Funding nonprofits that seek to improve health, culture, education, or science, the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust focuses its efforts in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. One recent Murdock Trust grant was in the amount of $190,000 to support Earth Economics’ efforts to protect freshwater ecosystems and promote watershed restoration.Based in Tacoma, Washington, Earth Economics engages with local communities and helps local leaders identify watershed conservation and restoration projects that will benefit both the community and the ecosystem. Once worthy projects are identified, Earth Economics helps connect local stakeholders with the start-up funding needed to begin the project.The organization also works to educate civic and nonprofit leaders on freshwater management so that leaders can make decisions that have the best impact on their communities. Earth Economics also shares its research on regional forests, rivers, aquifers, and snowpacks to support the health of Washington watersheds and surrounding communities.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is a philanthropic organization based in Vancouver, Washington. Founded in 1975, it has made more than 6,400 grants over the course of four decades. Two areas that are key focal points for the Murdock Trust are projects that serve the scientific research and education sectors. These were both areas of great importance to Jack Murdock, the benefactor of the Murdock Trust and co-founder of Tektronix. To improve access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the Pacific Northwest, the Murdock Trust has recently provided support to Washington STEM.In June, Washington STEM released an executive summary of its series of reports STEM by the Numbers: Equity and Opportunity. The summary explains that STEM education is the most direct path to a career that can sustain a family, yet clear gaps in opportunity exist. However, the report goes beyond pointing to these gaps in achievement by creating a strategic plan for encouraging more diversity in STEM fields.Washington STEM plans to begin forming strategic alliances with various partners around the state to triple the number of underrepresented students in these fields. This goal includes students of color, as well as those from rural areas and low-income families. In addition, the organization plans to create more pathways for young women to engage in STEM fields and gain access to high-paying jobs.
