Most foundations use budgeting formulas designed to preserve endowments and ensure operations in perpetuity. This was never the case at the Brainerd Foundation, and our annual grantmaking typically exceeded the minimum required by law, even before we began our spendout.

We recognized that the ecological challenges our funding region and the planet faced were urgent, and so we made the decision to spend out our endowment. We believed our dollars could have a greater impact if we didn't hold back.

Read more about our decision to sunset »

The Big Hole River.
The Big Hole River. Photo via the Sonoran Institute

How we planned our sunset

In our final years, we continued with our long-standing programs in conservation policy and place-based conservation, and turned the attentions of our Conservation Capacity Program to three final sunset initiatives. These were focused on strengthening the next generation of Northwest conservation philanthropists, leaders, and advocates.

Read the Sunset Theory of Change »

Sunset at Twin Spring in the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon's high desert.
Sunset at Twin Spring in the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon's high desert. Photo by Greg Burke via Oregon Natural Desert Association

Our sunset initiatives aimed to help our grantees thrive long after our doors were closed.

Inspire the next generation of conservation philanthropists

Inspire the next generation of conservation philanthropists

This initiative invested in the development of a community of high-potential conservation philanthropists that were knowledgeable about opportunities to make a meaningful impact.

Strengthen emerging conservation leaders and activists

Strengthen emerging conservation leaders and activists

This initiative supported new leaders entering the conservation movement and prepared emerging leaders to play more significant roles in conservation organizations.

Encourage innovation in conservation advocacy organizations

Encourage innovation in conservation advocacy organizations

This initiave supported groups committed to learning from each other and building stronger models of effective advocacy. These investments were designed to help our grantees be more adaptive, resilient, and sustainable.

Learn about our conservation capacity program »

Grantee-focused, to the end

As we advanced toward our close, difficult choices had to be made and long-time partnerships with grantees ended. The decision to end funding of particular groups sooner rather than later was not a reflection of the quality of their work, but rather an imperative of our sunset. We committed to giving substantial prior notice of changes in funding and collaborated with groups in the design of final grants, to ensure organizational sustainability.

Communal Acorn Woodpeckers in the early morning at Asilomar State Park.
Communal Acorn Woodpeckers in the early morning at Asilomar State Park. Photo by Michael Scott