GAIA Recognizes the Life of Richard Goldman

Courtesy of Goldman Fund

Richard N. Goldman, philanthropist and co-founder of the world-renowned Goldman Environmental Prize, passed away peacefully on November 29 at his San Francisco home at age 90.

In 1951, Mr. Goldman and his late wife, Rhoda Haas Goldman, established the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund in San Francisco to formalize their philanthropic endeavors. To date, the Fund has distributed more than $680 million dollars to nonprofit organizations and causes around the world. Mr. Goldman was an early supporter of conservation and environmental causes, with grants awarded as early as the 1960s. The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund remains one of the most prominent global supporters of environmental organizations.

In 1989, Richard and Rhoda Goldman established the Goldman Environmental Prize, which annually awards $150,000 to six grassroots environmental heroes, one from each of the world's inhabited regions. Thought of by many as the “green Nobel,” the Prize has been called the most prestigious environmental award by many including The New York Times. Since its inception, the Prize has awarded $13.2 million to 139 recipients from 79 countries.

Many GAIA members have been honored with the Goldman Environmental Prize over the years, including:

Lois Gibbs, United States (1990)

Laila Iskandar Kamel, Egypt (1994)

Ricardo Navarro, El Salvador (1995)

Terri Swearingen, United States (1997)

Sven “Bobby” Peek, South Africa (1998)

Von Hernandez, Philippines (2003)

Manana Kochladze, Georgia (2004)

Rashida Bee & Champa Devi Shukla, India (2004)

Craig Williams, United States (2006)

Yuyun Ismawati, Indonesia (2009)

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Bangladesh (2009)

Olga Speranskaya, Russia (2009)

Thuli Brilliance Makama, Swaziland (2010)

Mr. Goldman’s deep commitment to environmental issues and his support for grassroots leaders offers a powerful legacy and will long be remembered around the world. GAIA gratefully acknowledges the generous support that the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund has provided to our global alliance.


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