About the fund

Gaia Fund is a San Francisco-based family foundation that began awarding charitable grants in 1995. It was established by Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger, who serve as its sole trustees and, additionally, set grantmaking priorities for many years.

2017 Grants

ALL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY
JEWISH LIFE
OTHER

Sustainable Agriculture

$75,000

Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for general operating support to improve food quality through biological agricultural methods that prioritize soil vitality and development of a hand-held tool to measure nutrient quality of crops.

$3,000

Bionutrient Food Association, Barre, MA, for scholarships for three or more California farm leaders to attend the 2017 Soil and Nutrition Conference.

$25,000

California FarmLink, Aptos, CA, for technical assistance and loans for farmers with a focus on low-income, immigrant, and beginning organic farmers.

$12,000

California Foodshed Funders, San Francisco, CA, for general support of this fellowship of funders dedicated to accelarating the transformation toward regenerative organic farming practices; protection and renewal of natural systems; and healthful, locally-sourced, and just food systems.

$300,000

California State University, Chico, Chico, CA, to establish a Center for Regenerative Agriculture focused on soil health, carbon drawdown, and farm productivity and economic viability. (Three-year grant).

$5,000

CCOF Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA, for general support of educational programs about organic growing practices.

$75,000

Civil Eats, New York, NY, for general support of this daily news source for critical thought about the American food system.

$3,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for scholarships for three or more California farm leaders to attend the 2017 No Till on the Plains meeting.

$1,000

Ecological Farming Association, Soquel, CA, for the Scholarship Program for farmers to attend the annual EcoFarm Conference.

$100,000

Fresno Food Commons Trust, Fresno, CA, for the Food Commons to build a new model for sustainable food and farming serving the Fresno region, one of the poorest areas of California. (Two-year grant).

$1,000

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Pt Reyes Station, CA, for general support of farmland conservation.

$20,000

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, DC, for general support of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition to advocate for federal policy reform for the sustainability of food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. (Two-year grant).

$10,000

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Washington, DC, for the work of the California Caucus on the Farm Bill. (Two-year grant).

$25,000

National Young Farmers Coalition, Hudson, NY, to develop a statewide organization to represent young farmers in California State Policy.

$1,000

Organic Consumers Association, Finland, MN, for general support of programs to protect consumers’ right to safe, healthful food and other consumer products, a just food and farming system and an environment rich in biodiversity and free of pollutants.

$80,000

Real Food Challenge, Boston, MA, for Real Food California. (Two-year grant).

$1,000

Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA, for the development of the Organic Farmers Association.

$2,500

Rodale Institute, Kutztown, PA, for general support.

$5,500

Sustainable Agriculture and Food System Funders, Santa Barbara, CA, for programs focused on increasing and making more effective philanthropy for sustainable agriculture and food systems.

$49,500

Sustainable Agriculture Program – Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA, for development of On-Farm Composting Training and Demonstration by the Shone Farm Organic Program, Santa Rosa Junior College. (Two-year grant).

$40,000

The Perennial Farming Initiative, San Francisco, CA, for the Healthy Soil Guide to enlist restaurants in a program to prioitize purchasing of crops from farms demonstrating healthy soil practices.

$10,000

Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA, for general support to empower farmers, connect consumers, and protect wild nature.

Effective Democracy

$500,000

American Promise, Inc., Concord, MA, to support a national education and organizing effort to overturn court rulings that have unleashed unlimited sources of concentrated wealth on political campaigns and policy making. (Five-year grant).

$100,000

Democracy Initiative Education Fund, Washington, DC, to increase the engagement of conservation and food and farm groups in the coalition to expand the base of support for democracy reforms, such as for small donor match educational campaigns, toward a democracy that works for all. (Two-year grant).

$2,500

Funders Committee for Civic Participation, New York, NY, to improve philanthropy focused on civic engagement, money-in-politics, and the effectiveness of democracy.

$25,000

Issue One, Washington, DC, to build the bipartisan community necessary to drastically reduce the influence of money in our politics and on our policy making.

$50,000

Media Matters for America, Washington, DC, for fighting Fake News and Corporate Takeover of the Press. (Two-year grant).

