2008 DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Year end 2008 marked the twenty-fifth year of environmental stewardship for The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation. Many would say that giving money away must be simple; we find it difficult as there are so many worthwhile but competing environmental issues ripe for support. If only we had more to spread among our hard working non-profit community! 2008 will also be remembered as the worst year for the securities markets in recent memory. Many of us were yet unborn during the Great Depression. While we know of it, few experienced it. Regrettably, we see more and more signs of this economic tsunami every day. Not unlike many other funders, we must examine our ability to continue to provide the support so desperately needed at this time.

We hope to continue to support our many friends, and welcome new and exciting ideas into our field, but the reader is cautioned that 2009 grant support is likely to be at far lower levels than many recent grants.

The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn Foundation continued to provide support in its traditional areas of interest: water quality and quantity, growth management, and habitat conservation. This year’s grantees in the area of water quality and quantity include: the Trust for Public Lands’ St. Johns River Initiative, Florida Earth Foundation’s Florida Land and Water Initiative, and The Conservation Fund’s Three Sisters Spring project in Crystal River.

In addition to those primary areas of interest, the Directors feel that support to newer, smaller
organizations for a variety of projects is a worthwhile way to seed the Florida environmental movement. Grants in this sphere include: Sarasota Bay Watch for assistance in preserving the Sarasota Bay ecosystem, to Green Living and Energy Education, Inc. to support Florida Keys-wide “green” educational efforts, and the newly formed Florida Paddling Trails Association to train paddling “trail-keepers” and extend environmental awareness. It never fails to surprise us when we find these tiny pockets of environmental responsibility, and we are happy to support these efforts.

Finally, we point out that two grants were made last year to expand prescribed burning in areas dependent upon fire for ecosystem health as part of our ongoing efforts at habitat conservation and restoration. The Directors are convinced that fire plays a key role in Florida, and it must be handled, given the population, in a very sensitive way exhibited by our grantees.

We continue to seek innovative, exciting options for environmental success, whether proposed by a national NGO for Florida work or a local activist group. Our only hope is that at the end of each day the Florida environment is a bit cleaner, a bit more protected, and a bit less impacted.