NCLCV Foundation Mission Statement

North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Foundation (NCLCVF) connects and engages people to protect our natural environment and promote the well-being of our communities. We work to turn environmental values into NC priorities by engaging people in the democratic process, organizing in communities to connect environmental policies to people’s daily lives, cultivating environmental leaders, and advocating for policies at the state and local level that protect the health and quality of life for all North Carolinians, with an intentional focus on systematically excluded communities of color. 

We fulfill our mission by:

Mobilizing and Engaging People in Democracy: Every North Carolinian deserves a voice in our elections and equal access to the democratic process. We implement strategic nonpartisan voter engagement programs in election years. And, we engage people in the civic process year-round, focusing on underrepresented communities who are often on the frontlines of environmental degradation. Our vision is to see a robust, informed democracy where elected officials’ actions reflect citizens’ interests and priorities.

Connecting to People’s Daily Lives: We partner with diverse communities, leaders, and allies at the intersection of environment, the economy, and health to build a broad base of North Carolinians engaging, acting, and voting on the environment at all levels of government. We organize at the local level so citizens can shape the decisions that impact their families and communities. 

Advocating for Sound Environmental Protections: In order to protect the environment and the health of our communities and economy, we need the right laws in place and enforced. We advance policies that protect our health and quality of life, work to enforce those laws effectively, and educate the public and elected officials about critical environmental issues.  

Our Ten Year Vision

By 2027, NCLCV Foundation will:

• Be the go-to organization at the intersection of the environment and democracy in the state.
• Be able to consistently leverage our nonpartisan strategy to win on important environmental issues in state.
• Have narrowed the vote share gap in places where NCLCV Foundation works. (Registering underrepresented voters who actually vote.)
• Be larger and more diverse with increased funding and influence, and more citizens engaged in our work.
• Have increased the number of staff to meet the needs of the organization and its programs in a sustainable manner.
• Have a strong, diverse funding base, with donors who are committed to the NCLCV Foundation’s long term vision. 

In addition, by 2027, the NCLCV Foundation’s PowerUp program will:

• Have helped train local pro-environment PowerUp leaders, and these leaders are running for office and being elected and appointed to city, county, and state level office.
• Have helped elevate environmental issues with a broad array of diverse allies to strengthen the environmental movement and, in turn, brought a social justice lens to the environment.  
• Have contributed to ensuring that African American, Latino, and other people of color led organizations are participating and leading at the tables of power.
• Have expanded to the western and eastern parts of North Carolina.

By 2027, the people of North Carolina will:

• See the environment as an essential part of their life, economy, and the future of NC.
• Have no question that the quality of people’s lives is intertwined with environmental health.  Clean air, water, and healthy land are, and should remain, a given in NC.

By 2027, the North Carolina legislature will:

• Look like and vote for the interests of the people it represents (less ideology/extremes, more in middle). There will be more legislators of color and/or from historically underrepresented communities. 
• Be a leader on passing and enforcing pro-environmental legislation in the southeast, recognizing the importance of green jobs as a vital economic driver, and prioritizing sustainable, equitable development.
• Ensure that environmental justice issues are key components of the debate in the General Assembly and are a guiding principle for policy and enforcement.