The Alaska Venture Fund is a left-of-center funding collaborative that provides funding to organizations and initiatives promoting left-of-center policies and programs on environmental and economic issues. The group funds programs and projects in coordination with Indigenous groups in Alaska and has received funding from large left-of-center groups including the Bezos Earth Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The group is a project of the New Venture Fund, a left-of-center funding organization managed by Arabella Advisors that makes grants to left-of-center advocacy and organizing projects and provides incubation serves for other left-of-center organizations, focusing primarily on social and environmental issues. ^{1 2 3 4}

Background

The Alaska Venture Fund was launched in 2021 as a project of the New Venture Fund. The group was awarded $10 million by the Bezos Earth Fund in 2021 to scale up its operations, which allowed the group to hire full-time staff. While the group is a project of the New Venture Fund, it maintains a separate website and full-time staff. The group stated that with the $10 million from the Bezos Earth Fund, it would be able to “scale up its portfolio of environmental and climate justice ventures and partnerships with Alaska Native leaders, tribes, and organizations to advance new work in this field.” It also said that “the grant will be used to secure resources for Indigenous-led, place-based environmental justice projects [and] ensure Alaska Native communities receive an equitable share of the benefits accruing from federal investments.” ⁵

Also in 2021, the group launched an “Indigenous Peoples Ecosystem Stewardship Virtual Exchange Program” that connected Indigenous activities in Alaska with others around the world to generate ideas for environmentalist activism projects in Alaska. ⁶

Activities

The Alaska Venture Fund has provided financial support for environmental defense funds, many of which are housed within the organization. One such fund, the Bristol Bay Defense Fund, operates a public-facing campaign urging the Environmental Protection Agency to implement protective status and Clean Water Act protections in the region. ⁷

Another fund operated by the group, the Seacoast Trust, raised $19 million, including a $10 grant from Sealaska, to “support Indigenous-led stewardship efforts and sustainable, community-based economic development for Southeast Alaska.” ⁸

The group’s Global Leadership in Climate and Clean Energy Fund promotes clean energy projects and environmental advocacy efforts in Alaska, citing the state’s vast “renewable energy potential.” ⁹

Other ventures founded by the fund include the Jilkáat Aani K_a Héeni (Chilkat River Watershed) Fund, Igiugig Sustainable Future, Iliamna Sustainable Communities Initiative, Arctica Podcast, Alaska Native Birthworkers Community, and Opportunities Fund for Alaskan Arctic Marine Stewardship. ¹⁰

Funders

Listed funding partners of the Alaska Venture Fund Include the Wilburforce Foundation, the Bezos Earth Fund, the Climate Justice Resilience Fund, Chorus Foundation, Champion Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Northlight Foundation, Oak Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, and the Fund for Shared Light. ¹¹

Leadership

Erin Dovichin is the managing partner and a founder of the Alaska Venture Fund. She was previously the program officer for the Alaska portfolio of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative and also worked at the Nature Conservancy. ¹²

1. “For Social Change Leaders.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/solutions/for-social-change-leaders/
2. “About.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/about/
3. “Funder Partners.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/about/funder-partners/
4. “2023 Impact Report.” New Venture Fund. https://newventurefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NVF-2023-Impact-Report2-Final.pdf
5. “2021 Year in Review.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.2021.alaskaventure.org/?emci=0f773d54-8e5e-ec11-94f6-0050f2e65e9b&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid={{ContactsEmailID}}
6. “Ventures.” Alaska Venture Fund, Accessed June 19, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/ventures/
7. “2021 Year in Review.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.2021.alaskaventure.org/?emci=0f773d54-8e5e-ec11-94f6-0050f2e65e9b&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid={{ContactsEmailID}}
8. “2021 Year in Review.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://www.2021.alaskaventure.org/?emci=0f773d54-8e5e-ec11-94f6-0050f2e65e9b&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid={{ContactsEmailID}}
9. “Ventures.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/ventures/
10. “Ventures.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/ventures/
11. “Ventures.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/ventures/
12. “Ventures.” Alaska Venture Fund. Accessed June 9, 2024. https://alaskaventure.org/people/erin-dovichin/