Dear DDCSP Community,
We hope you’re doing well and that the spring is bringing a sense of optimism for the months to come. We wanted to share with you some updates on DDCF, DDCSP, and the Alumni Network, and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
All the best,
Sacha, Danielle, and Sean
Environment Program Director, Officer, and Associate at DDCF
sspector@ddcf.org; dlevoit@ddcf.org; sthackurdeen@ddcf.org
DDCSP-UM and Dr. Taylor’s Transition to Yale
We shared in our August 2020 update that Dr. Dorceta Taylor has taken a new role as full professor with the Yale School of the Environment, following 27 years with the University of Michigan. We also shared that, as part of this transition, Dr. Taylor has decided that the 2020 UM Cohort would be the last, with the UM program winding down at the end of this summer following the 2020 Cohort’s second summer (which will take place at Yale). For this final summer, the UM program will be called the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at Yale School of the Environment (DDCSP at YSE). Please feel free to reach out to us or Dr. Taylor, dorceta.taylor@yale.edu, with any questions.
DDCSP Alumni Network
Working with a Steering Committee of Alumni last year, we developed a new three-year contract with Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), which manages the ALumni Network. The contract outlines projects priorities, a governance structure, and a budget, which were all developed by the Steering Committee. DDCF and ELP then took that information and translated it into a contract with quarterly deliverables. The contract can be found here. Note that some financial elements (which relate to sensitive ELP staff salary information) of the contract have been redacted.
New Environment Program Grants
At our May 2021 Board meeting, DDCF’s Board of Trustees approved Environment Program grants to the following organizations that we thought might be of interest:
- The Next 100 Coalition, a network of BIPOC-led conservation, outdoor recreation, environmental education, and environmental justice organizations organizing at a national level on issues related to public lands, conservation, and recreation.
- The Ramapough Lunaape Nation, whose lands encompass Manhattan, parts of southern New York, and northern New Jersey. In partnership with the Land Conservancy of New Jersey (a land trust), the tribe is acquiring an important cultural site called Tehtawee (The Gate that Opens) or Split Rock Mountain. DDCF is providing funding to acquire the 54-acre property, as well as capacity building support for the tribe to launch a tribal land trust.
- Green 2.0, which is seeking to address the lack of racial/ethnic diversity in the environmental field through demographic transparency cards for environmental non-profits and foundations, communications, and engagement with federal policymakers.
We’re also happy to announce the grantees of the Building an Inclusive Conservation Movement Program, a program we ran last year to specifically support BlPOC-led conservation organizations.
DDCSP alum joins DDCF Environment Program team through Summer Fellowship
The DDCF Environment Program is hosting DDCSP-UM ‘20 alum Toyosi Dickson this summer through the Environmental Grantmakers Association’s Environmental Fellows Program. The fellowship,offered in partnership with the Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) and the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Office, places Fellows for 12 weeks during the summer at a philanthropic foundation or one their grantee organizations. Toyosi is working with the Environment Program on a range of strategic planning, grantee support, and grant administration projects.
DDCF President Transition
We shared in our August 2020 update that our previous foundation president, Ed Henry, was retiring. Our Board of Trustees selected Sam Gill as the next foundation president, and he began in April 2021.
Previous DDCF Updates
We’ve shared a few other updates over the last few years, which can be found here.