Environment Now

Environment Now is a relationship-first, invitation-only funder — the single most important strategic fact for any prospective partner. The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited proposals, instead proactively identifying conservation groups and advocates whose work aligns with its four named program areas: Water (securing clean, sufficient water), Forests (ending commercial logging on national forests), Climate (phasing out fossil fuel development), and Rights (advancing the legal right to a healthy environment). All four areas are focused on California, with limited transboundary exceptions for Baja California water quality.

Founded approximately 35 years ago (circa 1991) and headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, Environment Now operates with $32.5M in assets and has sustained annual grantmaking of $1.5–2.1M. The Wells family (Kevin Wells, Chair; Robert Wells, emeritus) established the foundation, which describes itself as "entrepreneurial and nimble" — a signaling phrase for its preference for bold, litigation-driven strategies over consensus-building or incremental approaches.

The grantee roster reveals a clear organizational profile. Top recipients — John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute ($670K over 5 grants), Center for Biological Diversity ($570K over 15 grants), and California Coastkeeper Alliance ($552K over 5 grants) — share common characteristics: legal/litigation capacity, policy-advocacy sophistication, multi-year strategic campaigns, and deep California focus. NRDC ($335K over 6 grants) is the one national organization with sustained funding, exclusively for California-focused water work.

First-time would-be partners should understand that the relationship pathway runs through the California environmental advocacy ecosystem rather than a foundation application portal. Key nodes include: grantee organizations that already work with Environment Now, the California environmental law community (board member Deborah Sivas is at Stanford Law's Environmental Law Clinic), and the California philanthropic network (board member David Beckman is President of Pisces Foundation). Being published in the policy and legal spaces where Environment Now's grantees operate — water rights adjudications, national forest litigation, California Environmental Quality Act challenges — is how organizations enter the foundation's awareness.

Expect a 12–24 month relationship-building phase before any grant discussion occurs. Organizations that receive multi-year, growing commitments (Conservation Congress received 5 grants totaling $170K for Northern California national forest defense) demonstrate the foundation's preference for sustained, deepening partnerships over one-time project grants.

Environment Now's grantmaking has grown steadily over the past decade, with grants paid increasing from $882,750 (FY2013) to $1,510,000 (FY2023) — a 71% increase over ten years. The FY2023 total giving figure of $2,102,433 represents the highest observed level, driven partly by exceptional investment income ($3.49M net investment income). Historical annual giving by year:

• FY2019: $1,475,382 total giving / $1,254,494 grants paid
• FY2020: $1,684,427 total giving / $1,168,578 grants paid
• FY2021: $1,782,893 total giving / $1,188,500 grants paid
• FY2022: $1,800,822 total giving / $1,214,000 grants paid
• FY2023: $2,102,433 total giving / $1,510,000 grants paid

Grant size analysis across 202 recorded grants (totaling $6,295,078): median grant $25,000, average $31,164, minimum approximately $5,000, maximum $175,000 (a general support grant to John Muir Project). The typical grant range is $20,000–$75,000, with most grants clustering in the $25,000–$50,000 band. However, sustained multi-year relationships produce dramatically higher total investment: John Muir Project has received $845,000 across six recorded engagements (averaging $140,000+ per grant), while California Coastkeeper Alliance averages $110,400 per grant over 5 awards.

By program area (estimated from named grant purposes in the grantee record): - Water/Clean Water/Waterkeeper networks: approximately 40% of cumulative giving (~$2.5M), the single largest program area - Forests/National Forest defense/Fire policy: approximately 28% (~$1.75M) - Rights of Nature/Eco-jurisprudence: approximately 8% (~$500K), the fastest-growing area - Climate/Oil and fossil fuels: approximately 7% (~$440K) - Environmental justice communities: approximately 7% (~$440K) - Other/cross-cutting: approximately 10%

Geographically, California receives 70% of grants (142 of 202 recorded grants). Oregon and Arizona each receive 8% (16 grants each), reflecting Klamath-related and public lands work. New York (13 grants, 6%) captures national advocacy organizations with California programs. Washington DC (5 grants, 2%) funds national-network organizations. Baja California, Mexico water quality work has been funded exclusively through U.S.-based fiscal sponsors (Waterkeeper Alliance, International Community Foundation).

The foundation does not pay out at the standard 5% private foundation minimum payout — its total giving as a percentage of assets runs closer to 6–7%, indicating a slightly more active distribution pace than legally required.

Environment Now occupies a distinct mid-tier niche in California environmental philanthropy: larger than grassroots community funders but smaller than major institutional foundations, with a sharper programmatic focus than most.

