Our Start
He sat in her living room – part of a panel discussion about finding the courage to speak out for things that matter. He was a fast talking university student filled with all kinds of knowledge and ready to take on the world. He described himself as a first generation, Latinx-American, first in the family to go to college, studying “how to save the world” sustainably, and already comfortable raising his fist and voice for big things. Rhonda watched in awe - how can we all be like Brian? So she followed his work with the Youth Climate Strikers, including marching down to the capitol to push for climate action. It was a this moment, coupled with experiences, work and knowledge that have been curated through her life, that Rhonda realized her focus needed to be on all things climate and the environment. For him, for her kids, and for all of our futures.
Shortly after that, Earth Gives was b-earthed.
It starts with community building.
While steeped in the nonprofit arena, Rhonda was shocked to find at how little philanthropy was directed toward environmental organizations. Shortly after that she came across an opinion piece in the Chronicle of Philanthropy from Larry Kramer, the head of the Hewlett Foundation. It was a “scream from the rooftops” call to foundations to reconsider where they were focused. It solidified her resolve to advance with the concept.
While Earth Gives is focused on catalyzing environmental and climate-focused investment, Rhonda is committed to redefining what philanthropy looks like and the way to move toward the solutions.
It starts with thinking about the human ecosystem – the architecture of our connections to one another. Building the connective tissue between us will better rally our best selves to become the solution providers – the Earth Givers – that this work necessitates.
It requires us to be agnostic to the solution. Invite the others. See and be seen. Integrate new thinking. Make sure messaging is seen as a “program” and not an add on. Ask questions. Be curious. Focus on systems. Understand that change starts locally. The knitting together of the ecosystem change ripples for greater impact.
One things is clear, however. We are not going to get out of this most consequential challenge the same way we got into it. It’s time to Disrupt. Innovate. Create. Collaborate. It’s time to break through “this is the way it’s always been done” thinking, through the “processes” and find those who want to make the commitment to just get it done!
So while Earth Gives is about a day, specialty days, programs, gatherings and all of that good stuff, to move from the transactional nature of philanthropy to transformation and collaborative change that is necessary on this issue will require building deep trust, sharing knowledge, forming Velcro networks that can be nimble enough to stick together and break apart to form new webs of engagement and impact.
After getting through a cobbled together launch year in 2021, Rhonda iterated more deeply into the idea of building a community commons – one that cares deeply for all living things to inspire taking steps, making changes, and advancing knowledge that will help tackle the climate emergency and advance environmental stewardship.
While she’s got a few decades of experience behind her in the world of journalism, PR, storytelling, strategy, fund raising, coaching and other efforts, Rhonda’s life time of bringing people together is the thread she’s pulling on to pull off this big nationwide effort.
Only together will it be possible for organizations like the Western Environmental Law Center, Blue Scholars Initiative, Wild at Heart, Reap Goodness, or Prairie Heritage to have the impact deep into their local communities, and more broadly into the world and all the people and communities they serve.
Each of us can contribute, though. With our votes, our voices, our food choices, our skills and our dollars. We must overhaul both corporate practices and government policies. We must transform culture. Building community around solutions is the most important thing. I am never going to give up working to protect and restore this magnificent planet.
-Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, A Love Story for the Coral Reef Crisis