Nonprofit Supports Holistic Efforts to Fight Climate Change in Alaska

There’s a lot that’s outsized about Alaska. The state makes up nearly one-fifth of the land mass of the United States. It has more coastline than the rest of the country combined and more than half of its carbon stores. Indigenous people make up a larger share of Alaska’s population than in any other state.

The nonprofit Alaska Venture Fund believes that with its natural resources and rich cultural diversity, the state is poised to become a model of sustainability.

To help make that happen, the fund takes in money from national grant makers like the Bezos Earth Fund and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Then, in turn, it uses the money to support local efforts that tackle climate change, Indigenous sovereignty, civic engagement, and prosperous communities as interconnected issues rather than individual problems.

“A lot of things in Alaska actually matter for the nation and the globe,” says Erin Dovichin, the fund’s managing partner. “We try to provide that bridge to make Alaska more accessible.”

The work of the Village of Igiugig in the Bristol Bay region is an example of the multifaceted efforts the fund supports. The Native Alaskan community, which has 70 residents, has set an ambitious goal of transitioning away from diesel fuel by 2025 through a combination of wind, solar, and hydrokinetic energy. It hopes to provide a model for other rural communities.

“If our people were able to design the most efficient seal-oil lamps 10,000 years ago, we can lead the transition to the most efficient renewable energy,” says AlexAnna Salmon, who has served as president of the Igiugig Tribal Village Council since 2008.

Nathaniel Wilder

The transition to clean energy isn’t the only project the village has taken on. It is one of 16 communities across Bristol Bay collaborating to bring affordable broadband to the region. The village is also working hard to preserve its language and culture with programs like this dance group.

Salmon also works as a partner at the Alaska Venture Fund, bringing what she’s learned to its efforts across the state. “I love my work. Igiugig gets to serve as a model community,” she says. “Then as Alaska Venture Fund, we can use it as an example or implement really exciting ideas.”