ABOUT INVOKING THE PAUSE

The Power of "The Pause" and Collaboration among Grant Partners ("GPs")

Invoking The Pause ("ITP"), an environmental small grants program founded by Maggie Kaplan in 2007, initially began as a two-phase program to foster creativity and 'out-of-the-box' thinking by two or more collaborators for innovative and potentially scalable ideas to:

Help individuals and communities understand the true impacts of climate change and global warming in our lives

Launch new initiatives or breakthrough ideas that ultimately result in individuals and communities making better choices to reduce our carbon footprint

Create mitigation and adaptation solutions

ITP seeds many fertile ideas in interdisciplinary ways to advance public awareness about climate change - to steward the ecological health of our planet and to preserve its magnificence and mysteries. ITP provides for a collaborative pause - a 'gift of time' to create the possibilities for a shift from 'chronos into kairos', to slow down, savor natural beauty, and open inspirational, creative portals to address these issues.

Fundamental to ITP's mission is the belief that each Grant Partner (GP) truly is a partner, not merely a grantee. Each GP becomes part of our growing community of committed, passionate individuals who have crafted their own unique programs to address climate issues. ITP fosters connectivity and collaboration among the expanding ITP community of GPs both during and after their funding.

To date, ITP has funded 25 projects - including some 'cross-pollination' among various GPs.

2007-2010: Original ITP Program

**Phase One Grant - "Invoking the Pause":

This grant provided for a 'creative pause' for two or more people to take time away in a place of beauty to engage in collaborative conversations and develop ideas about how to craft a meaningful social response to the urgent challenges of climate change.
Each GP project was awarded up to $10,000 based on submitted project budget. Up to three grants were awarded per year, with some exceptions.

Phase Two Grant - "Seeding Possibilities":

This grant was open only to Phase One grant recipients.

2011: Expansion into Phase Three Grant - "Blossoming Possibilities":**

In 2011, ITP expanded into a Third Phase. It was limited to ten GPs from the first three years of the program who took their innovative collaborations to deeper levels of engagement. 'Cross-pollination' among various groups of GPs was encouraged and exciting results have ensued.

**2012: "Reinvigorating Our Roots" (Original ITP Program)**

In 2012, ITP opened again to new GPs and followed the same two-phase grant format of years 2007-2010.
**2013: "Reinvigorating Our Roots" & "Blossoming Possibilities":**
In 2013, ITP is inviting new GPs and encouraging 2012 GPs to take their dynamic collaborations to deeper levels of engagement. As in 2011, ITP fosters 'cross pollination' among the various GPs on existing and potentially new projects. To learn more about applying for a grant, please visit the Application Process pages of this website.

ITP "Guiding Lights":

Founder and Executive Director: Maggie Kaplan

Advisory Committee:

Diana Cohn - Executive Director, Panta Rhea Foundation
Anisha Desai - Program Director, New Leaders Initiative at Earth Island Institute
Anne Fitzgerald - Retired Environmental Consultant
Lisa Micheli - Executive Director, Pepperwood Foundation
Nina Simons - Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Bioneers

Terms of Use

Everyone using this web site is subject to ITP's Terms of Use.