Health and Environmental Funders Network

What Health and Environmental Funders Network does

Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN) is a private nonprofit philanthropy-supporting organization (PSO) founded in 1999 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Operating under a Joint Plan of Work with Virginia Organizing as its fiscal sponsor, HEFN mobilizes philanthropy to accelerate solutions for environmental health and justice, serving as the only funders network focused exclusively on that intersection. Its members include foundations, high-net-worth donors, philanthropic consultants, advisers, and wealth managers — numbering 60+ member organizations and historically more than 250 participating grantmakers. HEFN's portfolio of services includes working groups (Detox/Decarb, Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community, Lead Funders Action Network), educational programming (Annual Meeting, Town Halls, webinars), content platforms (Giving InSight blog, HEFN Happenings newsletter, Resources Library), member-exclusive databases (Tracking the Field, Environmental Health and Justice Grants Portal), the collaborative Climate, Health & Equity Toolkit developed with eight partner PSOs, and a Job Board.

HEFN's business model is membership-driven, with revenue generated from member dues (not publicly disclosed), individual donations and foundation grants channeled via its fiscal sponsor Virginia Organizing, and event sponsorships from major foundations including W.K. Kellogg, Heinz Endowments, 11th Hour Project, Clif Family Foundation, Barr Foundation, and The 2030 Fund. The organization employs 5 full-time staff and is governed by a Steering Committee composed of member-foundation representatives. Its go-to-market is community-led: outreach via the blog, monthly newsletter, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter), in-person Annual Meetings, working group convenings, and partnerships with peer PSOs such as the Environmental Grantmakers Association, Neighborhood Funders Group, The Funders Network, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Council on Foundations, and Native Americans in Philanthropy. The organization does not develop technology products in a traditional sense; its primary tools are community facilitation, knowledge dissemination, and a members-only grants portal.

Name

Health and Environmental Funders Network

Legal name

Health and Environmental Funders Network

Website

http://www.hefn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Health and Environmental Funders Network is a nonprofit philanthropy-supporting organization that mobilizes a 60+ member network of foundations, donors, and advisers working at the intersection of environmental health and justice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Network Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Philanthropy network
• Environmental health funding
• Funder collaboration
• Grantmaking community
• Nonprofit membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HEFN generates revenue through membership dues from foundations, donors, and philanthropic advisors. HEFN accepts dues-plus payments, grants, and individual donations as contribution types.
2. Donations and Grants: Individual donations and foundation grants support HEFN's operational capacity. Virginia Organizing, a 501(c)(3), accepts tax-deductible contributions on HEFN's behalf.
3. Event Sponsorships: Annual Meetings and events are supported by sponsor foundations including Clif Family Foundation, 11th Hour Project, The Heinz Endowments, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Barr Foundation, and The 2030 Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HEFN is a philanthropy-supporting organization (PSO) that operates as a membership-based funders network focused exclusively on environmental health and justice. It convenes foundations, donors, consultants, advisers, and wealth managers through working groups, annual meetings, webinars, and members-only resources including grants databases and strategy toolkits to accelerate philanthropic investment in environmental health and justice.

