the Covid-19 pandemic, hunger because of its economic fallout, and climate change. The technology company is also creating a $2 million fund to make grants to small businesses in San Francisco.
Truist Financial Corporation
$2.5 million to TechSoup for its Covid Recovery Fund, which will help grassroots organizations upgrade their technology and continue to serve their communities throughout the coronavirus crisis.
Duke Endowment
$1.3 million to the International African American Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2022. The grant designated $1 million for its endowment and $250,000 to be used to meet its greatest needs between now and its opening.
Twitter
$1 million to the Opportunity Finance Network to create the Finance Justice Fund, which will make loans through community development financial institutions that serve low-income rural, urban, and indigenous communities. The social-media company is also committing $100 million in loans through the fund.
Send grant announcements to grants.editor@philanthropy.com.
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