This is a
private Foundation that supports environmental research and campaigning
actvity, particularly in the areas of Climate Change and
Biodiversity.
The Foundation opened
in
Autumn
2009 and makes relatively small grants. It is under my sole
direction and does not consider unsolicited
requests
for financial
assistance.
If you wish to find out more about its
activities,
contact me at foundation@anthonyrae.com
or tel: 01422 845061
2009 Year*
This
year the Foundation made the following awards:
- £6,000 to Friends
of
the Earth to pay for its
fundraising event in advance of the
Copenhagen Climate Change negotiations. This took place on 15th
October
at the Hub, Kings Cross, and was well attended. The speakers were
Andy
Atkins, Executive Director FOE; Professor Kevin Anderson,
Director
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change
Research; Peter Ainsworth MP
Shadow Environment spokesman 2005-9
and former
Chair, Environmental Audit Committee; and Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of Friends of the Earth International and
Chair of
Environmental Rights Action in Nigeria.
Anthony Rae commented: “I have
said that funding from my Foundation will be focused quite tightly on
environmental
research and campaigning activity, but supporting this fundraiser as a
very
first donation seemed the right thing in the circumstances: the run-up
to
Copenhagen. People who
came have responded very generously, and support comes in other
forms as well - I understand that the actress Helen Baxendale, who has
gone on to join
the
FOE campaigners in Copenhagen, also attended the
event. So this was a good place to start the
Foundation’s
giving.”
Andy
Atkins, Anthony Rae and Prof Kevin
Anderson
at the Climate Change fundraiser
-
£10,000
- £10,000
(with the assistance
of matched funding from
the Big Give/Reed
Foundation) to Friends of the Earth to sponsor two FOE expert
campaigners who are part of their team seeking to influence the outcome
of
the international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.
Anthony Rae
commented: "It would be an enormous
missed opportunity if the Foundation didn't immediately make a second
contribution to campaigning activity
around this hugely significant global event. I'd like to thank
the Reed
Foundation for the great generosity in providing matched funding so
that my
Foundation can in turn double the value of its donation."
FOE International contingent: Flood event, Copenhagen 12th December
2009; protest 'action' 14th December with Nnimmo Bassey
-
£10,000
(also with the same assistance, and via the contribution of an
associate
to the
Foundation) to Friends of the Earth to
fund ongoing climate change campaigning that may be needed after
Copenhagen. The timing of this grant has been advanced to take
advantage
of the 'Big Give' opportunity; the specific purpose will be identified
in
Spring 2010.
Anthony Rae commented: "I'm supporting FOE (rather than other
campaigning organisations) with these three grants on the back of their
superb campaign to devise and successfully promote the Climate Change
Act 2008, which has set the UK framework for emissions reduction; and
their attempts to link together the positions of the Global South and
North in a common stance based on justice. Their track record
campaigning for solutions to climate change merits strong support".
-
£10,000
(also with the same assistance, and via the contribution of an
associate
to the
Foundation) to Friends of the Earth to
fund ongoing climate change campaigning that may be needed after
Copenhagen. The timing of this grant has been advanced to take
advantage
of the 'Big Give' opportunity; the specific purpose will be identified
in
Spring 2010.
Anthony Rae commented: "I'm supporting FOE (rather than other
campaigning organisations) with these three grants on the back of their
superb campaign to devise and successfully promote the Climate Change
Act 2008, which has set the UK framework for emissions reduction; and
their attempts to link together the positions of the Global South and
North in a common stance based on justice. Their track record
campaigning for solutions to climate change merits strong support".
XXXX
-
-
£10,000
(also with the same assistance, and via the contribution of an
associate
to the
Foundation) to Friends of the Earth to
fund ongoing climate change campaigning that may be needed after
Copenhagen. The timing of this grant has been advanced to take
advantage
of the 'Big Give' opportunity; the specific purpose will be identified
in
Spring 2010.
Anthony Rae commented: "I'm supporting FOE (rather than other
campaigning organisations) with these three grants on the back of their
superb campaign to devise and successfully promote the Climate Change
Act 2008, which has set the UK framework for emissions reduction; and
their attempts to link together the positions of the Global South and
North in a common stance based on justice. Their track record
campaigning for solutions to climate change merits strong support".
-£2,000
(with the assistance of
matched funding from the Big Give/ Reed Foundation) to WWF
for their international Tiger
conservation
project
-£2,000
(with the same assistance) to theFora
&
Fauna
International
for
their international
gorilla
conservation
programme
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda.
Anthony Rae
commented: “These two smaller grants are for more traditional
conservation
work, but the matched funding availability makes them suitable
projects for support and allows the Foundation to make its first grants
for Biodiversity where there is equal global urgency.Once again, my thanks to the
Reed Foundation
for their great generosity in making matched funding available."
- 'Season of Giving'£2,000:
Although
the
formal policy of the Foundation is 'Bah Humbug to
Christmas' (an expressed imposition from the Founder) if as a society
we can generate a surplus of wealth then, rather
than
spend it on a season of self-indulgent
consumption, it
would be better to invest it in sustainability and collective
solidarity. For that reason, at the end of each year*, the
Foundation will make some smaller donations in that spirit, beyond its
defined focus of activity, and to round-off the annual programme.
This year these donations are (again taking advantage of the matched
funding
of the Big Give) £1,000to
the Oxfam project Irrigation
to
help
families adapt to climate change in Zimbabwe to
provide a year-round source of food to 25,000 people; and £1,000to
a second Oxfam project whichis
supporting 70,000 pastoralists in the drought stricken Somali
Region
of
Ethiopia.
The intention is that "by
helping them keep two breeding animals (such as goats) alive, the
children can have milk, and the family's herd
can recover in time. Other
actions include digging wells, and reseeding pastures - to make the
communities
better able to cope with future droughts."
Total made available by/via the Foundation in 2009* (including
matched
funding and Gift Aid): £32,000
- against a target of £20,000
The 2009 programme is now complete. "These first few months have
proved to be a great start for the Foundation, and a rewarding new
addition to my portfolio of activity" said Anthony Rae, who has also
joined the Environmental Funders Network
"Their
experience and advice will greatly assist the professionalism of
the Foundation's development." A prospectus about the
potential areas of funding for 2010 and beyond will be issued in the
New Year.
* The Foundation operates on calendar
years, usefully crossing the usual financial year boundary
Updated: 151/12/2009
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report
any
technical
problems
with the site to ar@anthonyrae.com
