Barnacle Strategies is a left-of-center independent consulting group that advises environmentalist groups in Canada and the United States. Barnacle Strategies was founded and is managed by Dave Secord, an affiliate professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, who was previously the president of strategic grantmaking for the Tides Canada Foundation, a nonprofit associated with Tides Nexus, a collection of left-of-center pass-through grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship nonprofits based in San Francisco focused on environmental activism.

As of March 2024, Secord was also on the review board for the Climate Justice Resilience Fund, a project of the Arabella Advisors-managed New Venture Fund that works to fund projects in regions that may be at risk from climate change. ^{1 2}

People

Barnacle Strategies was founded and is run by David Secord, a marine vertebrate ecologist who from 1996 to 2007 was an associate professor and since 2007 has worked as an affiliate professor of biology, marine, and environmental affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. At the University of Washington, Secord co-founded the environmental science and the environmental studies programs at the university’s Tacoma campus. ^{3 4}

While working as a professor at the University of Washington, Secord was also employed by a variety of left-of-center nonprofits focused on environmentalism and environmental conservation. From 2007 to 2010, Secord was a program officer at the Wilburforce Foundation, a funder of environmentalist groups including the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Greenpeace. From 2007 to 2016, Secord was a co-founder, chair, and member of the steering committee of the Arctic Funders Collaborative, previously known as the Arctic Funders Group. From 2010 to 2016, Secord was the vice president of strategic grantmaking for the Tides Canada Foundation, a nonprofit associated with Tides Nexus, a collection of left-of-center pass-through grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship nonprofits based in San Francisco focused on environmental activism. From 2013 to 2016, Secord was on the board of director for Environment Funders Canada. From 2016 to 2019, Secord was on the board of directors for the American friends of Canadian Conservation. From 2016 to 2019, Secord was a board member for an initiative at the Nature Conservancy,  the world’s largest nongovernmental conservation organization. From 2017 and as of March 2024, Secord was on the review board for the Climate Justice Resilience Fund, a project of the Arabella Advisors-managed New Venture Fund managed by that works to fund projects in regions that may be at risk from climate change. ^{5 6}

Secord founded Barnacle Strategies in January 2016. As the principal of Barnacle Strategies, Secord offers consulting services to organizations for which he previously worked. ^{7 8}

Clients

Barnacle Strategies works predominantly with left-of-center Canadian, American, and International nonprofits focused on environmentalism. Previous clients include the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, founded by Intel founder Gordon Moore and devoted to environmentalist causes; Donner Canadian Foundation, a philanthropic institution supporting arms control, free-market public policy, and international environmentalism; Edgerton Foundation; Russell Family Foundation; Wilburforce Foundation; Biodiversity Funders Group, a professional association of philanthropic trustees and private foundation leaders who fund environmentalist causes related to climate change and conservationism; Arctic Funders Collaborative; Alaska Venture Fund; BC Freshwater Legacy Initiative; National Audubon Society, an environmentalist nonprofit ostensibly dedicated to protection of American birds that has increasingly focused on combatting climate change and restricting the natural gas industry; the Nature Conservancy; Conservation Science Partners; Future Earth; and Sightline Institute, a left-of-center think tank that advocates for environmentalist and economically progressive policies in the Pacific Northwest. ⁹

Barnacle Strategies also worked with groups focused on the indigenous population of Canada, including the Cultural Conservancy, Native American Academy, BC First Nations Fisheries Council, and Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance. Additionally, Barnacle Strategies has been employed by the University of British Columbia and the University of Alaska. ¹⁰

Activities

Barnacle Strategies advises environmental organizations, indigenous groups, and academic institutions as well as philanthropic funders. The organization also conducts executive recruiting for nonprofit groups. ¹¹

1. “Dave Secord: Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/details/experience/.
2. “David L. Secord, PhD. “The Ocean Foundation. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://oceanfdn.org/staff/david-l-secord-ph-d/.
3. “Dave Secord: Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/details/experience/.
4. “David L. Secord, PhD. “The Ocean Foundation. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://oceanfdn.org/staff/david-l-secord-ph-d/.
5. “Dave Secord: Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/details/experience/.
6. “David L. Secord, PhD. “The Ocean Foundation. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://oceanfdn.org/staff/david-l-secord-ph-d/.
7. “Dave Secord: Experience.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/details/experience/.
8. “David L. Secord, PhD. “The Ocean Foundation. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://oceanfdn.org/staff/david-l-secord-ph-d/.
9. “Dave Secord.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/?originalSubdomain=ca.
10. “Dave Secord.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-secord-57159b5/?originalSubdomain=ca.
11. “David L. Secord, PhD. “The Ocean Foundation. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://oceanfdn.org/staff/david-l-secord-ph-d/.