Achieving sustainable development requires a change in both attitudes and actions. Investigating ecological values based on the ethics and belief systems of major world religions is essential to heightened awareness of these values, with the goal of affecting people’s attitudes toward environmental issues.

VKRF was one of the first foundations to recognize that religions can provide guidance in addressing environmental problems. We provided the lead funding for the landmark series of 10 conferences on Religion and Ecology at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University. The conferences, one for each of 10 major religions, explored the theological, intellectual and traditional connections within each religion to the natural world and ecology. We continue to support this work through the Forum on Religion and Ecology.

We have provided funding for several other grantees concerned with ethics and religion including the National Council of Churches and the National Religious Partnership.

VKRF helps support Ceres, a coalition of investors, environmental and public-interest organizations united to advance corporate responsibility. We also provide funding for The Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, which conducts research and advocacy projects related to corporate accountability. With the support of the Foundation, the Rose Foundation has conducted a broad-based campaign calling for full disclosure of financially material environmental performance factors by major corporations.

Our support for ForestEthics has enabled the organization to conduct a campaign to pursuade major catalog companies like Victoria’s Secret to use green-friendly paper suppliers.

In addition to our major grants (listed on the left), we have also provided funding for Rainforest Action Network and Clean Air-Cool Planet.