As we enter our 13th Spring at WEA, we know more than ever the power of global grassroots action. Global movements like the recent climate protests led by youth around the world, remind us that ideas can germinate faster than ever, and indeed, no person or idea is too small to change the course of history.
The recent climate reports can be paralyzing but they don't have to be. Inside their predictions and warnings are blueprints for action across every sector of society—from our individual choices to our economic systems. There is an act, a choice, and an investment that each and every one of us can make at this historic juncture.
That’s why WEA is digging deeper to ensure women's grassroots environmental solutions can flourish.
Thanks to your partnership, this Spring WEA is launching 3 training programs for women environmental leaders in the U.S., Indonesia and Kenya. These leaders are delivering real and urgent solutions to their communities (planting trees, farming sustainably, protecting water sources, reviving our ocean ecosystems, removing toxins from our soil), and they need support to rapidly expand the scope and scale of their reach. Together, we can protect life, and design the path forward in this ever-changing and unstable climate era.
In addition to technical, entrepreneurship, and leadership support, a critical component of the WEA formula is the Seed Grant, provided to each leader to accelerate their environmental initiative. A generous donor has stepped forward to MATCH up to $50,000 of contributions toward these Seed Grants for the next 60 days. Meeting this $50,000 match will fund all seed grants for WEA’s 2019 programming.
Will you help us scale the impact of life-giving climate solutions by sponsoring a leader with a $1,500 Seed Grant? Any amount you give toward this match will be matched dollar-for-dollar.
Here’s a closer look at our 2019 programs:
- The U.S. Grassroots Accelerator for Women Environmental Leaders, in partnership with the Sierra Club, will generate measurable and sustained improvements to our environment, economies, and communities by catalyzing women-led, grassroots solutions. 20-30 leaders will participate from across the United States and U.S. Territories.
- The Indonesia Women's Earth Alliance Accelerator will grow the much-needed efforts of Indonesian women leaders protecting their communities and ecosystems from environmental/climate threats like palm oil extraction, plastic pollution, and sea level rise. In this moment of environmental crisis, Indonesia is ground zero. It is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, the second largest producer of plastics pollution, and the fifth largest producer of greenhouse gas.
- The Kenya Women's Earth Alliance Accelerator will fortify the vital work of women leaders protecting their communities and ecosystems from climate threats like drought, coastal biodiversity collapse, and food insecurity. In Kenya, increased volatility and warming of the climate are causing severe drought and floods, agricultural crop failures leading to hunger and malnutrition, and loss of marine species on which communities and ecosystems depend. Despite women being on the frontlines of these crises, they struggle to access the training, leadership, and resources they need to lead.
With your support we can make the $50,000 match, raising the $100,000 in seed grants for our 2019 leaders—an investment that will multiply. These leaders are holding seeds of change in their hands, let’s support them to sow solutions for a beautiful tomorrow.
