Congratulations to the Winners of the Third Annual Donald K. Ross Founders Award & Risk Taker Awards!
[Left to right, top to bottom] Lee Wasserman, Director and Secretary of the Rockefeller Family Fund, Roger Kim, Founder and Former CEO of The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund, Nathan Méténier and Joshua Amponsem, Co-Directors of the Youth Climate Justice Fund, are the recipients of the 2025 Donald K. Ross Founders Award and EGA Risk Taker Awards.
At the 2025 Fall Retreat in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, EGA honored distinguished members of our community at the third annual EGA awards ceremonies:
- Donald K. Ross Founders Award Recipient; Lee Wasserman, Director and Secretary of the Rockefeller Family Fund
The Donald K. Ross Founders award marks the lifetime achievement of a member breaking silos to build toward justice in honor of one of EGA’s most prolific founders, Donald. K. Ross.
- EGA Risk Taker Award, Visionary/Individual: Roger Kim, Founder and Former CEO of The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund
- EGA Risk Taker Award, Visionary/Team: Nathan Méténier and Joshua Amponsem, Co-Directors of the Youth Climate Justice Fund.
The Risk Taker Awards celebrate bold leaders in the philanthropic sector whose leading-edge work on racial equity inspires the future of resourcing for people and planet. The Risk Taker Award honors two categories: Visionary/Individual and Visionary/Team.
The award winners are celebrated for their leadership advancing just philanthropy for people and planet.
How the Awardees are Selected
Donald K. Ross Founders Award: An advisory committee of EGA members and Ross’s collaborators has been gathered to oversee the development of the award, with input from Ross’s family and former colleagues. Advisors will oversee the development and annual bestowal of the award.
EGA Risk Taker Award: Each recipient of the Risk Taker Award was selected through a public nominations process in the EGA community. The nominations are then vetted against award criteria by EGA’s staff to select the winners.
Learn more about each award and this year’s awards recipients. Join us in congratulating the 2025 awardees!
The Donald K. Ross Founders Award
2025 Recipient: Lee Wasserman, Director and Secretary of the Rockefeller Family Fund
[Left to right: Lee Wasserman, Director and Secretary of the Rockefeller Family Fund and Tamara Toles O’ Laughlin, CEO and President of EGA]
Lee Wasserman is an inspiring, innovative, and bold leader whose advocacy efforts have held the fossil fuel industry to account for their willful damage to the environment. As Director of the Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) for over 26 years, Lee has exemplified Donald’s pugilist spirit by divesting RFF from oil and leading numerous initiatives that support a just transition in impacted communities. Congratulations Lee!
Watch Lee’s full acceptance speech here
The Donald K. Ross Founders Award honors the tenacity, dedication, commitment, and creativity of an individual EGA member who is innovating for effective philanthropy. It was established in memory of one of EGA’s founders, Donald K. Ross, whose vision and forethought set in motion our association, which is now the largest and oldest within environmental philanthropy. This award honors a member of the EGA philanthropic community whose work supports sustainable democratic institutions, demonstrating an extraordinary civic personality of resilient stamina, motivating skills and relentless focus.
EGA Risk Taker Awards
2025 Visionary/Individual Recipient: Roger Kim, Founder and Former CEO of The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund
Roger Kim, Founder and Former CEO of The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund
Roger Kim has transformed how clean energy investments benefit BIPOC communities. The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund has provided financial resources and strategic guidance to grassroots organizations, ensuring that clean energy policies state-by-state create green jobs and reduce energy costs for low-wealth and BIPOC communities.
Watch Roger’s full acceptance speech here
2025 Visionary/Team Recipient
Nathan Méténier and Joshua Amponsem, Co-Directors of the Youth Climate Justice Fund
Co-Directors of the Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF), Nathan and Joshua have created an innovative regranting intermediary funding youth climate justice leaders across the globe. YCJF challenges conventional philanthropic practice by leading with trust and abundantly resourcing youth leaders to drive climate solutions.
Watch their full acceptance speech here
This icon represents EGA’s Racial Equity POV
The EGA Risk Taker Award honors the vision, creative power, and boldness of a valued member and member team of the philanthropic community. The award celebrates bold leaders in the philanthropic sector whose leading-edge work on racial equity inspires the future of resourcing for people and planet. Recipients drive the future of environmental grantmaking by example. Guided by our Racial Equity POV, EGA is proud to mark this member achievement.
Learn more about the EGA awards here.
Interested in supporting EGA’s new programs and initiatives? Get in touch with EGA Program Director, Michelle Velez.
