The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation and appreciation of forest, fisheries and wildlife resources in Missouri. To achieve this goal, the foundation applies financial resources to the state's priorities, such as breaking the color barrier in baseball and advocating for those affected by partner abuse. The MCHF's advocacy efforts involve education, security planning, support and increasing access to different services. These services can be standalone or part of other interventions and can be provided within health care, criminal justice, social, government or specialized domestic violence services.
The foundation focuses on the abuse of women as interventions for abused men require different considerations. The MCHF also works to develop community capacity and awareness of local environmental threats for children and residents of low-income communities of color who live in heavily polluted areas of Riverside and San Bernardino County. To do this, the foundation has partnered with Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) to install community gardens on the avenues of South Los Angeles that surround the ECS campus. Furthermore, a meeting at the town hall will be held where residents can hold a meaningful dialogue with local government officials responsible for eliminating environmental pollution in Hyde Park. The foundation receives funding from various sources such as the Stream Management Trust Fund, the sale of Conservation Heritage license plates, national and local grants, special events, individual donations and planned donations. This funding is used to help citizens recognize their role in reducing the negative impact of garbage on the local environment, protecting and conserving local waters and having a positive impact on the environment.
It also helps community residents develop the skills needed to engage responsible parties in dialogue to help resolve local environmental problems. The MCHF also works with Missouri Department of Conservation staff and outside groups to request funding for projects they initiate or support on behalf of partner groups. For example, Utah Clean Energy's Empower SLC program will improve local air quality in Salt Lake City by empowering underserved communities to reduce energy consumption in their homes and businesses while developing community capacity to understand and address air quality issues. The Coral Bay Community Council seeks to increase community awareness of the health and environmental risks associated with local coastal waters caused by illegal dumping of solid waste into guts and garbage containers in Coral Bay. The MCHF helps fund initiatives such as the YTT program which provides local high school students with job training in related fields to participate in energy efficiency initiatives while restoring and protecting urban forests in mostly low-income and minority neighborhoods of Westside Trail area. Additionally, it works with local community groups to increase recycling rate in a target community in Central District of Newark.
Finally, it supports the participation of two students from Menominee Nation College to assist in educational initiatives in schools in the reserve and to assist in current collection initiatives.
