Environmental Justice is Community Justice.
In Oakland and across the Bay Area, the impacts of environmental racism are clear: polluted air, unsafe housing, heat islands, and a lack of green space in low-income neighborhoods. As the climate crisis intensifies, frontline communities continue to bear the brunt without the necessary resources to respond.
At the McFadden Finch Foundation, we support green development that’s community-driven, locally led, and focused on justice, not just sustainability. We believe environmental work must also confront the systemic inequities that created these conditions in the first place.
What We Fund
We support green infrastructure, climate resilience, and environmental restoration efforts rooted in community knowledge and leadership.
- Urban farms, gardens, and food sovereignty projects
- Greening of public spaces in historically disinvested neighborhoods
- Community-based climate resilience planning and organizing
- Workforce development and green job training for youth and returning residents
- Clean energy retrofits for nonprofit facilities and affordable housing
- Environmental education and advocacy led by BIPOC, immigrant, and Indigenous groups
We prioritize projects that address both environmental harm and economic injustice—especially in East and West Oakland, and other areas disproportionately impacted by pollution and neglect.
Why It Matters
- Oakland neighborhoods with the fewest trees are often the hottest—and have the highest rates of asthma and chronic illness.
- Communities of color are more likely to live near freeways, hazardous sites, or flood zones.
- Green space isn’t just about beauty—it’s about public health, safety, and resilience.
- A just transition means centering people, not just carbon reduction.
We fund green development that restores land, improves health, and builds local power.
Our Approach
We support long-term, place-based solutions by:
- Investing in community organizations already doing the work
- Funding capital projects alongside community education and advocacy
- Partnering with local coalitions on climate justice and environmental equity
- Uplifting projects that connect climate resilience to racial, economic, and housing justice
This is about survival—and about the right to thrive in safe, green, and vibrant neighborhoods.