Philanthropy and the environmental movement in the United States

Summary

Philanthropy has been vital to the environmental movement in the United States. Individual gifts and foundation grants have sustained the organizations, people, and programs of the independent sector which, although small in comparison to either government or industry, has contributed much through shaping environmental issues and setting directions for public policy. The importance of these efforts belies their size and the small amount of money which has supported them. Recent trends, however, indicate that the amount of support received by environmental groups may have peaked, a development which could have disturbing consequences for the field.