Kalliopeia Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Kalliopeia Foundation supports programs that address the overlapping issues of Indigenous rights, racial justice, equity, sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation in U.S.
IP TAKE: The Kalliopeia Foundation fuses spirituality with philanthropy. A significant portion of its recent funding has supported Indigenous-led initiatives for land stewardship and sustainable agriculture. That said, this is a multi-year funder that is currently focused on supporting is corps of existing grantees, so getting through the door here will be challenging for a while, but this is an otherwise approachable funder. However, it is not transparent — the Kalliopeia site lacks a grants database and it is unclear from 990s, which point to a separate grant statement that was not included in the filings IP accessed via ProPublica.
Prospective grantseekers are advised to read the foundation’s grants page carefully and email the staff if they feel that their work is closely aligned with the foundation’s funding goals. Emails should contain an introduction and brief description of the organization’s work. Since the foundation prefers a proactive approach to grantmaking, the best way to get on this funder’s radar is by networking deeply through their “networks, field research, and gatherings.”
Kalliopeia’s founder, Barbara Sargent, along with her husband Tom Sargent, have also established the New Field Foundation, which supports rural women in West Africa, and the Tamalpais Trust, which provides grants to Indigenous-led organizations.
PROFILE: Established in 1997, the Kalliopeia Foundation is a private, independent foundation based in Inverness, California founded by Barbara and Tom Sargent. The name Kalliopeia references a Greek muse who is known for her heroic poetry, justice and beautiful voice. As IP has reported previously, Barbara Sargent, Kalliopeia’s founder, practices Sufi Islam, a mystical form of Islam that emphasizes an inward search for God. Speaking in 2002 at the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, Sargent believes that in order to “facilitate a lasting effect (…) our outer actions must grow from ever-deepening contact with our inner selves.” Tom Sargent is the founding principal of the San Francisco-based real estate company Equity Community Builders LLC and president of Investments firm Highlands SRI.
Kalliopeia’s grantmaking prioritizes “land-based projects that regenerate soil, soul and community” and that “have leadership that is both visionary and grounded,” along with projects that “foster leadership in others” and “are well managed, with clear results.” The foundation supports programs and organizations that are committed to environmental stewardship, community resilience, economic development, equal opportunity, equity and diversity. It has a grants program that supports individuals and programs that “model cultural and ecological renewal rooted in connection to a sacred, living Earth.”
The Kalliopeia Foundation also has an educational platform called the Global Oneness Project that “offers a free library of award-winning films, photo essays and articles, accompanied by companion curriculum for teachers.” Emergence Magazine is an online publication of the foundation that features stories exploring ecology, culture and spirituality.
Grants for Racial Justice, Indigenous Rights, the Environment and Sustainable Agriculture
The Kalliopeia Foundation describes its grantmaking areas of focus as thoroughly “interconnected” and generally does not support organizations that focus “singularly on either ecological, spiritual, or cultural renewal without expression of their interconnection.”
Stated funding priorities include programs with strong leadership, cross-generational mentoring, clear results and the potential to “connect and inspire beyond a single community.”
One recent grantee, the Chicago Eco House, involves the recruitment of urban youth to transform empty lots to sustainable gardens that produce flowers for retail sales.
Another grantee, the Tribal Eco-Restoration Alliance, is an Indigenous-led collaborative that trains and mobilizes Native adults for land stewardship and restoration ecology through both science and traditional forms of knowledge.
Other recent grantees include the Loka Initiative, Honor Native Land and the Food, Health and Ecological Well-Being Program at Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity.
Important Grant Details:
The Kalliopeia Foundation made close to $7 million in grants in a recent year. Grants range from $5,000 to $500,000, with an average grant size of about $40,000.
This funder supports organizations of all sizes with grants for both project and general operating support.
More than half of its funding goes to organizations led by Indigenous people or people of color, and grantmaking is mainly limited to the U.S.
For additional information about past grantmaking, see the foundation’s grants page or its recent tax filings.
Grantseekers and their projects must be, directly according to the foundation:
US-based, with an element of care for and connection to land;
have “leadership that is both visionary and grounded;
foster leadership in others, especially among younger generations and across generations;”
are well managed, with clear results;
use communications to connect and inspire beyond a single community.
This funder does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding and is currently focused on supporting its existing grantee partners. However, prospective grantseekers who feel that their work aligns closely with Kalliopeia’s mission may email the foundation to introduce themselves and briefly describe their work. The foundation will not respond to every email it receives.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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