Keith Behner and Cathy Stiefel grew up on opposite edges of the American continent: Behner on the California coast, Stiefel in rural New York. Behner spent long childhood days body surfing and snorkeling, while Stiefel passed hers on extended hikes. Today, the couple has merged their lifelong connections to nature into a shared commitment to philanthropy, supporting the causes they care about most.
Behner and Stiefel’s philanthropy focuses on three interconnected areas: environmental sustainability, education, and social justice. As public awareness of the challenges facing the world’s oceans has grown — including coral reef decline and plastic pollution — the pair has become increasingly concerned about ocean conservation.
“Oceans moderate the Earth’s heat, provide abundant protein-rich food, and are a critical part of the network of all life on Earth, among so many other things,” Stiefel says. “We ignore the degradation of our natural resources, including our oceans, at our own peril.”
The pair first learned of Oceana through the organization’s campaigns in Brazil. “As a teenager, I lived in Brazil for four years and became enamored with its people, culture, and natural environment,” says Behner. “That experience, along with Cathy having lived in Puerto Rico, gave us both a southward-looking international perspective.”
In 2016, Behner and Stiefel established the Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University. Through the couple’s connections, Oceana has partnered with the Center to address challenges facing fisherwomen in coastal northern Brazil.
Behner and Stiefel were drawn to Oceana because of the organization’s focus on campaigning for vibrant oceans to create “a viable, healthy planet for all,” says Behner.
When deciding which organizations to support, Behner and Stiefel look for partners that align with their passions and demonstrate efficiency, meaningful results, and responsible stewardship of resources. “We want to support organizations that provide real bang for the buck by allocating their funds wisely,” Behner says.
In the last five years, Oceana has won more than 100 victories worldwide, including many in Brazil: from a win for Brazil’s artisanal lobster fishers that established science-based catch limits, to successfully defending ocean protections in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, to securing new measures to cut the country’s plastic pollution.
“For those looking to address the critical existential problems of our time — many of which are ocean related, from climate change and ocean warming to fish depletion, reef destruction, and sea-level rise — Oceana is on the forefront of these battles,” Behner says. “They bring the resources and dedicated staff needed to make a real and lasting difference.”
