One of the goals of the Innovation Grants program is to build the capacity of conservation professionals. In addition to financial support, grantees receive opportunities for professional development, including a three-day, face-to-face workshop with other grantees (June 26-29 at Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm), and web-based training offered throughout the year. Grantees also receive support from TogetherGreen program staff, have an opportunity to receive public recognition at the local, state, and national level, and are networked with other grantees to share best practices and learn from others.

What past Innovation Grant recipients have to say about the program:

We appreciated the focus on professional development, support and sharing among grantees, especially the webinars and the newsletter. We feel the conservation goals of TogetherGreen, along with the focus on community building and underserved audiences, are critically important.
–Center for Land Based Learning, which partnered with Audubon California’s Landowner Stewardship Program to engage high school youth in oak woodland and riparian restoration

TogetherGreen funding has allowed us to do so much—forming new partnerships, leveraging funds, making connections between pre-existing programs, starting new programs, in addition to the hands-on conservation and outreach work we’ve been able to accomplish.
–Los Angeles Audubon Society, which involved high school and elementary students in habitat restoration and environmental education

The training was as valuable as the grant itself! Learning from experts about how to improve the design of our project and be more effective in reaching audiences was very helpful to us and our project partners.
– Audubon New York, which worked with landowners to identify and protect stopover sites for migratory birds in the Lake Ontario Basin