The Salazar Center is thrilled to officially announce a significant grant of $472,500 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for the Thriving Cities Challenge, which has allowed the Center to grow the number of finalist teams and will support more implementation awards.
This funding from the New York City-based Foundation has supported the expansion of the Thriving Cities Challenge finalists pool from eight to 15 teams, each of which receives a $10,000 capacity-building grant to further strengthen their proposal. Additional Doris Duke Charitable Foundation funding will support up to four additional implementation awards, in addition to the $50,000 award already announced, to be awarded following the pitch fest on September 30.
Support for the prize was initially provided through a 2020 grant from the Colorado-based VF Foundation and matched early in 2021 with generous support from the Bullitt Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, and the Blackstone Ranch Institute. The Salazar Center’s Thriving Cities Challenge is grateful for the support of funding partners and is excited to continue to work with community partners to support innovative and impactful conservation solutions that support climate resilience and racial equity throughout the United States and North America.
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties. The mission of the foundation’s Environment Program is to ensure a thriving, resilient environment for wildlife and people, and foster an inclusive, effective conservation movement. For more information, please visit www.ddcf.org.