Turning the Tide: The New Philanthropy

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Turning the Tide The New Philanthropy

• American Lung Association of California
• September 21, 2002
• Steven T. Kirsch
• Founder and CEO, Propel Software Corp.
• Chairman, Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation

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Who is Steve Kirsch?

• Founder and CEO of Propel Software Corporation
  (since 1999)
• Best known as the Founder of Infoseek
  Corporation, an Internet navigation service,
  acquired by Walt Disney Co. in 1999.
• Founded Frame Technology in 1986 and Mouse
  Systems in 1982.
• Founder and Chairman of the Board, Steven and
  Michele Kirsch Foundation

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Who is Steve Kirsch, really?

• Silicon Valley Executive
• Philanthropist
• Environmentalist
• Community Volunteer
• Junk fax plaintiff
• and EV driver!!

4
What is the Kirsch Foundation?

• 501(c)3 supporting organization, 16M endowment
• Give 5M/year, 100 grants, 6 FT staff
• Goals ensure world safety, cure all major
  diseases, restore the environment, improve
  politics, support the local community, encourage
  philanthropy, battle the forces of
  evil/government stupidity and arrogance

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Why I Give?

• To benefit everyone (including myself)
• To achieve certain goals I think are important to
  make the world a better place.
• Ideal investment is both
• -High leverage (ROI)
• -High impact
• Example United Way

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Why is the Kirsch Foundation different from other
foundations?

• Invest in people, not just projects.
• Long-term commitments
• People dedicated to the environment, medical
  issues, politics
• Involved in policy/lobbying when needed to
  achieve goals (e.g., state environmental
  legislation, federal medical issues)
• Encouraging collaboration among foundations
• Look for market opportunities (e.g., NEOs)
• Fund gaps (experienced researchers, stem cells)
• Fund hair loss research

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The Kirsch Foundation is Unique?

• It uses the L word Lobbying!
• The Foundation does both grantmaking and
  lobbying/public policy.
• Huge leverage.

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The Foundations Environmental Goals

• Clean up the air in California, reduce global
  warming, and support the availability of clean
  energy.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California and
  across the nation, by supporting clean vehicle
  technologies.

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How the Foundation Works Environmental
Grantmaking

• Competitive 300K total per year, 3 rounds,
  100K per round. Receive many more proposals than
  we fund.
• Flexible and proactive Can give c3 and c4 money
  because of our structure, and respond quickly (no
  red tape) when needed (e.g. 100K funding for AB
  1493)
• Critical Evaluative spreadsheet.
• Leverageable Matches funding
  to our environmental goals.

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How the Foundation Works Advocacy and Lobbying

• Lobby to affect change.
• Focus on clean vehicles, greenhouse gas
  emissions, renewable sources of energy.
• My wife and I both drive ZEVs.
• Unique perspective in the age-old battle against
  automakers and oil companies.

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Our Successes

• AB 71 Carpool lane access for single-occupant
  ZEVs, stickers.
• AB 2061 Grant program for ZEVs.

• AB 1493 Played major role in coalition to pass
  landmark GG emissions bill.
• Free parking for ZEVs in San Jose
• Tow-away signs at SFO ZEV parking spots

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Our Continuing Challenges

• Federal level
• -CAFE
• -National Energy Policy
• -Clean vehicle policy

• State Level
• -Automakers legal challenges to ZEV program and
  AB 1493
• -Promoting and educating consumers about clean
  vehicles

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Why Local Matters

• Only local groups can address local issues
  effectively (e.g., clean fleet work by ALAs in
  CA, free parking for ZEVs in San Jose)
• Public education, legislation and regulation
  should occur locally (testimony before local
  commissions, city councils).

• Stronger air quality standards ALA is fighting
  for these!
• To influence national decisions in Congress, you
  need someone at the national level who can tap
  into grass roots actions at the local level. Look
  at CAFE vote.

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The Struggle for Clean Air Continues Three
Important Battles to Fight

• 1. State ZEV Program
• -Fight automakers as they try to disable this
  program (which has lead to gasoline-hybrids)
• -Support local efforts to promote the use of
  clean vehicles.

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The Struggle for Clean Air

• 2. Implement and Enforce AB 1493 (Pavley)
  Regulates greenhouse gas emissions from passenger
  vehicles beginning in 2009.
• Historic legislation!

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The Struggle for Clean Air

• 3. Local Action Work locally to educate our
  family members, friends and colleagues about the
  importance of cleaning up Californias air.

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Leadership Vacuum at the National Level

• Bush has been the worst President ever regarding
  the environment
• Bush lacks basic leadership skills
• There are no national energy goals
• There arent even national education goals
• If there are no goals, there cant be a plan to
  achieve the goals. So no progress is made.
• My objective
• Get at least one presidential candidate to
  articulate an energy goal and a believable
  strategy for achieving the goal

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National Goals Wish List

• Reduce dependence on foreign oil by 20 by 2010
• Higher CAFE
• Supply, demand, and infrastructure incentives for
  ZEVs and CNG vehicles sales
• Align incentives behind at least one ZEV
  technology (e.g., H2 fueling infrastructure)
• Reduce dependence on non renewable energy sources
  by 20 by 2015
• Federal incentives to states that achieve the goal

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I will do my part

• Thank you for continuing to do yours!