Children's Environmental Health Initiative

Grant Program Description and Goals

The Cedar Tree Foundation's Children's Environmental Health Initiative supports campaigns and programs designed to reduce children’s exposures to toxic chemicals in products and in their environments. The Foundation recognizes that toxic chemicals pose a particular threat to children, especially children of color, and the government does not do an adequate job protecting young people from these hazards. Cedar Tree also recognizes that communities of color are most often and most deeply impacted by environmental threats.

In November 2017 the Board of the Cedar Tree Foundation awarded the first round of grants in this Initiative, all with a focus on marketplace campaigns that impact children’s health. A second round of grants with the same marketplace focus was awarded in January 2018.

In 2019 the Cedar Tree Foundation focused on supporting racial equity and awarded grants to support non-profit organizations led by people of color, working in communities of color to protect and improve children’s health by addressing exposures to toxic chemicals in products and/or the environment.  

In 2020 the Cedar Tree Foundation renewed all current grants expiring in 2020 or 2021 with one year extensions to provide time for the Foundation to review the first three years of this Initiative. In addition, with the onset of the Covid pandemic and recognizing the increased burdens felt by non-profit organizations, Cedar Tree awarded one-time, small, emergency grants to all current grantees in the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative. The Foundation also relaxed all grant reporting deadlines and streamlined the reporting and proposal process.  

Since then Cedar Tree has focused on supporting its current Children’s Environmental Health grantees with renewal grants in 2021and 2022. It is likely that this program will continue to focus on current grantees with no open requests for proposals currently planned for the future.

PAST GRANT AWARDS

2022: Current Grantee Renewals (Racial Equity Grants)

• Center for Black Women’s Wellness Inc. for project support for the Children’s Environmental Health Program for $125,000 x 3 years

• Centro Obrero Del Fronterizo Inc. for project support for La Mujer Obrera’s Children’s Environmental Health Program, $75,000 x 3 years

• Children’s Environmental Health Network for general support, $100,000 x 3 years

• Freshwater Future for project support for the Flint Development Center’s Youth Program at the Community Water Lab, $20,000

•  SouthWest Organizing Project for general support, $80,000 in year one, $100,000 in year two and three

• West Harlem Environmental Action for project support for the Campaign Against Toxic Skin and Hair Products, $100,000 x 3 years

2021/2022: Current Grantee Renewals

• Alaska Community Action on Toxics for general support, $125,000 x 3 years

• Center for Environmental Health for project support for Children’s Environmental Health, $125,000 x 3 years

• Coming Clean Inc. for general support, $125,000 x 3 years

• Defend Our Health for general support, $125,000 x 3 years

• Ecology Center for project support for Marketplace Work, $100,000 year 1, $50,000 year two

• Environmental Working Group for project support for Children’s Environmental Health, $125,000 x 3 years

• Healthy Building Network for project support for Home Free, $125,000 x 3 years

• Women’s Voices for the Earth for general support, $125,000 x 3 years

2020/2021: Current Grantee One Year Extensions

• Alaska Community Action on Toxics, $125,000 project support for Protecting Children on the Top of the World

• Coming Clean, Inc., $125,000 project support for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions

• Defend Our Health/Environmental Health Strategy Center, $125,000 project support for Food Fight!

• Women’s Voices for the Earth, $125,000 project support for Safe Cleaning Products Campaign

• Center for Environmental Health, $125,000 project support for Protecting Children from Hormone Disrupting Chemicals

• Ecology Center Inc., $125,000 project support for the Project to Eliminate Toxics in Everyday Children's Products

• Environmental Working Group, $125,000 project support for the Children's Environmental Health Campaign

• Healthy Building Network, $125,000 project support for The Home Free Project 

2019: Racial Equity Grants

• Center for Black Women’s Wellness, $125,000 x 3 years, project support of their Children’s Environmental Health program

• Centro Obereo Del Fronterizo Inc., $75,000 x 3 years, project support for La Mujer Obrera’s Children’s Environmental Health program

• Children’s Environmental Health Network, $70,000 x 3 years, general support

• Evergreen Community Development Initiative, $50,000 x 3 years, project support for the Flint Development Center’s Youth Program at the Community Water Lab

• SouthWest Organizing Project, $80,000 x 3 years, general support

• West Harlem Environmental Action Inc., $100,000 x 3 years, project support for the Campaign Against Toxic Skin and Hair Product

2018: Marketplace Campaigns

• Center for Environmental Health, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for Protecting Children from Hormone Disrupting Chemicals

• Ecology Center Inc., $125,000 x 3 years, project support for the Project to Eliminate Toxics in Everyday Children's Products

• Environmental Working Group, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for the Children's Environmental Health Campaign

• Healthy Building Network, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for The Home Free Project

2017: Marketplace Campaigns

• Alaska Community Action on Toxics, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for Protecting Children on the Top of the World

• Coming Clean, Inc., $125,000 x 3 years, project support for the Campaign for Healthier Solutions

• Environmental Health Strategy Center, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for Food Fight!

• Women’s Voices for the Earth, $125,000 x 3 years, project support for Safe Cleaning Products Campaign

The Cedar Tree Foundation only funds registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations for work in the United States.

Updated 7/2024