Environmental Donor Group Approaches Giving Milestone

The Climate Change and Health Habitats Collective Giving Group allows Oregon Community Foundation donors to engage with nonprofits and each other. Together, they’re making a bigger impact. By next year, the group will reach a milestone of $1 million in grants.

There was so much to learn and explore at Headwaters Farm in Gresham. Greenhouse tunnels filled with fresh produce. Sustainable practices for growing organic vegetables. Young entrepreneurs getting ready to distribute their crops. But it was the electric tractor that generated the most excitement and interest.

Electric Tractor

The high-tech machine is making farmers “rethink what tractors are,” says Rowen Steele, farm program manager with the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, which owns and manages this agricultural incubator. 

Steele told the assembled group that the electric tractor can not only till the soil without burning fossil fuels, even without a human driving it, but also its 50-horsepower-equivalent battery can power a welder or a sump-pump anywhere on the farm. It can even heat water for tea.

The audience for Steele’s demonstration was members of the Climate Change and Healthy Habitats Collective Giving Group at Oregon Community Foundation. It is a group of like-minded donors working to pool their resources to make a bigger impact together than they would alone. As the name implies, the goal is to support organizations and projects aimed at creating a climate resilient and environmentally robust Oregon.

OCF Senior Donor Relations Officer Anne George says, “By working collaboratively and pooling our resources, the group learns about and invests in projects that address climate change and ensure healthy and resilient ecosystems. The group hears directly from those working on the issues across the state and that informs their shared giving. By listening for innovations and opportunities, the group can invest in emerging strategies for real impact.”

After six years of gathering, listening and grantmaking, the Collective Giving Group is approaching a milestone. By early 2025, they will have donated $1 million dollars collectively in support to environmental causes from more than 33 donor advised funds at OCF. Their giving have also inspired many other OCF donors to grant to the organizations and projects they have supported, resulting in even greater giving. In fact, anyone with a Donor Advised Fund at OCF can contribute to this fund without participating in the group.

Kelley Beamer calls this “brain trust” a “game changer.”

“This group has had an impact on so many programs and projects,” says Beamer, executive director of the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District. Beamer is relatively new to this role. She first became familiar with the Collective Giving Group when she was executive director of the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts (COLT). “These folks have rolled up their sleeves to help get important work done.”

While the members who are located throughout the state and beyond meet virtually each month, in October the group will conduct another onsite optional visit to learn more about climate resilient cities and neighborhoods and how Oregon can lead in addressing climate change.

At Headwaters Farm

“We value the stimulating learning from and with others: fund advisors, OCF staff and nonprofit," says Collective Giving Group member, Peter Hayes. “Together, we build and maintain a welcoming and ever-growing coalition that reminds the wider OCF community of our responsibilities to all members of the Oregon community, the urgency of our times and our opportunities for ethical leadership.”

Ed and Janet Clark said the Collective Giving Group helped their thinking about their philanthropy in a more focused way.

“What do we really want to do? Building a healthy environment is certainly one of our goals,” said Ed Clark. “We see this group as a learning opportunity that resonates with us and our values.”

For more information on the group or how to join, please contact Anne George.