Stories from individuals who benefit from our funding are powerful and this one is no exception. A student from Lenana Girls High School, a boarding school in rural Kenya, speaks of the urgent need for climate change adaptation and the importance of education. The school is the brainchild of our long-time strategic partner, Common Ground, in Kiminini, Kenya. Pangea Giving members have supported Common Ground’s Biointensive Farming Programs and Lenana students over many years. Right now humans are cutting off the branch they are sitting on. April 22, 2019 was Earth Day, a day on which we no longer have resources to...[ Read More ]

On Thursday, September 5, Pangea continued our mission of learning and educating the wider community about important global issues. The issue at hand was China's foreign investment strategy, particularly their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). About 35 people, including a strong presence from our friends at the Washington State China Relations Council, gathered in one of the community rooms at the 2100 Building for a lecturer and discussion. Pangea board president, Maryann Ness, kicks off the event. Our expert guest and presenter was Spencer Cohen, PhD, a senior economist with Community Attributes Inc., a demographics and economics research firm. Dr....[ Read More ]

On September 5, Pangea Giving will host an educational event to learn more about China's foreign investment and how it impacts countries where our grantees works—from Myanmar to Kenya to Guatemala. Unpacking BRI: China's Infrastructure Plan and Its Motivations September 5, 6:00pm–8:00pmThe 2100 Building (2100 24th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144) Register In recent years, China under the leadership of Xi Jinping has embarked on an ambitious international infrastructure investment program called the Belt and Road Initiative or BRI. The initiative has seen China sign agreements or implement projects with countries worldwide, including in Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Latin...[ Read More ]

Elan Wong is spending the summer researching how philanthropy can best address the impacts climate change as a Pangea Giving intern. She is working on a research report on the subject and will help to organize a climate change philanthropy workshop for the fall. Here is the second update from her research: As I continue my research, I have focused on finding and assessing funding organizations similar in scale and focus to Pangea Giving. I’ve looked for organizations that: Fund climate actionSupport grassroots initiativesGive grants of similar amounts as Pangea Through research online, the Foundation Center Directory, and interviews with...[ Read More ]

We are very excited to share our 2018 Impact Report. The report documents the incredible power a small group of people can make with their resources through grant giving and the always impressive work of our partners. Special thanks to intern Elan Wong for compiling the report. Download the PDF

Elan Wong is spending the summer researching how philanthropy can best address the impacts climate change as a Pangea Giving intern. She is working on a research report on the subject and will help to organize a climate change philanthropy workshop for the fall. Here is the first update from her research: As I research the broad scope of climate philanthropy, I have found a few interesting trends that explore the evolving nature of climate change giving. Prior to 2010, the trend in philanthropy concerning climate change mainly focused on it as a pollution problem solvable by putting a price...[ Read More ]

In Kisiwa, where Ufanisi Women’s Group operates, 1 in 5 teens is a mother or expecting her first baby. By the time Mercy Namukuru was 15 years old, she was married and had a daughter. Mercy’s education was a low priority since girls in Kisiwa are too often pushed to get married before they turn 18 years of age.  Mercy owns a small maize farm and would previously skip working on her farm during menstruation periods due to a lack of access to pads and funds to purchase these expensive disposable items. Mercy at her small maize farm Before Ufanisi's...[ Read More ]

Thanks to all who came out for the book discussion last Thursday night about Anand Giridharadas’ Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World. We missed those of you who wanted to come but couldn’t make it. It was a lively discussion, with most people generally agreeing with the author’s issues even if we didn’t always agree with the way he presented them. We plan to have more book discussions during the coming year and welcome suggestions for books we might consider. In general, we felt that Pangea escapes much of the criticism the author levels at philanthropy—because...[ Read More ]

Chronic undernourishment in the Tzutujil Maya community of San Pedro la Laguna is significant, especially in young children. High rates of poverty and lack of access to nutritious foods contribute to this problem. In addition, studies indicate that the extensive use of synthetic chemical fertilizers is the main cause of contamination of nearby Lake Atitlan. Young Mayan girl works with instructor The vision of our new partner Communidad Intercultural Educativo Taa’Pi’t (Taa’Pi’t) is to help people consciously achieve their full potential and contribute to an empowered society that is comprehensively educated and productive, based on their ancestral Mayan culture and...[ Read More ]

On the evening of April 7th, the Pangea Giving community gathered to celebrate another successful year of grant-making. The Mount Baker Community Club provided a lovely venue for members and friends to reconnect over glasses of Washington wine and dishes of Syrian appetizers. In keeping with Pangea's concern for immigrants and displaced people, the event was catered by Project Feast, a local non-profit that provides pathways for refugees and immigrants to careers in the food industry. Board President Maryann Ness and Treasurer Mary Williamson reviewed 2018 and looked ahead to what 2019 will bring. Many of these details are reviewed...[ Read More ]