Friday is environment & climate day on The Grant Brief.

Most environment funders split neatly: they fund conservation or they fund people. Chrysanta does both in a single application, backing organizations that work on women's empowerment alongside those doing local land, water, and biodiversity conservation. That dual focus narrows the funder pool but widens the aperture for who can apply.

What we know: Chrysanta has made 54 grants since 2023, totaling about $2.2 million, with a median award of $40,000. The biggest concentration sits in New York (11 grants), Massachusetts (10), and Pennsylvania (9), which together account for over half of all awards. Sector mix skews toward human services (15 grants), general health (10), and environment (7), with smaller clusters in public safety and arts/culture. Named recent recipients include Wissahickon Trails ($250,010 over three grants), Laurel House ($140,010 over two grants, a domestic violence services provider), and Moms for Moms NYC ($140,000 over three grants). The foundation accepts applications for general operating support, project support, capacity building, and even seed or startup costs, which is unusually flexible for a private foundation of this size.

Realistic fit: small to mid-size 501(c)(3)s doing direct-service work in women's health, maternal support, domestic violence prevention, or community-level conservation. If your budget is under $5 million and your work is tangible (trails, watersheds, food systems, survivor services), you're in the sweet spot. Fiscally sponsored organizations are explicitly excluded.

The application window opened June 1 and closes August 1. That's a tight turnaround, but the application itself is a downloadable Word document, not a portal. You'll need your IRS determination letter, most recent 990, officer/director list, and a program budget. Worth blocking time this week if your work fits the dual lens of women or local environment.