Rachel’s Network is a network of female funders of environmentalist projects that works as a fundraiser to advance advocacy on left-of-center immigration, environmental, and biological issues. Winsome McIntosh, the president of the McIntosh Foundation, founded Rachel’s Network. The organization signed a petition supporting the Green New Deal. ¹

Rachel’s Network was among the sponsors of the 2019 Women’s March. ² Rachel’s Network has opposed the use of zero carbon nuclear energy. ³

Background

Winsome McIntosh, the widow of Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company fortune heir Michael McIntosh and a longtime environmentalist activist, founded Rachel’s Network as a convening for left-wing female environmentalist funders. ⁴ She named the organization in honor of controversial environmentalist Rachel Carson.

Rachel’s Network’s 2018 annual report says the organization financed anti-pesticide projects, projects addressing climate change, more “sustainable” agriculture, and conservation of border lands. Philanthropy Women awarded Rachel’s Network with the Leadership Award. Inside Philanthropy gave the group the Environmental Funder of the Year award. The organization has also hosted former Obama administration Environmental Protection Administrator Gina McCarthy as a speaker. ⁵

The network’s members reportedly have a combined individual philanthropy totaling $60 million per year. The organization itself gave out $98,000 in grants in 2017 and $150,000 in grants in 2018. ⁶

The organization professes to have more than 100 director positions on boards of major environmental groups, and to work in 24 states. ⁷

Rachel’s Network has contributed $1.7 million collectively through the co-funding project. ⁷ The organization describes co-funding as when members pick a potential cause and Rachel’s Network staff help the group learn more about formulating a specific grant to address it. ⁶

The organization coordinates with leaders of some of the largest environmental groups, such Greenpeace executive director Annie Leonard, Natural Resources Defense Council president Rhea Suh, and 350.org executive director May Boeve. ⁶

Leadership

Fern Shepard has been the president of Rachel’s Network for more than three decades. She was previously a staff attorney for the liberal group Earthjustice. She still serves as the chairwoman of the Earthjustice board of trustees.

Mit Allenby, the operations manager, oversees finances, databases, and human resources. Jamie Boese is the program manager and implements the organization’s program calendar. Ariana Carella is the network engagement director, who manages Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award, given out each year to five recipients. The Catalyst Award goes “women of color” that get results in gaining “healthier, safer and a more just world.” ⁸ Erica Flock, the communications manager, oversees the organization’s media operations. Casey Hansen is the membership and development director.

Kef Kasiden is the chairwoman of the Rachel’s Network board of directors. Molly Ross is the vice chiariwoman. Fa Liddell is the secretary of the board and Ann Hunter-Welborne is the treasurer. Other board members are Kim Bendheim, Kathy Borgen, Betsy Davidson, Martha Davis, Barbara Gonzalez-McIntosh, Laurie Kracum, Annarie Lyles, Elena Marszalek, Janet Miller and Abigail Rome. ⁷

Immigration Advocacy

Rachel’s Network is a staunch opponent of a physical barrier to counter illegal migration from Mexico. The group claims a wall would harm the environmental, wildlife, border communities and low-income landowners living along the border. ⁹

In total, Rachel’s Network has spent $100,000 funding outside groups to oppose the border wall. This includes the Texas Civil Rights Project to produce a virtual reality film titled Border Stories, and to the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, to study the impact of a wall on rare wildlife. ¹⁰

Pushing Women Politicians

In 2017 Rachel’s Network partnered with the left-of-center League of Conservation Voters to host a women’s candidate training in Washington. ¹¹

It has given money to the “Plate to Politics,” a program run by Women, Food and Agriculture Network, geared to helping rural women to enter and advance in politics. ⁶

Rachel’s Network issued a report titled “When Women Lead” that showcases the environmental records of female elected officials. ⁶ The study found that regardless of party, women politicians vote for environmentalist legislation more than men did. ¹²

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Rachel’s Network was one of more than 600 co-signing organizations on a January 2019 open letter to Congress titled “Legislation to Address the Urgent Threat of Climate Change.” The signatories declared their support for new laws to bring about “100 percent decarbonization” of the transportation sector but denounced nuclear power as an example of “dirty energy” that should not be included in any legislation promoting the use of so-called “renewable energy.” ³

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹³ An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. ¹⁴

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2. Staff. “List of 2019 Women’s March Sponsors.” Fox News. January 18, 2019. Accessed June 11, 2019. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/list-of-2019-womens-march-sponsors
3. “Group letter to Congress urging Green New Deal passage.” Earthworks. January 10, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2023. https://www.earthworks.org/publications/group-letter-to-congress-urging-green-new-deal-passage/
4. “Winsome McIntosh.” Coutts & Co. 2014. Accessed May 20, 2019. https://philanthropy.coutts.com/en/reports/2014/united-states/case-studies/winsome-mcintosh.html
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9. No Border Wall. Rachel’s Network. Accessed June 11, 2019. https://rachelsnetwork.org/project/no-border-wall/
10. Press Release. “Rachel’s Network Announces New Funding to Fight Border Wall.” June 7, 2019. Accessed June 11, 2019. https://rachelsnetwork.org/border19/
11. Marek, Kiersten. “A Healthy World for All: Rachel’s Network Integrates Environmental and Gender Equality Philanthropy.” Philanthropy Women. June 4, 2018. Access June 11, 2019. https://philanthropywomen.org/feminist-foundations/healthy-world-rachels-network-integrates-environmental-gender-equality-philanthropy/
12. Flavahn, Louise A. “The GOP is Failing to Cultivate Female Candidates – To Its Detriment.” The Baltimore Sun. October 21, 2018. Accessed June 11, 2019. https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-1022-women-senate-20181018-story.html
13. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
14. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/