Emil Muller Foundation Grant Will Foster A Better Understanding of Environmental Organizations in the Greater Rochester Region

Rochester Ecology Partners (REP) was recently awarded a $20,000.00 grant from the Emil Muller Foundation for a project that will lead to a better understanding of environmental nonprofit organizations in the Rochester Region. The Environmental Organization Landscape Analysis this grant supports will lead to greater alignment and collaboration between organizations and partners from other sectors. This project furthers REP’s mission of connecting all people to nature where they live, work and play by fostering relationships and developing publicly available resources for community members seeking to influence a more just and sustainable future for our community.

This grant is an important step for Rochester Ecology Partners. In addition to being the first major grant award for our organization, it will provide important information about how we fit into the ecosystem of organizations in our community as our organizations grows. Our partnership with the Emil Muller foundation in doing this work will demonstrate the power of an innovative and integrated approach to organizational development.

Designed to be a community driven effort, the organizational landscape analysis will gather and share information about the different organizations in the nine county region that are working on issues related to the environment, sustainability, and environmental justice. At the core of this project will be community engagement in the research as well as sharing the results of our research publicly. Ultimately this project will lead to a more connected environmental movement locally, the application of resources in ways that lead to change for those that need it most, and a shared vision that has been developed and adopted by the community.

Rochester Ecology Partners sees this work as central to a nature based approach to improving our natural, built, and social environments. Connectedness and diversity are essential to healthy ecosystems and the same is true for our organizational ecosystems. Little work has been done in our region to understand the level of diversity in the work of environmental organizations and to build a network of organizations that is mutually beneficial. We also see it as an important step as the definition of an environmental organization evolves to be more intersectional and include efforts to address equity and justice. This project will guide our community to a new understanding of how the environment and community health are connected. 

About The Emil Muller Foundation

The Emil Muller Foundation was established to honor our benefactor’s deep connection to the natural world, his passion for all things outdoors, and his entrepreneurial spirit. We make grants primarily in support of environmental conservation projects and education efforts that build genuine appreciation of and sense of responsibility for our natural world.

About Rochester Ecology Partners

Rochester Ecology Partners serves people in Greater Rochester through nature based experiential learning and activities that cultivate community connectedness. We believe that by employing integrated and innovative approaches to helping people find nature where they live, work, and play we can improve our community’s capacity to co-create a hopeful future.

Reach out to us for more information or to contribute to this initiative. contact@rochesterecologypartners.org