We seek the most committed, creative and capable leaders as our partners. We believe that supporting great people is the key to effecting great change.
We are especially drawn to earlier-stage efforts where we see a path to significant impact. We prioritize funding for under-resourced but high-potential projects in a way that complements the resources and efforts of other supporters.
We are constantly expanding our community, which helps us, and our grantees, to source ideas, engage in mutual learning and prevent duplication.
We look for opportunities in conservation, biodiversity, and advocacy that target the root causes of the climate crisis. We seek out partners engaging in robust scientific research, policy solutions at every level, savvy communications and community power-building. Two of our most important focus areas are improving the health of our oceans and expanding regenerative agriculture.
Vere Initiatives also supports work in other areas, including journalism, democracy, and geographic-based projects.
Vere Initiatives was established in 2022 by Natasha and Dirk Ziff to further their longstanding work in philanthropy.
The core Vere Initiatives team includes Chelsea Hillard, Director of Philanthropy; Marion Panas, Program Manager; and Grace Singleton, Philanthropy Coordinator.
Given the range of projects that we fund and our lean staffing structure, we also engage with peers and advisors who have specific subject matter expertise to help us identify where and how we can make an impact.