Non-profit

Global Greengrants Fund

Location:

BOULDER, CO

Tax ID:

84-1612422

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2016):

Revenue: $13,042,736
Expenses: $10,403,743
Assets: $10,927,967

Type:

Charitable Foundation

Formation:

1993

President:

Teresa Odendahl

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The Global Greengrants Fund is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that supports community-based attempts to combat climate change and promote local environmentalist efforts. The Fund gives out small grants, typically between $500 and $5000, to left-of-center groups that have difficulty obtaining other avenues of funding. The Fund focuses on so-called “environmental justice,” the notion that women and other marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate change.

History

Global Greengrants was founded by Chet Tchozewski in 1993, a former activist and Pacific Southwest regional director for Greenpeace. 1 Donors wished to provide grants to small radical environmentalist organizations that otherwise did not qualify for Greenpeace’s institutional requirements.

The organization began as a sponsored fund of the Tides Foundation, a left-wing donor-advised fund provider and incubator of other left-of-center organizations that has been critiqued for engaging in “dark money” financial practices that obscure the identities of its donors. 2 In 2003, Global Greengrants split from Tides. 1

In 2009, Teresa Odendahl assumed the role of executive director, a position that she continues to hold as of June 2019. With her arrival, the fund narrowed its focus down from general community sustainability to the perceived intersection between women and climate change.

In an interview by Alliance Magazine, she justified this shift by saying, “that, like nature, women have been seen as dangerous, things to be tamed, civilized, and exploited. If we seek to change people’s relationship to the environment, we have to challenge the gender balance and make more space for women as leaders.” 3

To better tap into donors outside of North America, Odendahl also facilitated the 2015 creation of Global Greengrants UK & Europe, headquartered in London. 4

In February 2019, Odendahl announced that she would be stepping down in 2020, remaining in her position until a suitable replacement could be found. Her letter also revealed that under her leadership, over 60% of the Fund goes towards projects that target women and climate change. 5

Present Activities

The Global Greengrants Fund gives out close to 900 grants every year. 5 It also regularly publishes a blog and the occasional report on what it considers to be pressing issues. More recently, it published a blog post in support of the Global Deal for Nature, a policy proposal that supports America rejoining the Paris Accords and setting aside “large swaths of the planet to preserve biodiversity.” 6

Leadership

The current Executive Director of Global Greengrants is Teresa Odendahl. Prior to joining the Fund, she was an academic holding Georgetown University’s Waldemar A. Nielsen Chair in Philanthropy. She also co-founded the Institute for Women’s Policy Research at George Washington University. 7 According to 2018 tax filings, she earned $164,740 during the tax year.8

The only other paid leader of the organization, aside from Odendahl, is vice president Anthony Noble, who previously worked in finance before transitioning into nonprofit work. 9 According to 2018 tax filings, he earned $96,622 during the tax year. 8

Global Greengrants also has a Board of Directors, the Chair of which is Nnimmo Bassey, an environmentalist activist from Nigeria. 10

Finances

The organization’s 2018 tax filings showed total revenues of $11,855,904, and total expenses of $10,597,292. 8

In April of 2019, American rapper Lil Dicky and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation dedicated a portion of the former’s proceeds from his “Earth” music video, which featured climate change as a central theme, to Global Greengrants. 11

Other institutional left-of-center and environmentalist funders of Global Greengrants Fund include the Marisla Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Arcus Foundation. 12

References

  1. Nauffts, Mitch. “Chet Tchozewski, Executive Director, Global Greengrants Fund: Empowering the Grassroots.” Philanthropy News Digest (PND). September 29, 2004. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/newsmakers/chet-tchozewski-executive-director-global-greengrants-fund-empowering-the-grassroots.
  2. “The Left’s Tides Foundation Is Leader in Secret Political Money.” Washington Examiner. December 10, 2013. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/examiner-editorial-the-lefts-tides-foundation-is-leader-in-secret-political-money.
  3. Odendahl, Terry. “Why Environmental Funders Should Support Women’s Rights.” Alliance Magazine. February 12, 2015. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/why-environmental-funders-should-support-womens-rights/.
  4. “Global Greengrants Fund Establishes Sister Organization in Europe.” Alliance Magazine. June 1, 2015. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.alliancemagazine.org/news/global-greengrants-fund-establishes-sister-organization-in-europe/.
  5. “News from Boulder.” Greengrants.org. February 5, 2019. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/2019/02/05/retirement/.
  6. “Climate Change: Next Steps for Action.” Greengrants.org. April 25, 2019. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/2019/04/25/climate-resources/.; Asner, Greg. “To Solve Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss, We Need a Global Deal for Nature.” Salon. April 19, 2019. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.salon.com/2019/04/21/to-solve-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss-we-need-a-global-deal-for-nature_partner/.
  7. “Terry Odendahl, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer.” Greengrants.org. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/2009/01/29/terry-odendahl-phd-chief-executive-officer/.
  8. “Financials.” Greengrants.org. Accessed June 12, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/financials/.
  9. “Global Greengrants Welcomes New Staff.” Greengrants.org. February 25, 2016. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/2016/02/25/global-greengrants-new-staff/.
  10. “Our Team.” Greengrants.org. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/who-we-are/our-team/.
  11. “Global Greengrants Fund Benefits from “Earth”.” Greengrants.org. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.greengrants.org/2019/04/19/earth/.
  12. Data compiled by FoundationSearch.com subscription service, a project of Metasoft Systems, Inc. from forms filed with the IRS. Queries conducted July 1, 2019.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: February 1, 2002

  • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2016 Jun Form 990 $13,042,736 $10,403,743 $10,927,967 $175,230 N $12,882,566 $140,073 $15,318 $250,804
    2015 Jun Form 990 $12,919,064 $10,134,570 $8,244,878 $142,834 N $12,885,257 $11,250 $9,511 $220,620 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $9,765,964 $8,740,910 $5,475,936 $133,386 N $9,471,545 $286,015 $22,338 $214,078 PDF
    2013 Jun Form 990 $8,233,570 $8,014,442 $4,552,102 $234,606 N $7,947,816 $239,888 $40,491 $191,512 PDF
    2012 Jun Form 990 $7,750,651 $7,818,243 $4,246,816 $102,346 N $7,524,842 $222,238 $59,737 $162,320 PDF
    2011 Jun Form 990 $6,305,898 $7,444,635 $4,286,605 $153,918 N $6,165,597 $101,944 $123,986 $222,511 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Global Greengrants Fund

    2840 WILDERNESS PL STE A
    BOULDER, CO 80301-5414