Sparking innovation and inspiration

IMPACT INVESTING

Navajo Power is getting the national attention they deserve with recent ABC’s World News Tonight coverage. ABC covered Navajo Power and their unwavering commitment to rectify energy injustice deep in Navajo Nation. Navajo Power is a majority Native American-owned Public Benefit Corporation and WKKF investee. They are powering Navajo households without electricity and supplying clean power to millions more in major U.S. cities through large-scale utility projects, which will economically benefit Navajo communities. This clean energy infrastructure is “derived by people from here, built by people from here, and for people that are living here,” says Brett Isaac, founder and chief executive officer of Navajo Power. 

RACIAL EQUITY 

A new statue was recently unveiled at the University of South Carolina to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the school’s desegregation. It honors three students, including former WKKF Program Officer Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell, who became the university’s first Black graduate since the Reconstruction Era. As a WKKF program officer from 1987-2003, Treadwell continued her pursuit for racial equity in education and in health. She led one of the foundation’s largest initiatives, Community Voices: HealthCare for the Underserved, to increase equitable access to health care in 13 communities across the U.S. 

JOBS 

Opportunity Finance Network, the nation’s leading network of community development financial institutions, has been selected to receive an award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. The program finances clean energy transitions in low-income and underinvested communities nationwide. The historic $2.29 billion award to this WKKF grantee marks a pivotal step forward in the network’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice and increasing access to capital in underinvested communities.  

MISSISSIPPI 

A Mississippi baby’s life was saved thanks to the free prenatal tool Count the Kicks. After she began using the tool, expectant mother Kelsey Dryden noticed her baby’s decreased movement at 26 weeks, prompting her to seek medical attention. Despite initial reassurance, an emergency C-section revealed a life-threatening blood clot. Through a partnership with WKKF grantee the Mississippi State Department of Health, maternal health providers, birthing hospitals, social service agencies, childbirth educators and other providers in Mississippi can order free Count the Kicks educational materials.  

POLICY 

WKKF policy grantee BuildUS fund, a collaborative pooled fund created to leverage historic federal investments, is building community power to shape a worker-centered, cleaner and more equitable economy. Their advocacy work is paying off. Most recently, 73% of workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, voted to unionize. In May, workers at a Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama, will hold elections. BuildUS grantees have been working closely on these drives, increasing worker and public awareness about the benefits of unionization and helping communities and workers build solidarity with each other.  

MICHIGAN 

Detroit-based grantee Mothering Justice has developed family-friendly advocacy practices to provide parents of color across the country with support, tools and resources to advocate for equitable policies. Some of the policies they champion are fair compensation for early childhood educators, voter engagement and financial stability and leadership development for mothers of color.