HighTide Foundation

HighTide Foundation

OVERVIEW: HighTide takes a broad approach to its climate change-related funding and does not impose specific requirements.

IP TAKE: Overlook International prefers a low public profile and does not accept unsolicited applications. Also, its grantmaking tends to prioritize larger, more established organizations. However, it still funds some grassroots or modest-sized organizations each year.

PROFILE: Established in 2004, the California-based HighTide Foundation, previously the Overlook International Foundation, was founded by Richard H. Lawrence Jr. and Dee Lawrence. Marisa de Belloy manages the foundation and serves as Executive Director. Overlook International seeks "to have a significant, measurable impact on climate change mitigation." The foundation ultimately intends for its grantmaking to be "catalytic" and have a "genuine impact" on organizations' ability to grow. Additionally, HighTide seeks collaborations with "other foundations or philanthropists who share comparable goals." In the past, HighTide’s grantmaking included global health; however, it has evolved its grantmaking interests, which now squarely focus on climate change mitigation.

Although the foundation maintains a website, information remains scarce regarding specific areas of giving interest within its climate-change grantmaking. However, tax filings suggest a broad approach to grantmaking. Indeed, the foundation allows organizations to fund a number of innovative programs or initiatives within the climate change funding area. It has offered support for organizations interested in better educating the public about global warming. It also funds organizations that work hard to reduce CO2 emissions.

Grants can be modest, and range from $200 to about $100,000; however, most grants  range from $10,000 to $50,000. In addition, its grantmaking tends to prioritize large, established organizations, which work internationally. However, it funds several small and modest-size organizations each year. In the past, the foundation has partnered with Yale University to help mitigate climate-change. Past grantees include the National Audubon Society, which received a $10 million grant.

The foundation does not impose geographic restrictions on its climate-change grantmaking nor does it accept unsolicited requests for funding or grant applications. Instead, HighTide supports groups it has pre-selected.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINKS: