Building Infrastructure and Capacity

How We Are Different

In the traditional philanthropic world, funding organizational capacity building is somewhat unusual. But the Brainerd Foundation's approach is a little different. The foundation invests in best practices, focusing on outcomes rather than pure ideology. Along with its issue and program focus, it also aims to help conservation groups become more effective by making infrastructure investments and providing research and other tools.

In its first year of operation, the foundation helped form Groundwire (formerly Online Networking for the Environment/Northwest, or ONE/NW) to help conservationists network electronically and share technical assistance, training and other services. At the time, connections to the Internet were rare in the nonprofit world and use of email was almost nonexistent. Since then, Groundwire has grown considerably, dramatically improving both the technical savvy and social networking capacity of thousands of activists and organizations.

Another early seed investment was Resource Media, a nonprofit communications organization that now has six offices in the western U.S. The original grant from the Brainerd Foundation helped launch the organization, which was created to improve and expand media coverage of environmental issues, while supporting conservation organizations to develop effective media campaigns. The foundation's ongoing support of Resource Media has allowed it to expand its media services to organizations working to protect communities and wild places across the West.

We believe that investments like these, which provide capacity building tools to communities and organizations across our funding region, help to build a sustainable and enduring conservation movement.