The Great Lakes Funder Collaboration is comprised of more than 50 funders across the United States and Canada who are interested in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. These funders are faced with many challenges and opportunities both in understanding and addressing this critical and complex system and the role they play, individually and collectively, in protecting and restoring it. The members of the collaborative annually grant more than $75 million to advance work on Great Lakes issues.
The purpose of the Great Lakes Funders Collaboration (GLFC) is to foster, build and support an engaged, innovative community of funders from across the region. We are working to advance a shared vision of healthy, just and productive Great Lakes communities and ecosystems.
The GLFC believes that by building connections among ourselves and with those with whom we work, enhancing our philanthropic skills and knowledge of key issues, applying a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to all that we do, and being thoughtful and strategic with our investments, we will enhance our individual and collective ability to realize this goal.
The GLFC meets annually in person and across the year with regional coffees and online meetups. We episodically hold webinars on topics of interest for funders. Affinity Group convenings focus on climate change, environmental justice, nutrients/pollution/toxic chemicals, and green/water infrastructure. Work Groups focus on data, ad hoc funding, and our annual meeting.
The GLFC strives to:
* Build connections and strengthen relationships among funders
* Strengthen funder knowledge and skills regarding both philanthropic and Great Lakes issues
* Imbue a strong foundation of DEI across all GLFC programs and activities
* Provide thought-leadership and help identify strategic opportunities and/or partnerships
* Ensure strong funder representation and engagement from across the Great Lakes basin.
* Funders interested in joining the GLFC are enthusiastically encouraged to do so. If you have questions about the organization, membership, or other inquiries, please contact us.
“The Great Lakes Funder Collaboration provides excellent opportunities for our team to develop and strengthen relationships with peers, learn about emerging Great Lakes concerns and projects our colleagues are supporting, strategize on the issues we care about, and align or pool our funding – when possible – to have greater collective impact.”
John M. Erb, President & Chair, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation