Memorandum of Understanding (Sample)

Dear Ms. Chu,

As an organization committed to creating a sustainable Pacific Northwest, Forterra is pleased to partner with the Seattle Art Museum to carry out the work outlined in their National Endowment for the Arts’ Creativity Connects proposal. Forterra has long supported SAM’s mission of bringing world-class visual arts to our region, and we have been looking for ways of creating a more emotional and resonant connection to our own work through the arts. This collaboration with SAM will help us go even further with that effort.

SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park is both a fantastic outdoor arts space and a welcoming community gathering space, a place where all of Western Washington’s landscapes—the built urban environment, the waters of Puget Sound and the distant peaks of the Olympic Peninsula—converge in a singular third place. It is also one of the few green spaces in Seattle’s downtown core, its last undeveloped waterfront property, and the ideal spot for SAM and Forterra to provide smart and inspiring programming that promotes regional sustainability through the lens of art and design.

Forterra already presents a series of public events, including our seasonal Seed & Feed series and fall Ampersand Live show. Ampersand Live draws on an array of voices—wildlife photographers, scientists, foragers, poets—to tell stories that connect us to the natural and built worlds. Seed & Feed programs feature acclaimed thinkers who spotlight different perspectives and issues related to regional sustainability, emphasizing the connection between people and place.

Through a year-long partnership beginning in January 2017, Forterra will bring these incisive and engaging gatherings to public programming at the Olympic Sculpture Park and SAM downtown. We envision a wide array of possible activities, including talks, readings, music performances, exhibitions, short film festivals, hands-on art activities, and local food offerings from sustainable farms. Topics might include artistic representations of cities and the outdoors, the geographic and cultural relationship between Seattle and the Sound, the importance of green spaces for the arts, equity and inclusivity in green spaces, nature as a force in art and design, the natural and cultural history of the Olympic Sculpture Park location, the role of environmental considerations in landscape design, and others.

We are very excited to support SAM by bringing our voice to their programming, and we are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with them on presentations and performances. Forterra appreciates the power of the arts to communicate issues, amplify the most pressing needs of human communities and wild landscapes, and touch people’s lives deeply. This partnership will help both Forterra and SAM reach new audiences and catalyze regional efforts to keep this place strong, beautiful and resilient for generations to come.

Thank you for your consideration of this letter and the Seattle Art Museum’s proposal. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [phone and email withheld]

Sincerely,

Conservation Campaign Letter (Sample)

The Best of the Rest Old-Growth Conservation Campaign

[Organization Name withheld] has a comprehensive multi-year strategy to preserve the last of the old-growth forests in Washington State. These unique, one-of-a-kind forests are of central importance to this region’s natural beauty, ecological sustainability and cultural identity. They are an iconic symbol of the Pacific Northwest’s heritage.

Request Summary: We have developed a strategic plan to acquire these old-growth forests in three phases at a cost of $X million. We are respectfully requesting that you and [names withheld for privacy] take the lead on this work with a gift of $500,000. This will enable us to initiate Phase 1 and purchase the first of 600 acres of high-quality forest in the Snoqualmie Valley. We will leverage this acquisition to build strong private and public support for Phase 2, and Phase 3 (three parcels in Skykomish Valley and the Green River Watershed).

The time has come to remove the threat hanging over these remaining lands—critical to both the genetic diversity and aesthetic value of our Cascadian forests—once and for all. Your support will demonstrate the importance of preserving the remaining old-growth in the Central Cascades and reinforce the viability of our campaign in carrying out that work. It will demonstrate that we all have a stake in the long-term health and sustainability of our forests.

All of these lands will be transferred to the U.S. Forest Service or Washington Department of Natural Resources to manage. These are not isolated properties, but are interconnected with other forestlands and conservation areas, creating connective habitat for wildlife across the Cascades.

Project phases withheld for confidentiality purposes. 

The Context – Valuing Old-Growth Forests and Preventing Logging

This old-growth forest is priceless for its wildlife habitat, aesthetic beauty, cultural value and ecosystem services. However, current standards for property appraisals by public agencies do not factor in the commercial value of the timber when endangered murrelets are present.

Acquisition strategy withheld for confidentiality. 

The Importance of Preserving Old-growth Forests

Washington’s old-growth forests are among the natural treasures that have defined the lands and culture of the Pacific Northwest for hundreds of years. These ancient forests are a unique world class ecosystem and a central feature of the great woodlands that we inherited. Their health is a yardstick we can use to measure the health of all forests throughout the region. Old-growth trees provide critical wildlife and nesting habitat for several endangered species— wolverines and grizzly bears are just two of the species here that need habitat free of roads and development.

These forests also provide the human inhabitants of this region a suite of ecosystem services, including cleaner air and water, carbon sequestration, health and recreation opportunities, solitude, aesthetic beauty, and genetically diverse flora that can be used in native reforestation efforts across the state. Despite the clear benefit of conserving these forests, continued logging, road building and sprawling development have taken a dire toll. The emerging wildcard of climate change will present even more unforeseen challenges as regional changes in temperature and weather take hold.

Contiguous blocks of undisturbed old-growth forest and wildlife habitat are essential if our forests are to maintain their character in the face of a changing planet. While most of the old-growth remaining on federal lands in the Cascades is now protected, a few pockets of private land containing critical stands of this unique forest are scheduled for logging. Given the existing strain on these forests and future threats posed by continued population growth and climate change, we must act now to conserve them.

Thank You!

Thank you for taking the time to consider this proposal, and thank you all of your past support for our work—without it, many of our most fruitful conservation projects would not have been possible. Few philanthropists have the commitment to acquire land at this level, and I’m confident that with your help we can save this invaluable old-growth forest and provide long-term stewardship. We look forward to working with you to make conservation history by preserving these priceless forests in perpetuity

Grant Proposal Problem Statement (Sample)

THE NEED FOR NATURAL STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE:
King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties are growing at a breakneck pace, with a combined population of nearly four million and one million more expected by 2040. The Puget Sound coastal cities where most of this growth is concentrated lie at the bottom of a hydrologic basin, dependent on healthy rivers and streams for clean water and flood control. Unfortunately, their growth is placing strains on existing built stormwater infrastructure and the natural systems that absorb toxics and reduce flooding. Polluted stormwater poses a serious environmental threat to the waters of the Sound, and a significant health threat to the growing human communities that rely on these waters to live. Much of the region’s gray infrastructure is aging and prohibitively expensive to replace, and there is a pressing need for healthy natural systems to play a larger role in stormwater management.

Booming development has reduced stormwater absorption, with new construction replacing soil, vegetation and natural depressions with impermeable surfaces that prevent infiltration (U.S. Geologic Survey Fact Sheet 076-03). The volume of stormwater entering combined sewer and stormwater systems during heavy rains often causes
overflows of raw sewage into the Sound and other sensitive water bodies. Unable to infiltrate into soils, rainwater carries toxics and chemicals directly into local streams and rivers, and eventually the Sound. Oil and gas deposits as well as chemicals like copper, zinc and lead are carried off roofs, driveways, playfields, lawns, parking lots and roads (WA State Department of Ecology, 2011 Publication No. 11-03-024) and into our water. Seventy-five percent of pollution entering the Sound is carried by stormwater runoff.

Unchecked stormwater also increases flooding and other hazards to human populations. The rapid flow of water overland and in pipes increases the amount of water flowing to streams and rivers, resulting in hazardous flooding that yields a higher peak discharge faster and more frequently, and increases the risk of fatal landslides. Since 1990, flood damage has cost Washington State taxpayers $1.4 billion (2013 WA State Hazard Mitigation Plan), and the costs are expected to rise as the population grows. Climate change threatens to further exacerbate the problem. Less snowpack, higher sea levels and heavier rainfall will result in more surface water and increased flooding, while prolonged droughts will place significant burdens on the potable water supply (WA State Department of Ecology, March 2016 Publication No. 16-03-006).

THE GREEN-DUWAMISH WATERSHED:
The 93-mile Green-Duwamish River is ground zero for addressing these challenges. The river flows from the Cascade Mountains to the Sound, traversing several cities along the way including Auburn, Kent and Tukwila. It is one of the keystone watersheds of the Puget Sound basin and a significant water resource for fast-growing urban communities and Tribes, who have fished its waters for centuries. It is the City of Tacoma’s primary source of drinking water (over 200,000 people) and the Port of Seattle’s commercial terminus point. With a population of over 350,000 people, the Green-Duwamish River valley contains some of the most racially and economically diverse zip codes in King County and the nation as a whole (EPA Urban Waters Partnership website, 2017)–including many underserved immigrant communities.

The watershed’s varied geography makes it well-suited for a wide variety of land uses including agriculture, industry, urban development, commercial warehousing, native fisheries and recreation. Unfortunately, intensive exploitation has taken a toll: the lower five miles of the river are highly polluted and were declared a Superfund Site in 2001 by the Environmental Protection Agency, with high amounts of contaminants like petroleum, PCBs, PAHs, mercury, as well as fecal coliform from sewage overflow, surface runoff and farm drainage. An Ecological Risk Assessment conducted by the WA Department of Ecology and the EPA found that river otters there were exposed to such high levels of PCBs that the chances for survival of their offspring was significantly reduced (EPA Region 10 website, 2017).

The river and related tributaries provide habitat for several species of salmon listed as threatened or endangered, including Chinook, winter steelhead and coho. Once abundant, these salmon were a dependable source of food for Tribes and settlers alike, and the watershed still serves as a major resource for subsistence fishing (WA Department of Ecology, 2016). Unfortunately, salmon face overfishing, loss of native habitat, water pollution and other stresses. The collapse of salmon populations has profound implications: commercial, environmental and, for the Tribes, cultural. In 2016, American Rivers designated the Green-Duwamish one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers.

While the risks to people and wildlife are obvious within the Green-Duwamish watershed, the health of the river also impacts the Puget Sound, affecting water quality and communities across the entire region. Intervention is therefore critical. In its 2016 water quality assessment, King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks developed a series of recommendations to reduce pollution in the Green-Duwamish. While much of the focus was on prevention, the assessment also called for restoring natural river flow and functions, especially through the “re-greening” of shoreline habitat–including restoring permeable surfaces that absorb runoff and installing native plants to cool water for the benefit of salmon (“Tackling Stormwater Challenges on the Green-Duwamish,” American Rivers, 2016).

OUR WORK IN THE GREEN-DUWAMISH WATERSHED:
Given its social, economic and environmental importance and the myriad stormwater challenges it faces, [Organization name withheld] has prioritized the Green-Duwamish River as a keystone watershed. It is at a critical juncture, with growing populations and climate change bound to place new strains on built stormwater infrastructure in the coming decades. This requires a watershed-scale response that targets both mainstem and tributaries with a multi-year strategy that includes natural stormwater infrastructure. In many ways, it is the perfect demonstration site for the long-term efficacy of our overall riparian restoration efforts. We are also carrying out extensive bank restoration activities on the Cedar River and Bear Creek, and are in the tentative stage of bringing this work to the Sammamish River basin.

The Green-Duwamish watershed is well served by government entities and nonprofits, but we fulfill a critical niche by stressing natural infrastructure over built gray and green infrastructure, and can draw on decades of experience working with private property owners to restore native vegetation on their properties. We emphasize coordination, and work to ensure all efforts are aligned with the work of King County, The Boeing Company, The Nature Conservancy, Puget Sound Partnership and others pursuing restoration and stewardship projects. Only by working together and bringing our unique skills to the table can we have a lasting watershed-scale impact.

SUPPORTED BY SCIENCE:
There is an extensive body of research highlighting the role functioning natural systems can play in stormwater mitigation. Healthy riparian corridors and floodplains effectively slow surface runoff and filter pollutants while replenishing groundwater stores. Natural drainage solutions, like functioning riparian zones, temporarily store and filter stormwater for use onsite and return it as clean water to the local source rather than sending it downstream as a source of pollution. The best available science indicates that intact riparian forest cover is the most effective system for intercepting and absorbing stormwater. As soils are exposed, stripped or compacted during the course of development, there is measureable loss of water storage (Forest Cover, Impervious-Area, And The Mitigation of Stormwater Impacts, Booth et al., Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Vol. 38, No. 3, 2002).

Trees and shrubs, particularly plant communities native to the Pacific Northwest, have the ability to grow in a variety of conditions with little required maintenance. Unlike the fibrous roots of common riparian weeds, native trees and shrubs form stabilizing roots and create organic soils that can hold and store water. Mature trees intercept most rainwater before it reaches the ground, absorbing it through bark, branches and leaves. Conifers have been shown to absorb more water than broadleaf (deciduous) species (Surface Water Storage Capacity of Twenty Tree Species in Davis California, Xiao et al., Journal of Environmental Quality January 11, 2016), and are generally prioritized over planting other species. However, planting a diverse selection of native plants is the best approach to achieve survival success in dynamic riverine environments.

ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEED:
This project addresses community need by reducing the burden on existing built infrastructure through the restoration of natural, permeable surfaces that slow runoff and absorb pollutants in our towns and cities. Natural green stormwater infrastructure is a low-cost, flexible solution that provides multiple benefits, including stormwater retention and absorption, improved water and air quality, increased biodiversity, more robust salmon populations, reduced heat island effect and outdoor educational opportunities.