Environment Now's closest strategic analog is Pisces Foundation: both are California-focused, invitation-only funders favoring sophisticated advocacy organizations over grassroots groups, and both have deep water-sector specialization. Critically, Pisces President David Beckman sits on Environment Now's board, making Pisces both a peer funder and a potential introduction pathway. Organizations funded by Pisces for California water work should view that relationship as a direct credential for Environment Now consideration.

Rose Foundation offers the clearest alternative entry point for organizations that cannot access Environment Now's invitation-only process — Rose accepts LOIs, funds California environmental work at overlapping grant sizes ($5,000–$25,000), and explicitly funds environmental justice intersectionality. A Rose Foundation grant builds the track record and network connections that can eventually open Environment Now's door.

Environment Now's forest program is more specialized than any of its peers, focusing narrowly on ending commercial logging on national forests — a litigation-intensive niche that Pisces, Resources Legacy Fund, and 11th Hour Project do not prioritize at the same depth.

Environment Now's Related News section (curated by staff, updated through June 2026) serves as the clearest public signal of current programmatic priorities. As of June 2026, the foundation's curated news covers:

• Klamath Basin water flows (June 5, 2026): A long-running campaign where Environment Now grantees Save California Salmon, Friends of the Eel River, and Institute for Fisheries Resources remain active litigants following the landmark Klamath Dam removal completed in 2024.
• California Coastkeeper Alliance's stormwater campaign (June 1, 2026): The alliance launched the first statewide commercial stormwater permit campaign in California — directly enabled by years of Environment Now core support.
• BLM Central California oil leasing (May 27, 2026): New fossil fuel leasing proposals in the Central Valley activate the foundation's Climate program, likely signaling upcoming grants to organizations opposing these leases.
• California salmon fishery (May 26, 2026): The reopening of the fishery after a 3-year closure marks a milestone for grantees but continued monitoring reflects ongoing needs.
• Delta tunnel bond financing and regional water supply alternatives (May 21–25, 2026): Multiple news items signal active engagement in Bay-Delta water governance, consistent with $40K to San Francisco Baykeeper and $80K+ to Golden State Salmon Association for Delta-related litigation.

On the organizational side, Linda Sheehan continues as Executive Director (compensated $232,916 in FY2023, up from $216,250 in FY2022), with compensation increases reflecting expanded responsibilities as program portfolio grows. No leadership transitions or board changes were identified in the research window. The addition of Deborah Sivas (Stanford Law) to the board — replacing the prior governance structure — brings environmental law expertise directly into board deliberations.

The overriding strategic reality for Environment Now is that there is no application process. The foundation's website states explicitly: "We do not accept unsolicited proposals, instead partnering closely with conservation groups" and other advocates. Every piece of application strategy must flow from this constraint.

How to enter the pipeline: - The most direct route is a warm introduction from an existing grantee. Organizations like California Coastkeeper Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Save California Salmon, or Crag Law Center have sustained relationships with Environment Now staff. A referral from a program officer at one of these grantees carries significant weight. - Engage program staff directly in their professional capacity: attend conferences where Doug Bevington (Forest Program Director) or Miles Johnson (Water Program Manager) present or participate; comment on litigation filings in cases they track; publish analysis on issues in their portfolio. - Make your work visible in Environment Now's curated news ecosystem: the foundation actively tracks California water law, salmon restoration, national forest litigation, Rights of Nature, and fossil fuel opposition. Getting covered in Maven's Notebook, CalSport, or California Coastkeeper Alliance communications puts your work in front of foundation staff organically.

What they look for in partners: - A California-specific strategy with measurable legal, policy, or regulatory outcomes — not just awareness or education - Litigation capacity or close partnership with litigating organizations (Crag Law Center, Environmental Law Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity are model grantees) - Multi-year campaign framing: Environment Now funds sustained campaigns (Kern River, Delta flows, Northern CA forest defense) — not single-year projects - Environmental justice integration strengthens water and forest proposals, but should be embedded rather than bolted on - Organizational budget credibility: grants typically range $25,000–$110,000, suggesting partners should have annual budgets of at least $200,000–$500,000 to demonstrate organizational capacity

Common mistakes to avoid: - Do not send unsolicited proposals, letters of inquiry, or executive summaries — this will not result in funding and may mark your organization as not understanding how the funder works - Do not focus solely on research or education without clear policy/legal levers — the portfolio is advocacy-heavy - Do not propose national programs and ask for California support as a secondary component — California must be the primary strategic focus - Do not engage the foundation for projects outside its four named areas: Water, Forests, Climate (fossil fuels), Rights