The seeds for the Fund for Environmental Journalism were sown in the spring of 2009 — and like a bumper crop of heirloom tomatoes — came to fruition over the heat of summer when the SEJ Board met in New Orleans and Washington state, respectively.

What emerged was an idea followed by the commitment to set up a fund to serve as an incubator for new ideas, projects and training for environmental journalists. Such a fund might cover travel costs for a story, pay someone's way to a workshop for building entrepreneurial skills or help finance completion of a major project.

"We wanted to help somehow, without competing with our own members," SEJ President Christy George said. "The idea that emerged from months of discussion was the Fund for Environmental Journalism.

"These grants will help environmental journalists struggling in the current media environment to redefine themselves, or their platform," she said.

SEJ distributed over $40,000 in the first two years of the program. Future rounds are dependent on new donations to the fund.We are also soliciting individual contributions to help establish and grow the SEJ Fund for Environmental Journalism, set up expressly to provide incentives and support to qualified journalists and news organizations to enhance the quantity and quality of environmental journalism.

Please support  the Fund for Environmental Journalism, SEJ Programs and the 21st Century Endowment Fund with your generous  donation.