Moreover, with increased risk of flooding due to climate change, having natural infrastructure may reduce risk to residents, property and municipal assets within the watershed. A 2009 study, “Costs and Benefits of Storm-Water Management: Case Study of the Puget Sound Region” concluded that the most cost effective stormwater strategy is “implementing preventative stormwater measures in the planning stages of development projects, such as preserving natural drainage areas, and restricting development in flood-prone areas” (Journal of Urban Planning and Development, December 2009).

Equity and Inclusion Problem Statement (Sample)

This was originally part of a larger proposal to fund a paid internship program.

Building a truly sustainable future requires a diverse movement working together to confront environmental challenges as well as genuine buy-in from an informed, engaged and activated public. Haphazard growth, sprawling development and climate change will affect everyone, but will disproportionately impact under-resourced and marginalized communities. It is therefore imperative that sustainability organizations like [organization name withheld] become more effective at engaging low-income communities, people of color and other minorities to ensure that their voices, needs and perspectives inform our work.

We seek to partner with the Coca-Cola Foundation to create a long-term paid internship program in partnership with Seattle-based college-success group Rainier Scholars that will target high-school and college students from communities of color and low-income households.

Interns will gain hands-on experience, professional skills and field-specific knowledge through paid work, helping to ensure that the next generation of sustainability professionals is truly representative of the overall population. These internships will also strengthen our work by exposing the organization to the perspectives of people who have been historically marginalized in the environmental field and by creating a pipeline for future skilled employees…

…THE “WHY”: CREATING A DIVERSE AND EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTOR

Seattle and its surrounding communities are growing at a breakneck pace and rapidly diversifying. People of color now make up 44 percent of King County’s overall population. A strong economy fuels the growth, but unfortunately not everyone shares in the benefits. In 2013, 26 percent of Latino and 35 percent of black households around Puget Sound were below the federal poverty line, compared to just nine percent of white households. The median 2013 income for black residents was $36,150 compared to over $75,000 for white residents.

Making matters worse, low-income minority communities are more likely to bear the worst of environmental and climate-related problems such as water and air pollution, rising sea levels, and extreme weather. Plus these communities more often lack ready access to green space and housing that’s adequate and affordable. Efforts to address these issues will succeed best if they reflect the community’s diversity. And yet, so far they haven’t. A 2014 study by the University of Michigan looked at 285 sustainability organizations nationwide and found that racial minorities made up just 16 percent of staff and less than 12 percent of leadership despite comprising 38 percent of the general population.

Closer to home, recent research by Got Green finds that the vast majority of green jobs and internships in Seattle are still occupied by people who are white. Part of the problem: internships are often the on-ramp to employment. But most internships are unpaid, presenting a major hurdle for low-income applicants. Seattle’s fast-escalating cost of living exacerbates matters, typically forcing a choice between a job that pays, but isn’t in the field, and an unpaid internship impractical for someone who needs higher wages…

…Personal Equity Statement

I am dedicated to true equity in higher education and the professional workforce. By “true” I refer to the idea that diversity and inclusion are not tools to “lift up” people of color and other minorities, but are in fact essential components of a healthy society and workforce. Diverse backgrounds and perspectives are assets and resources for companies and organizations because they introduce new, creative ways of thinking about problems and solutions.

Inclusion and equity should not be pursued to create token representation or offer a charitable “leg up.” They should be pursued because historically marginalized communities have the same abilities and talents and the white majority, and because they offer viewpoints that can challenge the status quo and inspire innovation. This isn’t just about redressing historic crimes. As the United States shifts to a minority-majority country, the republic’s future will be largely determined by the educational and economic assets of the emerging new majority. Without a diverse and inclusive workforce, the US will cease to be competitive and stagnate in de facto economic apartheid.  

As a white cis male I have unearned privileges. But I have sought to draw on my relative position of power to provide whatever tools I have to assist in the self-empowerment of communities of color. At El Centro de la Raza I proposed and designed culturally and linguistically inclusive early education, after school, food security, financial literacy, homeownership and other programming to ensure that marginalized communities in South Seattle were adequately resourced.

At [name withheld], I worked to address the lack of diversity by working on a small equity team that provided hiring and retention recommendations to inform strategic planning, advocated for an unimplemented external review of the organization’s diversification efforts, and helped design and implement a paid internship program in partnership with Rainier Scholars. I take this work very seriously because I believe there is no democratic future without it.