About the Foundation
The JiJi Foundation is an exempt private foundation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation's purpose is to support conservation, research, and public education on environmental issues. There are three geographic priority areas for the JiJi Foundation – Pacific Northwest/Seattle/Greater Puget Sound/Alaska; California and adjoining regions; and Baja California, Mexico.
The JiJi Foundation has recently decided to publish its grantmaking objectives. We hope that clarifying these objectives will help potential grantees determine how closely their activities align with our priorities. The objectives are as follows:
Baja California, Mexico:
- Build scientifically-based conservation priorities.
- Support legal and advocacy efforts to protect existing endangered species and list new species.
- Support resonsible challenges to large-scale development in biologically-sensitive areas.
- Build institutional capacity in northwestern Baja California.
- Develop tools to address endangered species.
- Build awareness of priority sites and conservation goals in general among funders, government agencies, and civil society.
California and Adjoining Regions:
- Create successful local models of science-based curricula and/or public engagement in California and adjoining regions, especially those that focus on local and regional effects of human activity.
- Support conservation, informational, and promotional efforts to protect existing endangered species, populations, and habitats.
- Train professionals and decision-makers in conservation biology and biodiversity conservation best practices.
Pacific Northwest/Seattle/Greater Puget Sound/Alaska:
- Promote people learning about other cultures. The philanthropic legacy of Louise Harper (whom her friends called JiJi) reminds us to seek out organizations that embrace the ethnic and cultural diversity of our region.
- Improve and help shape attitudes toward the Earth. We will seek out organizations that focus on educating children in natural settings.
- Support community efforts to educate decision-makers and the general public about the intersection between the built environment and natural ecosystems.