$50,000

reclaimtheamericandream.org, Washington, DC, for production costs of the documentary film “Can the States Save our Democracy.”

$32,000

reclaimtheamericandream.org, Washington, DC, for distribution of the documentary video renamed “The Politicians versus the People.”

 

Jewish Life

$10,000

Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice, New York, NY, for general support for Bay Area programs to train and activate the Jewish community as leaders in the forefront of struggles for freedom and justice.

$10,000

Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, sacred Jewish community dedicated to connecting members with their Judaism and history at the highest level and bringing Jewish values to life in meaningful and inspiring ways.

$100,000

Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA, for general support of the CJM to make the diversity of the Jewish experience relevant for a twenty-first century audience through innovative exhibitions and programs that educate, challenge, and inspire.

$10,000

Jewish Community Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to enrich Jewish life, build Jewish identity, promote the development of meaningful bonds within our community and facilitate connections with Israel and Jews worldwide.

$50,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for general support of a vibrant, caring, and enduring Jewish community that is a force for good locally, in Israel, and around the world.

$2,500

Jewish Funders Network, New York, NY, for general support.

$1,500

Jewish Healing Center, San Francisco, CA, for general support of Jewish spiritual care to those living with illness, to those caring for the ill, and to the bereaved through direct service, education and training, capacity building, and information and referral.

$25,000

New Israel Fund, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to help Israelis live up to its founders’ vision of a society that ensures complete equality to all of its inhabitants.

$50,000

Reboot, New York, NY, for Bay Area programs to rekindle connections and re-imagine Jewish lives full of meaning, creativity, and joy. (Two-year grant).

$150,000

Urban Adamah, Berkeley, CA, for Phase II of a capital campaign in support of the educational farm in Berkeley that integrates the practices of Jewish tradition, mindfulness, sustainable agriculture, and social justice.

Other

$2,000

ACLU Foundation of Northern California, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Alliance Francais, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Classical KDFC, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA, for the CAFF/Farmer’s Guild fire fund to benefit farmworkers and farmers affected by fires in Northern California.

$2,000

Earthjustice, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$5,692

Environmental Grantmakers Association, New York, NY, for annual membership.

$2,000

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Food Runners, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Foundation Center – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Sebastopol, CA, for Undocufund to provide direct support to undocumented children, families, and communities displaced by the fires.

$1,000

Jack London Park Partners, Glen Ellen, CA, for general support.

$5,000

Jewish Community Federation, San Francisco, CA, for the Northbay Wildfire Emergency Fund.

$2,500

KQED, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

KSVY, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Latino Community Foundation, San Francisco, CA, for the NorCal Wildfire Relief Fund.

$25,000

Magic Theatre, San Francisco, CA, for the 2016-2017 season of two world premieres and two legacy revivals.

$25,000

Magic Theatre, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Milo Foundation, Albany, CA, for the Fire Evacuation Fund.

$25,000

Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY, for general support.

$2,500

NorCal Livestock Evacuation Fund, Rohnert Park, CA, for the all-volunteer effort to evacuate and provide safe homes for livestock displaced by the wildfires.

 

$5,000

Northern California Grantmakers, San Francisco, CA, for general support of programs to connect grantmakers and improve philanthropic practices for increased effectiveness.

 

$92,400

San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

San Francisco Marin Food Bank, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Schell Vista Fire Protection District, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,000

Sierra Club Foundation, Oakland, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

 Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$20,000

Sonoma Community Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Sonoma County Resilience Fund.

 $2,500

Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support. 

$2,500

Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA, for the Sonoma Garden Park.

 $2,500

Sonoma Humane Society, Santa Rosa, CA, for the Disaster Relief Fund.

$10,000

Sonoma Land Trust, Santa Rosa, CA, for general support.

 $2,000

Sonoma League for Historical Preservation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$2,500

Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, Sonoma, CA, for general support.

$7,500

SPUR, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

 $5,000

The Jewish Federations of North America, New York, NY, for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

$1,000

Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, MA, for general support.

 $10,000

Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, for general support.

$1,000

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

 $1,000

Young Performers Theater, San Francisco, CA, for general support.

$1,000

Zen Hospice Project, San Francisco, CA, for general support.