The Hunt Foundation envisions a natural environment that is understood and respected as a web of interconnections of which human beings are a part, where people live in harmony within the Earth’s ecological systems, where biodiversity is preserved as an integral component of economic and technological progress, and where human impact on Earth serves to maintain sustainable processes.
The foundation supports strategic activities that create incentives for environmentally responsible decisions in the private sector. The Environment Committee will consider grant requests for specific projects or programs that improve the environment at a multi-state, national, and/or systems level. Typical costs funded include project management, contracted services, education and outreach programs, applied research, and innovations that could lead to public policy solutions. Foundation priorities are:
Climate and Energy – To reduce the consequences of climate change in the United States, primarily through:
Increasing the affordability and use of cleaner and renewable energy sources, and
Reducing demand for carbon-intensive energy sources and carbon-intensive goods and services
Toxics and Waste – To reduce damage to the environment and human health caused by the manufacture, use, and disposal of consumer and industrial products. Typical strategies include green chemistry, sustainable design, sustainable manufacturing, and product stewardship.
Clean Water – To protect and restore the quality of freshwater, coastal, and nearby oceanic areas of the United States.
The Foundation prefers strategies that:
Promote incentives and other private sector economic levers to encourage environmentally responsible decisions
Encourage compatibility between environmental protection, economic development, and technical innovations
Create opportunities for collaborative, cross-sector problem-solving; including action plans, certifications, and assessment tools
Create methods for individuals and community groups to be better environmental stewards