Delta Institute

DELTA INSTITUTE IS A NONPROFIT THAT COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITIES TO SOLVE COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES ACROSS THE MIDWEST.

We address Midwestern environmental, economic, and climate challenges today, so that our home and region are more resilient, equitable, and innovative tomorrow.

Goal One: Delta Institute supports 1,000 farmers as they transition to sustainable practices, thus improving the environment, mitigating the impacts of climate change, and strengthening a farmer’s bottom line.

Goal Two: Delta Institute assists municipalities by integrating Green Infrastructure to reduce climate change by capturing 100 million stormwater gallons and leveraging $100 million in municipal GI investment.

Goal Three: Delta Institute will work with more than 250 partner communities while securing $40 million in external investment and creating 100 practical resources, strategies, and plans.

Delta Institute has undertaken long-term investment in equity and inclusion efforts, including an equity training in July 2023 held for staff, governing board, and associate board. Since 2019, Delta staff receive coaching from a licensed third-party coach on personal and professional career development.

Organizational-wide, Delta Institute is pleased to share the below changes, one internal and one external during 2023: 1) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Delta is authentically implementing and centering equity into our organizational and project processes, building from a prior 18-month planning period in 2019-2021 to identify, explore, and strengthen our goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Delta’s Board of Directors voted to adopt our Statement of Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in March 2021 and subsequently reaffirmed and reapproved in both September 2022 and 2023. DEI activities are led at the Board level within the Board’s Governance and Nominating Committee to ensure continued and ongoing momentum. We at Delta are using this Statement to sizably inform all of our policies, processes, practices, and partnerships, including our strategic plan. We are an organization of iteration, evaluation, and continuous improvement, and this includes how we best create thriving landscapes and communities throughout the Midwest. Please note that representation has been expanded across our staff, board, and associate board levels in CY2023. Please read more about our DEI activities by visiting https://delta-institute.org/dei. 2) Environmental Finance Center: Delta Institute is pleased and proud to share that in late 2022 we learned that the U.S. EPA and Biden-Harris Administration announced that we were selected to serve as one of 29 Environmental Finance Centers for the next five years. As an EPA Region 5 EFC, Delta Institute will deliver targeted technical assistance to local governments, states, Tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations to protect public health, safeguard the environment, and advance environmental justice. We plan that more than 200 communities in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota will benefit from our eligible clean water and drinking water finance TA services.