Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)

Background

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1998 by environmentalist Angus Duncan to support the development of weather-dependent sources of energy within the Pacific Northwest, mostly focused on solar energy. ^{4 1}

BEF has supported left-of-center climate certifications and environmentalist programs such as 1% for the Planet, B Lab certifications, the Climate Label certification through Change Climate, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ^{5 6}

Activities

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) claims to have advocated for environmentalist programs focused on advancing water sustainability, carbon credits, and solar energy while working with businesses, environmentalist organizations, and policymakers to advance them. ⁷ In 2024, BEF claimed to invested in 65 watershed restoration projects and supported the installation of 12 solar projects that benefit low-income households. ⁸

BEF developed and provides a renewable energy STEM education program along with science kit materials for K-12 educators. ⁹ Originally established in 2002 as “the Solar 4R Schools program,” it was renamed to “Clean Energy Bright Futures” in 2018. In 2019, its educator training program was named Clean Energy Fellows and focused on left-of-center weather dependent energy solutions. ¹⁰

Partnerships

As of 2025, several of the listed climate certifications and environmentalist programs which the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is partnered with include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 1% for the Planet, ¹¹ the Meyer Memorial Trust, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Climate Resilience Fund, The Nature Conservancy, ¹² the Climate Action Reserve, and GRID Alternatives. ^{13 14}

Funding

According to its 2023 990 form, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) reported $49,593,635 in total revenue, almost 70 percent of which was from government grants. ²

Previous donors to the BEF include Western Resource Advocates, the Environmental Defense Action Fund, the World Resources Institute, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Windward Fund, the Tides Foundation, and the New Venture Fund. ¹⁵

In 2024, the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund awarded BEF a $31.6 million grant to develop a solar solution for 1,500 low-income households. ¹⁶

In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Biden Administration awarded BEF a $56 million Solar for All grant to deliver solar to “low-income, tribal, and disadvantaged communities” within the state of Idaho. The award was part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grant competition through the Biden administration-backed Inflation Reduction Act which it claimed would “advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.” ³

BEF was also awarded $30.2 million through the same program to develop solar energy for “low-income and disadvantaged communities” in the state of Wyoming ¹⁷ and another $43.7 million to be used to help similar communities “benefit from residential-serving distributed solar energy and storage projects.” ¹⁸ The Solar for All program is a $7 billion investment by the Biden administration to address climate change through solar projects in low-income communities. ¹⁹

In August 2024, the United States Forest Service under the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded BEF $1.9 million “to help underserved forest landowners in WA, OR access climate markets.” ²⁰ This grant was part of the Forest Landowners Support initiative under the Biden administration-backed Inflation Reduction Act. ²⁰

In February 2025, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation awarded $5 million in grants for six climate projects that were scheduled to be administered through BEF, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and the Nisqually Indian Tribe. ²¹

Grantmaking

According to its 2023 990 form, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) awarded 77 grants totaling over $16.5 million to support environmental projects and organizations. Its grantees included the American Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Council for Watershed Health, River Partners, Forterra, the National Audubon Society, the Ecostudies Institute, and the Climate Center. ²²

In 2024, the EPA awarded the Washington State Department of Ecology $9 million in funds to develop a grant program to improve the Puget Sound riparian systems. BEF is involved in the development of this grant program along with the Washington State Conservation Commission and the University of Washington. ²³

Leadership

Todd Reeve is the CEO of Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), serving in the role since 2011. He has been with the organization since 2000, starting as director of the watersheds program. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon with a major in environmental studies and a master’s in physical geography and earth science from the University of Wisconsin. ²⁴

As of 2025, Andy Macklin was the board chair. He is the managing director of WSP, a global professional services firm that provides engineering and design services related to transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, power, energy, water, and mining. ²⁵ Macklin earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University. In addition to BEF, he is a board member of Portland State University and utility technology association Grid Forward. ²⁶