Ray C. Anderson Foundation Awards $331,000 in Grants to Educators and Doers
Grant total reaches $2.8 million since 2012
December 2, 2014 /3BL Media/ - The Ray C. Anderson Foundation has awarded $331,000 in grants to 23 different organizations and institutions, bringing the total granted since the Foundation’s launch in 2012 to just over $2.8 million. Grants are awarded to a mix of nonprofits and academic institutions, ranging from those that provide environmental education to those that are doing hands-on work in conservation and remediation. Named for the founder of Interface, Inc., the Ray C. Anderson Foundation supports organizations creating a better world for future generations.
“A common thread connects the organizations receiving our grants this fall – each one consists of employees and volunteers committed to doing the work required today to leave a better world for the generations of tomorrow,” said John A. Lanier, director. “These grants also represent a mix of organizations that have long been funded by Ray and a new crop of investments that will build on his legacy. As Atlanta becomes increasingly recognized as a national center of sustainability, The Ray C. Anderson Foundation strives to be at the forefront.”
Among the grantees are three who received “Gray Notes Grants,” named for the notes that were Ray’s hallmark way of challenging associates with inspiration and encouragement:
The University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology to expand a local stream restoration project for feeder streams flowing into the Altamaha River. The project will involve school-wide engagement and the development of new classes and partnerships with like-minded campus organizations for service projects.
The National Wildlife Federation (South Central Regional Center Atlanta Field Office) to implement an Eco-Schools program that will assist in the “greening” of ten Atlanta public schools.
The Captain Planet Foundation for its SAGES (Science for All Generations through Environmental Stewardship) program, to help Georgia schools meet new environmental science guidelines by the 2017-18 school year. SAGES is focused on experiential learning, based on studies that conclude that students learn the sciences more effectively through hands-on engagement.
The following 20 institutions also received Sustaining Grants from the Foundation in this funding cycle: Agnes Scott College, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Biomimicry Institute, Captain Planet Foundation, the Chattahoochee Nature Center, Chattahoochee NOW, the Earth Island Institute, EARTH University Foundation, Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Furman University, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, Georgia State University Foundation, LaGrange Academy, The Land Institute, Project Drawdown, Rocky Mountain Institute, Southeastern Council of Foundations, Southwings, Trees Atlanta, and Worldwatch.
About The Ray C. Anderson Foundation
The Ray C. Anderson Foundation is keeping the voice and vision of pioneering entrepreneur and radical industrialist Ray Anderson alive through programs and grant-making focused on building a healthy, sustainable world for future generations.