2020 Impact Report: All Roads Lead To Climate Justice

In 2020, our work led to a dramatic shift towards climate justice solutions. Our frontline grantee partners improved lives, raised awareness, redirected the media narrative, put government to work for the people, and stepped into national leadership roles.

People

Improved lives for communities most affected by climate change.

During COVID our grantees provided direct relief to over 26,000 people facing greater risks due to pollution.

Two women in masks, one is smiling.
Oakland, CA

APEN

  • 62 homes got rent relief
  • 42 people got utility relief
  • 54 food delivery items
  • 266 people helped
Adult woman holding a backpack with two children next to her at a back pack giveaway.
Bronx, NY

The Point CDC

  • 5,000 PPE distributed
  • 5 homes got rent relief
  • 5 homes got utility relief
  • 2,500 food delivery items
  • 5,000 people helped
Two people packaging rice to giveaway.
Buffalo, NY

PUSH Buffalo

  • 1,500 PPE distributed
  • $58k in rent relief
  • 165 people got utility relief
  • 3,500 people got food delivery
  • 5,000 people helped
Two women sitting at a table with hand sanitizer and other clearning products to give away.
Atlanta, GA

Partnership for Southern Equity

  • 3,100 PPE distributed
  • $50k in rent relief
  • $48k in utility relief
  • 400 food delivery items
  • 3,500+ people helped
Two women holding packages of PPE to give away
Miami, FL

Catalyst Miami

  • 1M PPE distributed
  • $200k in rent relief
  • $200k in utility relief
  • 5,000 people helped
Woman holding a wrapped package of paper towels and other cleaning products to give away.
Porcupine, SD

Thunder Valley

  • 300 PPE distributed
  • 12 homes got rent relief
  • 100 COVID tests administered
  • 5,997 in food delivery items
  • 7,820 people helped

Pop Culture

Raised awareness for climate justice solutions.

Over 1M impressions

We piloted a green home improvement show, with cameos by Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo.

Read More at Variety Magazine

Don't PUSH Buffalo

Jimmy Kimmel makes a donation to grantee PUSH Buffalo on behalf of Mark Ruffalo.

Portrayal

Redirected the media narrative towards climate justice.

Far more women and people of color were represented in clean energy media.

Of 2,400 Articles Reviewed:

13%

Referenced Communities of Color

310 articles

47%

Quoted a Woman Spokesperson or Lawmaker

1139 articles

Solutionaries received high-impact media coverage.

The media narrative moved from doubt about clean energy to action on climate justice.

Our annual Renewable Energy Narrative Trends reports revealed a shift in the narrative around clean energy.

Media narrative trends during our five-year focused strategy:

2017

Established a baseline.

Questions on the viability of renewable energy

2018

100% is possible.

Talk about the widespread growth of renewable energy

2019

100% is happening.

Coverage of policy and implementation of renewable energy measures

2020

100% is equitable.

Focus on equity and justice in creating renewable energy solutions

Policy

Made government work for climate justice solutions.

Our work and the frontline leaders we support inspired Biden’s commitment to climate justice.

The White House's executive order targets “40% of the benefits from federal climate action to flow to disadvantaged communities.”

source

2014

NYC Climate March

We convened NYC climate and economic justice leaders around the vision of 100% renewable energy for 100% of people.

2015 - 2017

Coalitions Formed

We invested $180,000 in frontline leaders like PUSH Buffalo, UPROSE, NY-EJA and ALIGN who formed coalitions NY Renews and Energy Democracy Alliance. Strengthened relationships between grantees to build lessons from CA into NY.

2015 - 2019

Expanded Support

We added media support and continued financial support for coalitions NY Renews and Energy Democracy Alliance. They advocated for legislative action on climate justice.

2019

State Legislation

NY Renews coalition celebrates big win — Governor Cuomo signs sweeping Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) into law, including the hard-won 35-40% environmental justice target.

2020-2021

Federal Action

Biden campaigns on climate justice in 2020 and in 2021 signs the historic executive order centering climate justice solutions — inspired by CLCPA and other frontline climate justice wins across the country.

Power

Represented the climate justice movement in national leadership roles.

From front-line leadership to national impact

Gloria Walton

The journey of our CEO, Gloria Walton

2004 - 2009

Intern > to Organizer > to Lead Organizer > to Organizing Director at SCOPE LA

2010

Becomes President & CEO for SCOPE LA

2015

SCOPE becomes one of the first grantees of The Solutions Project to co-create a movement aligned vision

2017

Joins The Solutions Project Board of Directors

2020

Becomes our President & CEO

Solutionaries on the move

Gloria Walton

Shalanda H. Baker

Deputy Director for Energy Justice

U.S. Department of Energy

Now is the time to advance anti-racist energy policy. Now is the time for energy justice.”

Shalanda is the Co-founder and Co-director of the Initiative for Energy Justice and a former Board Chair of The Solutions Project.
Gloria Walton

Wahleah Johns

Director for the Office of Indian Energy

U.S. Department of Energy

Today we don’t need handouts from the U.S. government. We need investment in building a restorative economy that is aligned with our traditional values and our relationship with nature.”

Wahleah is the Co-founder of Native Renewables, a grantee partner of the The Solutions Project.

Grantee-partners in Georgia made history.

LaTosha Brown Cliff Albright

LaTosha Brown and Cliff Albright

Black Voters Matter Education Fund

Organized and turned-out a record number of Black voters across GA and the South.

Felicia Davis

Felicia Davis

HBCU Green Fund

Organized intergenerational Black leadership in GA and across the HBCU alumni network.

LaTosha Brown

Nathaniel Smith

Partnership for Southern Equity

Made sure Black voters were protected and prepared to vote during a pandemic.

Illustrations by D'Ara Nazaryan

Thanks to Our Funders

We are grateful to our partners and funders, and all of our supporters and participants, whose contributions make our work possible.

Curious about becoming a funder?

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