CENTER FOR HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Children's Environmental Health Program
Children's Environmental Health Program assists communities in their efforts to reduce children's exposure to environmental health risks by providing educational tools and resources to parents, caregivers, and individuals that enable them to press for immediate action and preventive policies.
Safe School Environments goals are to establish federal, state and local guidelines and policies that ensure that new schools will not be built on contaminated land, or in areas where bad air quality poses health threats to students and staff; to formulate strategies for reducing emissions near schools already built near sources of pollution.
CHEJ has materials for schools to educate students from K-12th Grade about indoor air, recycling, pesticides, and green cleaning. This school focus provides tools for teachers as well as students to engage in the conversation about environmental chemicals and public health.
Technical Assistance and Organizing
CHEJ has mentored the grassroots environmental movement for over three decades, empowering people to build healthy communities and preventing harm to human health caused by exposure to environmental threats. CHEJ’s approach uses the power of organizing to empower grassroots communities to stand up for their right to a healthy environment.
CHEJ uses the power of science to empower communities by providing technical assistance. CHEJ’s science and technical assistance to communities examines laboratory testing data of potentially health threatening chemicals, reviews cleanup procedures at contaminated sites and assesses the health risks associated with a new/or existing facility.
Our scientists explain to the impacted communities just what the tests and procedures mean to their health so that the community has the knowledge they need to advocate for steps to protect their health.
Providing technical assistance and helping communities understand the science-based issues is crucial to empowering communities to advocate for protection of their families. Large industries and polluters invest heavily to mislead communities about chemicals and risks in an attempt to cover up the health hazards of their operations.
For example:
• Communities are given a three hundred and fifty page technical document written in very specific and technical scientific language on risks related to a contaminated site and asked to comment on it in 30 days.
• A proposed new facility is being placed in an already contaminated community and the public is asked to comment on that new proposal with little information to help them understand the risks and find solutions to the potential problems. Hydro fracking is a prime example of this and one of the newest risks that communities face.
• A health study is proposed by a governmental agency and the community is asked to respond to the study design and methodology with no background on what the statistics really mean or what assumptions were used to derive them.
These are difficult tasks that require trained scientists to read and respond in a short period of time. To hire a qualified scientist would cost anywhere from $150 to $200 an hour. Clearly community leaders, especially low wealth communities, do not have that kind of money.
Our program allows community leaders to access scientists who can provide technical review and written comments at no or low cost. Moreover, we doesn’t just review technical documents and provide clear useful information; we also provide the skills training that helps groups understand how technical information fits into their organizing strategies and leads communities to become empowered.
Knowing the information doesn’t create change, it is the community leaders using that information to clearly articulate concerns and advocate solutions that will actually create the change that is needed.
CHEJ's Leadership Training Academy
The Academy will utilize CHEJ’s 33 years of grassroots leadership and coaching experience, campaign strategy knowledge, and the tactics of successful grassroots victories.
A special focus of the Academy is on the thousands of women leading grassroots groups on a range of environmental health and economic justice issues. People of color, young people and women together comprise what many call the “emerging American electorate.” This program will recruit leaders who are already in the network of groups nationwide and the new leaders that come through CHEJ's doors daily looking for help or information.
Our first step is to assess how we might strengthen their organization or in the case of a new group, their potential for becoming an established organized group.
> The new group leader will either be referred to another group for assistance or to collaborate on their efforts, or will receive one-on-one assistance from our organizer/trainer if there appears to be potential for building a strong grassroots group.
> Leaders of organizations that have the potential to move beyond general assistance are invited to participate in the Leadership Academy's Training programs. The particular trainings will vary based on what makes most sense, a region, issue focused, capacity, and/or multi-issued type trainings.
> After participating in academy trainings, the leaders are mentored by CHEJ's organizers and trainers. Different than many other training institutions, we will intentionally mentor and coach leaders as they move forward and learn about other efforts. This follow-up mentoring is critical to help move leaders through different stages of leadership/organizational development.
> Through the mentoring and monitoring of the group's efforts and growth, we strategically connect the groups with networks and broader issues to build the movement from the base and provide the local voices for systemic change. Leaders will be encouraged to participate in network activities and larger state or federal policy efforts or campaigns.
This is a Training Academy Without Walls.
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
CHEJ's goals are focused on increasing the participation of poor and marginalized groups by strengthening organizations and networks that build and mobilize the grassroots base for social change. Today, communities of low wealth and of color are disproportionately impacted by environmental chemical pollution resulting in adverse health, especially in children. According to the Environmental Grantmakers Association report, community groups faced with environment health and justice impacts are growing 17 percent more each year than any other social movement. This group is also the “new electorate" that, when organized and skilled at intensifying their voices for change, can influence all levels of government policies on health, environment, economy and justice.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We implement and support leadership development initiatives and alliances that unite diverse constituencies and issues to achieve greater impact.
