Groundtruth Fund grants $1M to community-based organizations

PRESS RELEASE

Aclima’s new impact fund grants $1M to community-based organizations working to reduce emissions in New York

NEW YORK, NY – September 28, 2023 – Aclima, the climate tech leader in block-level, hyperlocal air pollution and greenhouse gas mapping and analysis, announces the creation of the Groundtruth Fund, an impact fund that provides direct funding to 501(c)(3) community-based organizations working in underserved communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution and climate change. The first grantees of the Groundtruth Fund include 24 community organizations across New York State. The initial round’s funding, totalling $1 million, was divided amongst the 24 grantees, which include the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center in New Rochelle, Communities For Local Power (CLP) in Kingston, the Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) in Syracuse, and the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York serving the Buffalo region.

"We are so grateful to Aclima and the Groundtruth Fund for their extraordinary leadership and support," said Raya Salter, Executive Director of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center (EJLPC). “With the support of the Groundtruth Fund, we now have the tools we need to inform our community about what is harming our health, tell our stories, and inspire meaningful change. By bringing this data to light, we can create a healthier, more equitable future for New Rochelle."

Salter and the EJLPC team plan to use the funds to support “Air of Truth: Unmasking Environmental Injustice,” a transformative project designed to shed light on air pollution in New Rochelle and expand on their current work focused on youth education and public engagement around air quality. 

“Aclima is proud to make this funding available to organizations who are leading the charge to address air quality issues in their communities — these grassroots efforts are a crucial part of the multi-disciplinary, multi-sector approach we need to drastically reduce air pollution and take climate action now,” said Davida Herzl, CEO and co-founder of Aclima. “We look forward to seeing the amplified impact that all the grantees are able to achieve with support from the Groundtruth Fund.”

With philanthropic partners, Aclima created the Groundtruth Fund to open a direct funding pathway for non-profit organizations working on the ground to improve air quality for their communities. The fund supports capacity-building, training, and research partnerships in communities where new hyperlocal air mapping technologies are — or soon will be — deployed. 

Groundtruth Fund is a Full-Service Combined Impact Fund housed at Amalgamated Foundation, and partners with JustFund to provide an equitable grantmaking experience that reduces administrative burden for grantees through a JustFund Common ApplicationTM. The Groundtruth Fund donor network seeks to ensure that communities can maximize the impact of new hyperlocal air quality and emissions mapping tools that supplement community and regulatory air quality networks being deployed across North America — and ensure that community organizations are fairly compensated for the time and energy they spend learning about and working with these new tools. 

Ultimately, the fund’s goal is to ensure communities are well positioned to utilize hyperlocal air quality data to reduce exposure and emissions, improve individual and public health, and increase equitable investment in community-based solutions. 

Donations to the Groundtruth Fund of any size are accepted here. Visit the Groundtruth Fund page or reach out to groundtruth@aclima.io for more information.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 

Sarah Cafasso, Director of Communications, press@aclima.io, (978) 944-1946

About Aclima

Aclima is pioneering an entirely new way to diagnose the health of our air and track climate-changing pollution. Powered by our network of roving and stationary sensors, Aclima measures air pollution and greenhouse gases at unprecedented scales and with block-by-block resolution. Our professional analytics software, Aclima Pro, translates billions of scientific measurements into environmental intelligence for governments, companies, and communities. Aclima is a purpose-driven technology company committed to a rigorous, science-driven approach that catalyzes bold climate action to protect public health, reduce emissions, and deliver clean air for all. To learn more, visit aclima.io. 

The Groundtruth Fund is administered by the Amalgamated Foundation, an independent nonprofit public charity. In addition to administering Combined Impact Funds like the Groundtruth Fund, the Foundation also offers Advance Change Funds, donor advised funds uniquely committed to social change. Reflecting their shared commitment to positive social change, Amalgamated Foundation receives charitable contributions from and maintains service agreements with Amalgamated Bank but is not a program or activity of Amalgamated Bank.

For more information go to amalgamatedfoundation.org

Variance power:

All gifts and grants to projects are subject to the Amalgamated Foundation’s authority to vary the terms of the gift. As stated in Article III, Section 1 (B) (4) of the Bylaws, the Foundation adheres to Treasury Regulation 1.170A-9(e)(11)(v)(B)(1), commonly known as Variance Power. This allows the Foundation to “modify any restriction or condition on the distribution of funds for any specified charitable purposes or to specified charitable purposes or to specified agencies if, in the sole judgment of the governing body (without the necessity of the approval of any participating trustee, custodian, or agent), such restriction or condition becomes, in effect, unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment, or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community or area served.”