2025 Atlanta GLT Member Retreat
On the weekend of May 31st, 50+ environmental leaders of color gathered in Atlanta for Green Leadership Trust’s (GLT) 11th Annual Membership Retreat. GLT is a powerful network of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) serving as fiduciaries on the boards of more than 220 environmental organizations and foundations. This year’s theme — “We Thrive in the Power of the Collective” — reflects the urgency of our current moment. It is more important than ever for environmental organizations to honor their commitments to community and renew their dedication to equity and diversity, amid the attacks on the environment and the nonprofit sector.
The GLT members and partners who gathered for this retreat embody the urgency of responding to this challenge, as well as the talent, capacity, and passion to do so. During the retreat, members heard from leaders engaged in critical conversations around the responsibility of environmental nonprofit organizations to stand up for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) — in the face of political pressure to halt or reverse these efforts. Leaders from Georgia discussed how the struggle against the legacy of slavery continues to manifest in the state’s energy sector and elections. The retreat concluded with a tour of Atlanta and Cop City, led by a local activist and organizer who raised up the connections between racist policy, infrastructure, and the militarization of the police state.
“Being in the room with GLT is all about growing leadership today!” said Tykee James, co-founder and Board member of Amplify the Future. “This inspirational weekend demonstrated that it’s more important than ever to grow and activate changemakers and courageous dreamers to take on today’s challenges to the movement.”
In addition to learning from partners in the field, this retreat leaned into the collective power of the GLT network with several training and deep discussion sessions on how to best leverage members’ roles as Board fiduciaries — including trainings on fundraising and philanthropy, legal obligations and liabilities, and effective crisis communication in the context of this moment.
“GLT never disappoints,” said Sharmon Lebby, a nonprofit consultant and Board member at Intersectional Environmentalist. “This was such an incredible weekend of learning. I was greatly encouraged, not just by their knowledge and experience, but also by the passion, drive, and intentionality behind every action they take.”
— From GLT Communications & Advocacy Committee