Product overview

HEFN is a philanthropy-supporting organization (PSO) that serves as a funders network focused exclusively on environmental health and justice. Rather than a unified software product, HEFN offers a portfolio of membership services including working groups (Detox/Decarb Working Group, Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community, Lead Funders Action Network), educational programming (annual meetings, town halls, webinars), content platforms (Giving InSight blog, HEFN Happenings newsletter, Resources Library), the Climate Health & Equity Toolkit developed with eight partner organizations, member-only databases (Tracking the Field, Environmental Health and Justice Grants Portal), and a Job Board. These services collectively support funders in connecting, learning, and collaborating to advance environmental health and justice solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HEFN Membership Network A membership-based funders network providing connection, collaboration, and learning opportunities for foundations, donors, consultants, advisers, and wealth managers focused on environmental health and justice. Members gain access to working groups, events, resources, and peer networking.
• Detox/Decarb Working Group A working group engaging funders on the intersection of decarbonization and detoxification, focusing on ensuring new federal infrastructure investments are healthy and non-toxic alongside climate solutions.
• Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community A monthly learning community supporting practitioners of participatory grantmaking, which cedes decision-making power about funding to the communities funders aim to serve.
• Lead Funders Action Network (LFAN) A network of national, regional, state, and local foundations working collaboratively to address gaps in childhood lead poisoning prevention, working toward eradicating residential lead exposure.
• HEFN Annual Meeting An annual in-person gathering bringing together funders, partners, and thought leaders for energizing conversations, collaboration, and shared learning on environmental health and justice.
• Climate, Health & Equity Toolkit A collaborative resource collection developed with eight other philanthropy-serving organizations to facilitate learning and collaboration on intersectional climate change-related giving that prioritizes people and communities most impacted.
• Tracking the Field Database An exclusive members-only database allowing members to search grants made by other members to inform their grantmaking strategies and learn about potential investment opportunities.
• Environmental Health and Justice Grants Portal A member-only resource providing access to grant information and environmental health and justice funding data.
• Job Board A platform for posting and finding job opportunities to grow the network of environmental health and justice funders and movement leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• By 2009, environmental health and justice grantmaking had expanded to over $65 million annually, enabling dramatic field growth including in science, advocacy, and organizing.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Virginia OrganizingcoreOthersVirginia Organizing is HEFN's fiscal sponsor, operating as a 501(c)(3) organization under a Joint Plan of Work with HEFN. Virginia Organizing accepts tax-deductible financial contributions on HEFN's behalf and is registered with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
• Environmental Grantmakers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN partners with the Environmental Grantmakers Association on the 'Tracking The Field' project, a collaborative effort to deepen understanding of trends, challenges, and critical needs in environmental health and justice philanthropy. This helps benchmark and identify the growth and distribution of funding in the field.
• Neighborhood Funders GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN collaborates with Neighborhood Funders Group and The Funders Network on federal funds engagement, public sector partnerships, and systems change efforts that benefit disproportionately affected communities. Together they engage with public sector and philanthropic partners to boost policies and systems changes.
• The Funders NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN collaborates with The Funders Network and Neighborhood Funders Group on federal funds engagement to support frontline communities in leveraging federal dollars for environmental health and justice.
• Trust-Based Philanthropy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN signed onto joint statements organized by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project affirming shared values and expressing concern about potential impacts on environmental health and justice nonprofits.
• Council on FoundationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN participated in joint statements organized by the Council on Foundations affirming shared values in philanthropy regarding potential policy impacts on frontline communities.
• Climate, Health & Equity Toolkit Partners (8 PSOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Climate, Health & Equity Toolkit is a collaborative project of HEFN and eight other philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs), facilitating learning and collaboration across funder communities to bolster intersectional climate change-related giving that prioritizes the needs of people and communities most impacted.
• Biodiversity Funders GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 1999 to 2009, HEFN was based at the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (now the Biodiversity Funders Group) and often partnered with other funder groups as it grew its funder community, investments, and impact.
• Lynn Ross, Spirit for Change ConsultingminorOthersIn 2024, HEFN contracted with Lynn Ross of Spirit for Change Consulting to more deeply engage funders in the network and devote additional capacity to the federal funds engagement project.
• Native Americans in PhilanthropyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEFN partners with Native Americans in Philanthropy on the Q2 Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community call about NAP's Indigenous Tomorrows Fund, a pilot completed in 2025 that embodies a vision for how philanthropy can honor Indigenous wisdom and strengthen self-determination.
• Clif Family FoundationminorOthersClif Family Foundation is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting, along with several other foundations.
• 11th Hour ProjectminorOthers11th Hour Project is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting.
• The Heinz EndowmentsminorOthersThe Heinz Endowments is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting.
• W.K. Kellogg FoundationminorOthersW.K. Kellogg Foundation is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting.
• Barr FoundationminorOthersBarr Foundation is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting.
• The 2030 FundminorOthersThe 2030 Fund is listed as a sponsor of HEFN's 2026 Annual Meeting.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Environmental Grantmakers Association: EGA is the closest direct peer: a peer PSO that convenes funders working on environmental issues, and HEFN's co-developer of the Tracking the Field grants database. Both compete for the same member foundations and field-intelligence role.
• Neighborhood Funders Group: NFG is a peer PSO that convenes funders on equity and place-based issues. HEFN explicitly collaborates with NFG on federal funds engagement and frontline-community work, making them direct counterparts for shared member foundations.
• The Funders Network: A peer PSO collaborating with HEFN on federal funds engagement and systems-change work for disproportionately affected communities; both serve as convening and learning infrastructure for place-based and equity-focused funders.
• Biodiversity Funders Group: HEFN's former parent organization (formerly Consultative Group on Biological Diversity). It is a direct peer PSO convening funders in a related environmental sub-field and has historically partnered with HEFN on field growth.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF): A peer PSO focused on food systems funders; HEFN explicitly names food justice as a member interest area, making SAFSF a directly comparable issue-specific funders network.
• Funders Together to End Homelessness: An issue-specific funders network with comparable structure (membership, working groups, peer learning). Although focused on homelessness, it is structurally analogous to HEFN in how it serves and convenes grantmakers.

Broad incumbents

• Council on Foundations: A broad incumbent membership association serving the entire philanthropic sector. HEFN is a more narrowly scoped network member of the broader CoF ecosystem and joins CoF-coordinated joint statements; CoF does not specialize in environmental health or justice.

Emerging players

• Native Americans in Philanthropy: A peer PSO with a more focused identity constituency lens; HEFN partners with NAP on the Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community, and they compete for foundations seeking equity-aligned capacity.
• Trust-Based Philanthropy Project: An initiative-led PSO that convenes funders on participatory, trust-based practice. HEFN is a partner on joint statements and shares thematic overlap with HEFN's Participatory Grantmaking Learning Community.

Others

• Climate Justice Alliance: Not a PSO but a movement intermediary that receives the major UNITE-EJ grant ($50M, 20% of annual EJ philanthropy) referenced in HEFN's data. It is a relevant ecosystem counterpart for HEFN as the funder network that helps direct capital to grantees like CJA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hefnorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/hefngroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-and-environmental-funders-network-hefn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Health and Environmental Funders Network