PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Two environmental nonprofits — Riverlife and PennFuture — were founded with support by the Heinz Endowments a quarter century ago, and they’re among 35 organizations that are receiving a total of $9.3 million from the Endowments to further improve the region’s climate, air and water quality and food security sectors.

The Heinz Endowments has been working for nearly 30 years on environment and health advocacy, and its recently funded research has identified areas of particular need to further these goals. 

Riverlife, founded in 1999, has been working to redevelop the city’s riverfronts while PennFuture, founded in 1998, is a statewide advocacy organization that works to protect public health, restore and protect natural resources and move Pennsylvania toward a clean energy future.

The $220,000 grant for Riverlife aims to help advance “Completing the Loop,” a 15-mile, 1,050-acre interconnected group of riverfront parks, trails and public land around the three rivers.

“Completing and expanding the Loop will help ensure that everyone in our region has access to all the beauty, fun, joy and excitement that our rivers have to offer,” Riverlife President and CEO Matthew Galluzzo, said in a statement. 

 PennFuture, also known as Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future, will receive  $400,000 that will further its focus on ongoing efforts to transition Pennsylvania to a clean energy economy.

Among other recipients, Women for a Healthy Environment, which also was started with support from the Heinz Endowments, received a total of $950,000 to help inform parents about the dangers of children’s exposure to harmful chemicals; fund community-based education about how to strive for healthier homes and public spaces; and help support the 1,000 Hours a Year program, which focuses on lead and radon remediation at places where children learn.

Here are all the grant recipients:

• 412 Justice ($150,000) to support communities disproportionately impacted by environmental threats.
• Allegheny Land Trust ($283,000) to support a climate-focused region by working to transform vacant, blighted property into productive urban green space.
• The Alliance for Climate Protection ($175,000) to support a sustainable, clean-energy economic transition across the Ohio River Valley.
• Capital & Main ($40,000) to fund environmental climate reporting in the region.
• Capital Good Fund ($500,000) to initiate a pilot solar leasing program in southwestern Pennsylvania that focuses on low-to-moderate income households.
• Carnegie Mellon University ($93,000) to analyze regional air pollution impacts.
• Center for Coalfield Justice ($400,000) to protect the region from the effects of fossil fuel use and development.
• Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future ($400,000) to advance sustainability, protect the environment and foster community health for all Pennsylvanians.
• Community Foundation for the Alleghenies ($750,000) to advance sustainability in the region through protection of the environment, health and climate; ($250,000) to advance cancer prevention in the region; ($125,000) to advance clean and healthy homes and schools; ($350,000) to prevent asthma and protect overall community health in the region.
• Environmental Integrity Project ($250,000) to improve air quality in western Pennsylvania.
• Farm to Table Buy Local ($240,000) to support fresh, healthy local food in the Pittsburgh region.
• Food & Water Watch ($220,000) to strengthen protections against adverse health and environmental effects from shale development.
• Grow Pittsburgh ($75,000) to advance access to fresh produce in food-insecure neighborhoods and to provide tools/resources for residents to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
• Hazelwood Initiative ($400,000) for operating expenses to further development and preservation of Hazelwood’s physical features and to advance environmental justice.
• Hilltop Urban Farm ($80,000) to implement its strategic plan and support programming.
• Homewood Children’s Village ($45,000) to advance environmental and health education and mitigation work.
• Inside Climate News ($50,000) to support environmental and climate reporting in the region.
• Main ST ($182,000) to support clean energy transition through development of a Department of Energy-required Community Benefits Plan for expansion of Eos Energy Enterprises.
• Mwanakuche Farm ($125,000) to support culturally appropriate food and employment in the Pittsburgh Somali Bantu community.
• National Young Farmers Coalition ($185,000) to support land access for new farmers in Northern Appalachia and to advocate for meaningful state and federal-level policy change.
• Operation Better Block ($45,000) to advance the organization’s green initiatives in the Homewood community. 
• PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center ($430,000) to advocate for clean air in the region.
• Pittsburgh Conservation Corps ($200,000) to provide opportunities for meaningful employment and strong futures in environmental fields for people facing significant socioeconomic disparities.
• Pittsburgh United ($450,000) to expand capacity for its work, including securing resources to decarbonize public buildings.
• Protect Elizabeth Township ($70,000) to support communities impacted by shale development.
• Riverlife ($220,000) to advance “Completing the Loop,” a 15-mile, 1,050-acre interconnected group of riverfront parks, trails and public land.
• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors ($100,000) to support the Plastic Solutions Fund, which works to advance non-toxic plastics that are reused, repaired or recycled.
• Sierra Club Foundation ($50,000) to protect the Pittsburgh region from the effects of fossil fuel development and use.
• Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project ($725,000) to inform policy and decision-making regarding health impacts of regional oil and gas development.
• Stichting Funder Forum ($250,000) to fund efforts to address global climate change.
• Student-Led Sustainable Initiatives ($25,000) to support students and youth in addressing climate change.
• University Of Massachusetts Foundation ($59,750) to support work to protect children’s environmental health.
• University of Pittsburgh ($300,000) to support the Pittsburgh Water Collaborative’s efforts in water research, governance and action.
• Wilkinsburg Community Ministry ($125,000) to address food insecurity in Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, Swissvale, Braddock, east Homewood, East Hills and the east end of Pittsburgh.
• Women For a Healthy Environment ($350,000) to support the 1,000 Hours Project; ($500,000) to educate communities about environmental risks to human health with an emphasis on children’s health; ($100,000) to support lead prevention work.