Top 20 USA Grants to Canadian ENGOs: $116 Million

Over the past decade, American foundations have granted a minimum of $300 million for environmental campaigns in Canada, according to my analysis of the tax returns of these U.S. foundations. The total value of the top 20 grants, as listed in the table below, is approximately $116 million.

Most of these grants are not among the most telling, nor do they constitute the bulk of the money that American foundations have paid to environmental organizations in Canada. However, what this list does indicate is just how big some of these grants are.

Some of these grants are to the American counter-parts of Canadian environmental groups, for example, the U.S. Tides Foundation (Tides USA) and Ducks Unlimited USA.

As shown in the figure above, the biggest grants were for the Boreal Forest Initiative and the Great Bear Rainforest Initiative. For the Boreal Forest Initiative, the largest 10 grants alone totaled nearly $60 million. The largest seven grants for the Great Bear Rainforest Initiative totaled approximately $40 million. Of that, $12 million was ear-marked specifically for First Nations on the strategic, north coast of British Columbia.

For a larger version of the table below, click on the table itself:

Below, here are links to these grants in the on-line databases and tax returns of the American foundations:

• $15 million - A "program-related investment" from the David & Lucile Packard Foundation of up to $15 million to the Nature Conservancy to support both environmental protection and economic diversification in 21 million acres of coastal rainforest in British Columbia. (2005)

• $12,000,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "to continue work that has been instrumental in protecting significant amounts of boreal wilderness at the provincial and territorial government level." (2004)

• $8,413,822 granted by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to Tides Canada "for  Supporting the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area Initiative." (2010)
  

• $7,000,000  granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "to protect North Americas boreal forest by providing support for the Canadian Boreal Initiative and other conservation organizations." (2007)

• $6,500,000 granted from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to the Pew Charitable Trusts "for general support of the Western Boreal Forest Public Land Conservation and Responsible (Energy Development). (2006)

• $6,100,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "To protect the Canadian Boreal Forest." (2009)

• $5,842,736 granted by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to the Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation (B.C. First Nations) for "British Columbia Salmon Conservation - Great Bear Rainforest." (2007)
  

• $5,756,680 granted by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation to Tides Canada Foundation "To fulfill the Foundation's commitment to the Coast Conservation Endowment Fund Foundation." (2007)
  

• $5,336,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "to protect North Americas boreal forest by providing support for the Canadian Boreal Initiative and other conservation organizations." (2006)

• $5,000,000 granted by the Oak Foundation to the Global Campaign for Climate Action “to mobilize civil society and public opinion in Canada to support transformational change and rapid action to save the planet from dangerous levels of climate change. The GCCA will facilitate civil society to undertake massive public organising, rigorous and rapid analysis, nimble co-ordination and targeted, effective campaigning at all levels.” (2009)

• $4,860,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "to protect North Americas Boreal forest by continuing to host the Canadian Boreal Initiative." (2007)

• $4,500,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA "for a scientifically based, public education campaign supporting permanent protection of wilderness in the Canadian boreal forest." (2002)

• $4,500,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA in 2003 "for a scientifically based, public education campaign supporting permanent protection of wilderness in the Canadian boreal forest."(2003)
  

• $4,400,000 granted by the Pew Charitable Trusts to Ducks Unlimited USA  "To protect Canadas Boreal Forest by providing support to the main partner in the International Boreal Conservation Campaign, providing annual support for Ducks Unlimited boreal campaign staff, the Canadian Boreal Initiative project within Ducks Unlimited, and consulting contracts with the Boreal Songbird Initiative and other key IBCC campaign partners." (2009)

• $4,000,000 granted by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundationto the Pew Charitable Trusts "for general support of the International Boreal Conservation Campaign." (2004)

• $3,956,632 granted by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to Tides Canada Foundation "for the Ecosystem-Based Management Implementation Donor Advised Fund." (2007)
  

• $3,562,658 granted by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to Tides Canada  for "First Nations Areas Based Management." (2007)

• $3,434,245  granted by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to Tides Canada "for the Coast Opportunities Foundation Donor Advised Fund." (2007)

• $3,000,000 granted by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to Tides USA "for reducing the environmental impacts of oil and gas development in Northern Canada." (2008)

• $3,000,000 granted by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation to Tides Canada Foundation "To support ecosystem-based management implementation in the Great Bear Rainforest through 2010." (2007)

Comments

[farmsalmon4ever]

The scale of this is mind-blowing...Imagine if all this money was going to provide clean water to Sub Saharan Africa. 116 million could provide water for half a million people. Rotary could use this money to wipe Polio off the face of the earth. Imagine all the good that could be done in the 3rd world where the USA could get a bigger bang for the buck. Canada has got to be the place where, given exchange rates, the US gets the least bang for the buck after Europe and Japan.

It begs the question : how can Canada out-prioritize the hundreds of other countries' with more endangered forests and environments? The answer: It doesn't, these campaigns have nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with markets and politics.

[Dob Hendricks]

How about them darn yankees spend some cash on their own coal buring plants in California (don't see them in their 'come visit us' commercials ya'll!)