Values Statement | Goal | Funding Strategies | Topics | Operating Principles | Desired Results | Geographic Area | Other Criteria | Program Restrictions | How to Apply | Selection Process

The Bush Foundation has developed a grantmaking framework for its ecological health program. As these new guidelines are implemented, we expect to learn from our experiences and those of our grantees, and to further refine and clarify the Foundation’s goals and strategies for this program.

VALUES STATEMENT
We affirm that humans are part of nature, and that our beliefs, values, and actions define our role in nature. Our choices of where we live, what we consume, how we produce food, and how we manage our health, reflect our cultural values. These choices have an impact on our natural resources and ecosystems. There is strong evidence that current human activities are compromising the earth’s ability to maintain the health of its ecosystems and to sustain future generations. However, there is hope if we act on what we know and work toward a positive future.
 

GOAL
As part of the Bush Foundation’s goal to improve the ecological health of our region, we seek to help people and organizations develop ways to treat ecological health as an interdependent system, rather than as isolated problems to be solved. Through these efforts, we hope to help restore, preserve, and protect our resources in order to sustain the interdependent health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. This condition of interdependence is captured in the term “ecological health.”
 
FUNDING STRATEGIES
We prefer initiatives that have a direct and practical bearing on humans and their communities. Our funding strategies include consensus building and networking; development and dissemination of innovations and best practices; policy change; and strengthening non-profit groups working on ecological health.
 
TOPICS

We wish to support work that: 

	Promotes clean and renewable energy in order to improve ecological health;
	Protects and improves human health by reducing exposure to environmental toxins;
	Improves water quality by reducing pollutants in surface and ground water;
	Promotes decisions on land use that protect and preserve ecological health; or
	Encourages farming and ranching practices that benefit the environment and the health of communities.

 
OPERATING PRINCIPLES
We are particularly interested in projects that demonstrate:
 

	Community action through civic participation and grassroots efforts of individuals and groups.
	Social equity to address environmental and health disparities experienced disproportionately by children, minorities, and low income communities.
	Knowledge drawn from scientific, practical, or cultural domains.
	Incentives to balance social, economic, and environmental concerns.
	Integration of ecological health across topic areas (e.g., water and land use), across sectors (e.g., public, nonprofit), and across professional disciplines.

EXAMPLES OF DESIRED RESULTS

	A better informed public (community) that understands the link between human health and ecological health.
	Increased working relationships among environmental, health, and child development professionals.
	Improved quality of ground and surface water achieved through behavior change, policy change, and civic action.

GEOGRAPHIC AREA
The Foundation will make grants to benefit ecological health work in the three-state Bush region of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.  

	Environmental education programs.
	Animal welfare organizations; humane societies.
	Nature centers.
	Outdoor recreation programs.
	Day care centers.

Single-issue environmental requests are unlikely to receive support

 
Other Grant Review Criteria

The Foundation welcomes proposals that incorporate ecological health in other program areas (e.g., arts and culture).

The Bush staff also considers the following questions in reviewing proposals:

	How important is the purpose for which the grant is sought?
	Is the planning thorough?
	What happens to the project once the Bush grant ends?
	Are others who could reasonably be expected to contribute to the project doing so?
	If the Bush Board approves the proposal, can the Foundation afford to treat similar requests in the same way?

Characteristics of successful applications for Bush funding:

	Clear objectives for what the grant is to accomplish
	Evidence of support from the community or constituency
	Close involvement of responsible agency staff in developing the proposal
	Reflection of current thinking in the particular field
	Detailed and thorough implementation plans
	Clearly stated budget information
	Plans to document, assess, and disseminate program results

HOW TO APPLY
Last year the Bush Foundation adopted a new strategic plan. This year we are revising our guidelines to align them with the plan. As a result, for the next few months, the Bush Foundation is not accepting letters of inquiry for consideration. We will update the guidelines and expect to publish them here on our website this summer. At that time, we will provide new timelines and instructions for completing a letter of inquiry for potential proposal submission and action by our Board in November. Our schedule for grant approval in March and July is not changing.
 
If you have any questions about this, please e-mail or call our Grants Manager, Kelly Kleppe at kkleppe@bushfoundation.org, 651-379-2222. Click here for a letter from our President and list of frequently asked questions.
 

	All letters of intent will be reviewed by the Bush staff and consultants.
	Selected organizations will be notified within a month of receipt of their letters, and invited to submit a more detailed proposal.
	Those organizations that submit full proposals will need to send additional information, consistent with other Bush funding guidelines, such as a copy of the 501(c)3 designation letter, audited financial statements, resumes of key staff.
	Proposals will be voted by the Bush Board at their regular meetings in March, July, and November of each year.

Foundation staff welcome inquiries by email, phone, or letter from organizations that have questions about their eligibility.
 
Click here for Ecological Health Guidelines in PDF format.
 
Click here for information on General Grant Applications.

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