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The Environmental Sustainability Program is committed to improving the protection and restoration of Puget Sound.
A primary threat to Puget Sound's health is polluted runoff: rainwater that carries toxic chemicals, oil, grease, pesticides, waste and other pollutants into the Sound. All of these pollutants come from the everyday activities of those who live and work around the Sound. We believe that this problem can be fixed by:
- Adopting building practices, regulations and codes that reduce polluted runoff.
- Making improvements to older neighborhoods that reduce polluted runoff while adding other public benefits.
- Engaging the public to understand how their activities affect Puget Sound's water quality and to change their behaviors that contribute to polluted runoff.
To address these challenges and opportunities, The Russell Family Foundation will focus its environmental grantmaking on reducing polluted runoff around Puget Sound, promoting green infrastructure development and supporting experiential education that connects citizens to Puget Sound. TRFF will consider funding projects that seek to accomplish the following objectives:
Polluted Runoff
- Improve behaviors among Puget Sound residents to reduce polluted runoff.
- Ensure compliance with regulations designed to prevent polluted runoff.
- Change individual's behaviors to reduce their impact on Puget Sound.
- Improve citizens understanding of polluted runoff.
- Improve local, state and federal policies that prevent polluted runoff.
Green Infrastructure
- Encourage and test innovations that reduce the water quality impact of both new and existing development.
- Model programs that engage citizens in creating more sustainable communities that reduce impacts on Puget Sound.
- Improve local, state and federal policies and codes.
Environmental Education
- Increase citizens' interaction with Puget Sound.
- Reach a diverse spectrum of residents who might not otherwise establish a personal connection with Puget Sound.
- Empower people to see themselves as part of the solution (not just a part of the problem) and feel empowered to act to improve and protect Puget Sound.
Evaluation
We will judge our efforts by measuring progress against the following outcomes:
- Less pollution enters Puget Sound.
- Diverse constituencies find shared value in making their communities healthier and reducing their impact on the Sound.
- Strong ongoing partnerships exist among groups working on Puget Sound issues.
- Puget Sound residents develop a deeper connection to their local and regional environments.
- Enhanced engagement in Puget Sound protection is sustainable over time.
- Knowledge generated by the work of TRFF grantees is shared to leverage broader change.
Past Grantmaking
In 2009 the Environmental Sustainability Program paid out $2,692,141 in grants to 58 organizations working around Puget Sound. The average grant size was $46,416.
For a list of organizations that received grants from the TRFF Environmental Sustainability Program in 2009, please
click here.
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