Canadian Environmental Grantmakers' Network : About CEGN : Background

Background

Early in 1995 a group of leading foundations initiated the idea of a network of Canadian environmental grantmakers. Their vision for the network was to help build the effectiveness of environmental funding in Canada. CEGN operated informally for several years with a small group of grantmakers meeting twice a year to explore common themes of interest.

In response to a survey of members completed in Spring 2000, CEGN launched a process of organizational development to better serve environmental grantmakers through increased and more effective member services. This process included establishing an office in October 2000 and hiring a staff person. In February 2001, CEGN was incorporated federally as a not-for-profit organization.

The need for the network grew out of several issues:

General government cutbacks coupled with an increasing number of requests for funding were creating heavy pressures on environmental grantmakers in the foundation and corporate sectors. As a result, individual grantmakers were finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the growing range and complexity of environmental issues and needs.
The development of environmental grantmaking in Canada has occurred in a gradual and informal way. This evolutionary style has the strength of encouraging a broad range of diverse funding approaches that maintain autonomy, variety and independence of support. This approach does, however, make it difficult for individual grantmakers to see where their efforts fit within the larger picture. It also means we have no sense of the cumulative impact of environmental grantmaking in Canada.
There is growing interest on the part of American grantmakers in support to Canadian environmental issues and organizations. This has developed, in part, due to the recognition that many issues need management at the ecosystem level - and so require a cross-boundary solution. In the face of this opportunity for increased levels of support, Canadian grantmakers were struck by the absence of Canadian data on the issues, needs and priorities for environmental funding. They felt the need to improve the data collection, analysis, debate and exchange of information within Canada.