Protecting the Natural Environment
The Maddox Fund envisions a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat. Central to this vision is the intertwined relationship between humanity and the world around us. “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny,” as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observed. What threatens nature, threatens humanity. As such, our shared liberation is essential.
Our environmental interest areas seek to connect people and planet and advocate for regenerative policies and practices. We believe this focus honors the legacy of Dan and Margaret who were avid outdoors people and were committed to conservation, including hunting and fishing. Across our interest areas, we are seeking partners with a lived commitment to environmental sustainability in policy and practice.
Environmental Interest Areas
Access
We see nature as one of our greatest gifts and should be accessible to all. Maddox supports organizations and programming that help bring people closer to nature and break down systemic barriers that have kept communities from enjoying the outdoors.Examples: youth nature programs, hunting and fishing, parks and gardens in historically under resourced communities
Climate Solutions
Examples: regenerative agriculture, green infrastructure, adaptive strategies, reducing fossil fuel dependency.
Protecting the Natural Environment
It is our collective responsibility to help preserve the world around us. We partner with organizations that mitigate human impact on Middle Tennessee’s rich and diverse landscape.Examples: river cleanups, habitat protection, conservation easements
Environmental Advocacy
Maddox supports power building around climate change, environmental justice, and conservation. We prioritize movements that are community-led and youth-led.Examples: youth-led environmental projects, communication campaigns.
Featured Environmental Partners
To see the grants made in the last five years, check out our directory.
Fisk University Outdoor Life Program
$25,000 in 2022 to support the Outdoor Life Program that exposed middle schools students from North Nashville to outdoor activities in the form of fishing and wildlife conservation.
Sunrise Movement Nashville
$8,500 to support the Youth Climate Summit, a training for Tennessee chapters of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate justice advocacy organization.
TN Environmental Council
$25,000 in 2022 to provide general operating support to the TN Environmental Council, an organization that is educating and advocating for the conservation and improvement of Tennessee’s environment, communities and public health.
Land Acknowledgement
As we learn more about racial equity, land acknowledgements are a way to recognize and express gratitude to the First Nations land that we are on. For colonizers, the act of performing a land acknowledgement is a very basic and fundamental step towards reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and colonizers who occupy the land.
We acknowledge that the Maddox Fund occupies the traditional homelands of Indigenous Peoples and that our office sits near the Trail of Tears death march. We know that at least eight tribes called Tennessee home, including the Muscogee Band of Creek, Yuchi, Chickasaw, Chickamauga Band of Cherokee, Choctaw, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Shawnee and Seneca. None of these tribes are officially recognized by the state of Tennessee.
Maddox is committed to supporting Indigenous people and nations through ongoing action, and encourages others to create action plans of their own.