CHEJ pursues the following strategies:
• Increasing the effectiveness of base-building organizations and networks
• Supporting alliances that unite diverse constituencies and issues to achieve greater impact
• Promoting civic and organizational leadership development
• Providing support to the field through strategic communications, technical assistance and resource mobilization
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
CHEJ has 33 years of experience in working with and training local community leaders to build strong, democratically run organizations. Our highly experienced staff has a proven record of success and has developed training materials and guidebooks to aid groups as they move forward.
Lois Gibbs, Executive Director, has been recognized for her work by many and is a recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, Outside Magazine's “Top Ten Who Made A Difference Honor Roll," the 1998 Heinz Award, and the 1999 John Gardner Leadership Award from the Independent Sector. She also has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Our science and technical assistance staff consists of a toxicologist from Harvard University and New York University with 35 years of field experience working with community organizations and reviewing all types of technical reports and data. He also regularly oversees a science assistant and interns contributing to our science and technical assistance work.
CHEJ is a unique position as the primary capacity builder for local environmental health groups. The CHEJ staff are being contacted by new and existing leaders 50% more frequently in the first quarter of 2016 than they were in 2015 or 2014. “The phone ringing off the hook," commented one staff person recently. Leaders are calling to find out if their drinking water is safe from lead and PFOAs, new anti-fracking groups are forming weekly, more toxic sites are being identified and grassroots leaders are seeking to combat climate change. From the steady uptick in new contacts since the water crisis in Flint, MI occurred, CHEJ staff anticipates a record-breaking year in leader contacts.
CHEJ's theory of change – Those most affected are often powerless, and victims don't have the tools to fight back unless they are exposed to the arts of advocacy and citizen science. If victims learn how to fight back, they can become part of a growing network of environmental health advocates. Effective environmental advocates need to belong to a spectrum of organizations and entities which are knit together for a common cause. They require strong anchor organizations, strategic alliances and networks encompassing multiple constituencies. Groups need to be trained in a range of disciplines to be effective, and they need to be strategically connected to create power in the field for change. When grassroots groups are involved in these kinds of networks, they can achieve ground-breaking policy change and improve health outcomes for their communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
CHEJ has worked with 12,000 community-based groups to strengthen their organizational and leadership skills. We have designed a strategic plan to focus more of our attention and work on building the base of groups for change and connecting that base to create a powerful voice for change. Consequently, we have moved our specific policy and marketplace programs to other competent groups. We are looking to hire new trainers and staff that are ethnically diverse.
CHEJ plants to change some of our operations in the future. We plan to build on CHEJ's mini-grant system to issue re-grants and provide training resources that support state and local campaigns - CHEJ will work with the Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) to re-grant $300,000 to more than 20 groups in the CHEJ network. These groups will create a 20-group peer learning cohort with CHEJ staff assistance. The re-grant cohort and other CHEJ members will win at least 10 policy victories during the grant years that will improve environmental health outcomes for communities.
Create a Clean, Green and Healthy Neighborhoods platform. CHEJ will work with the grassroots groups who receive re-grants to refine the campaign principles and goals outlined below. Non-grant recipients of CHEJ's network will be invited into discussions of the platform as well.
Demand accountability from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government and corporate entities. The re-grant cohort and other CHEJ members will target EPA. The agency has been ignoring low income communities of color for decades, and through its inaction has exacerbated environmental injustice. The cohort will highlight EPA's poor response in Flint, MI and St. Louis, MO, as well as the failings of state and local environmental protection agencies, public health agencies and corporate polluters. The 20-group cohort and other CHEJ network members will create an annual conference to hold federal agencies and Congress accountable and to exchange ideas about effective local organizing methods and campaigns.
Create a Communications Strategy. CHEJ will work with communications consultants and strategic advisors to assist the re-grant cohort in the following activities.
• INITIATE three regional field hearings throughout the country to build local campaigns and force EPA, state and local authorities to be accountable to the public.
• CONDUCT presentations at select universities and conferences.
• DESIGN and implement a local media strategy which includes key message frames.
• COORDINATE regular monthly meetings of grassroots leaders, including virtual gatherings to permit maximum participation.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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CENTER FOR HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE
Board of directorsas of 08/03/2016
Mr. Peter Sessa
Northeastern University
Term: 2013 -
Ms. Janet Marsh (Zeller)
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Glendale Springs, NC
Janet M Marsh (Zeller)
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
Luella Kenny
Love Canal Homeowner Association
Peter B Sessa
Northeastern University
Dave Beckwith
Great Lakes Institute
Kenneth Grossinger
CrossCurrents Foundation
Terri K Shuck
National Public Education Support Fund
Alonzo Spencer
Save Our Country
Suzie Canales
Citizens for Environmental Justice, Corpus Christi, TX
Cara mcCaffrey
Maria Pellerano
Environmental Research Foundation – New Brunswick, NJ
Phil Radford
Board leadership practices
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes