Background

Yisroel Quint created this fund in the summer of 2022 in response to the twin failures of institutional philanthropy in the United States to adequately fund Indigenous communities and to respond to the climate emergency and the failure of mainstream "Big Green" environmental organizations to center the voices of Indigenous peoples.  

According to a report by the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, only 0.4% of all philanthropic funding by large U.S. foundations is directed to Native communities in the United States. Furthermore, according to data from Candid and Native Americans in Philanthropy, between 2014 and 2019 philanthropic institutions donated only $10,000,000 annually to Indigenous environmental organizations. These funds are often heavily restricted (meaning organizations can only use them on specific projects) and require jumping through hoops for funders just to be considered for support. 

More broadly, institutional philanthropy has shown itself, for the most part, to be unable to meet the current climate emergency moment. Despite overwhelming data showing the need to act urgently to prevent catastrophic climate change impacts, many foundations that consider themselves leaders in the environmental and climate change space refuse to pay out more than the legally required minimum 5% of their endowments annually. As a result, the environmental movement as a whole, and especially the environmental justice movement led by Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, does not have the funds it needs to fight against the fossil fuel industry and other corporations profiting from the climate crisis.