The greatest impacts of climate change are being felt at the community level. Not 10, 20, or 50 years from now, but today. As you read this, extreme heat, mega-wildfires, flooding of neighborhoods, drying up of water supplies, grid overloads, crop failures, and so many other increasingly frequent, climate-driven disasters are upending lives and livelihoods.
The good news is that communities have incredible power to pull together, push back against big polluters, and find a better way forward. They can build coalitions of friends and neighbors to improve lives here and now, and help prevent generations of irreversible damage to our planet.
That’s why Waverley Street Foundation plans to dedicate the entirety of our endowment — currently over $3 billion — by 2035 to champion groundbreaking work being done in communities across the globe.
As Waverley’s president, I couldn’t be more committed and inspired. I’ve spent my career working alongside communities around the world, and I know the progress that can be made when dedicated people come together to defend the places they call home. Working with our growing list of grantees — who are in the trenches of the battle for a livable planet, and the heart and soul of all our efforts — we plan to get big things done, with urgency.
I hope you share our sense of hope and determination, even in the face of the challenges before us. We must save the planet, centered in our communities.
Related Articles
-
In conversation: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Jared Blumenfeld
At Climate Week NYC, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jared Blumenfeld sat down to discuss the ways policy and culture impact climate change.
![]()
-
Team update: Joya Banerjee appointed as Head of US Programs
With more than fifteen years experience in environmental policy and philanthropic work, Banerjee brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this position - especially relating to the challenges of the American West.
![]()
