diff --git a/src/api/load.js b/src/api/load.js
index 81847e1..2f42cbb 100644
--- a/src/api/load.js
+++ b/src/api/load.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export type LoadOptions = {|
   +plugins: $ReadOnlyArray<PluginDeclaration>,
   +sourcecredDirectory: string,
   +githubToken: ?GithubToken,
+  +initiativesDirectory: ?string,
 |};
 
 /**
@@ -32,12 +33,14 @@ export async function load(
     project,
     params,
     weightsOverrides,
+    initiativesDirectory,
   } = options;
   const data = new DataDirectory(sourcecredDirectory);
   const context = new LoadContext({
     cache: (data: CacheProvider),
     githubToken,
     reporter,
+    initiativesDirectory,
   });
   const result = await context.load(project, {
     params: params || {},
diff --git a/src/backend/loadContext.js b/src/backend/loadContext.js
index 59bb202..9ed461d 100644
--- a/src/backend/loadContext.js
+++ b/src/backend/loadContext.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export type LoadContextOptions = {|
   +cache: CacheProvider,
   +reporter: TaskReporter,
   +githubToken: ?GithubToken,
+  +initiativesDirectory: ?string,
 |};
 
 type OptionalLoadArguments = {|
diff --git a/src/backend/loadContext.test.js b/src/backend/loadContext.test.js
index 9835265..45f707b 100644
--- a/src/backend/loadContext.test.js
+++ b/src/backend/loadContext.test.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const fakes = {
   contractedGraph: ({fake: "contractedGraph"}: any),
   weightedGraph: ({fake: "weightedGraph"}: any),
   timelineCred: ({fake: "timelineCred"}: any),
+  initiativesDirectory: ({fake: "initiativesDirectory"}: any),
 };
 
 const mockCacheProvider = (): CacheProvider => ({
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
     const githubToken = validateToken("0".repeat(40));
     const project = createProject({id: "testing-project"});
     const params = {alpha: 0.123};
+    const initiativesDirectory = fakes.initiativesDirectory;
 
     describe("constructor", () => {
       /**
@@ -80,7 +82,12 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
         const reporter = new TestTaskReporter();
 
         // When
-        const loadContext = new LoadContext({cache, githubToken, reporter});
+        const loadContext = new LoadContext({
+          cache,
+          githubToken,
+          reporter,
+          initiativesDirectory,
+        });
 
         // Then
         expect(loadContext).toMatchObject({
@@ -105,7 +112,12 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
         const cache = mockCacheProvider();
         const reporter = new TestTaskReporter();
         const weightsOverrides = Weights.empty();
-        const loadContext = new LoadContext({cache, githubToken, reporter});
+        const loadContext = new LoadContext({
+          cache,
+          githubToken,
+          reporter,
+          initiativesDirectory,
+        });
         const spies = mockProxyMethods(loadContext, project, cache);
 
         // When
@@ -114,6 +126,7 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
         // Then
         const cachedProject = {project, cache};
         const expectedEnv = {
+          initiativesDirectory,
           githubToken,
           reporter,
           cache,
@@ -155,7 +168,12 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
         // Given
         const cache = mockCacheProvider();
         const reporter = new TestTaskReporter();
-        const loadContext = new LoadContext({cache, githubToken, reporter});
+        const loadContext = new LoadContext({
+          cache,
+          githubToken,
+          reporter,
+          initiativesDirectory,
+        });
         const spies = mockProxyMethods(loadContext, project, cache);
 
         // When
@@ -163,6 +181,7 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
 
         // Then
         const expectedEnv = {
+          initiativesDirectory,
           githubToken,
           reporter,
           cache,
@@ -185,7 +204,12 @@ describe("src/backend/loadContext", () => {
         const cache = mockCacheProvider();
         const reporter = new TestTaskReporter();
         const weightsOverrides = Weights.empty();
-        const loadContext = new LoadContext({cache, githubToken, reporter});
+        const loadContext = new LoadContext({
+          cache,
+          githubToken,
+          reporter,
+          initiativesDirectory,
+        });
         mockProxyMethods(loadContext, project, cache);
 
         // When
diff --git a/src/cli/common.js b/src/cli/common.js
index 67cae17..43a4da3 100644
--- a/src/cli/common.js
+++ b/src/cli/common.js
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ export function sourcecredDirectory(): string {
   return env != null ? env : defaultSourcecredDirectory();
 }
 
+export function initiativesDirectory(): string | null {
+  return process.env.SOURCECRED_INITIATIVES_DIRECTORY || null;
+}
+
 export function githubToken(): ?GithubToken {
   const envToken = process.env.SOURCECRED_GITHUB_TOKEN;
   if (envToken == null || !envToken.length) {
diff --git a/src/cli/common.test.js b/src/cli/common.test.js
index 856bbd3..584425c 100644
--- a/src/cli/common.test.js
+++ b/src/cli/common.test.js
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ import {
   sourcecredDirectory,
   githubToken,
   loadWeights,
+  initiativesDirectory,
 } from "./common";
 
 describe("cli/common", () => {
   const exampleGithubToken = validateToken("0".repeat(40));
+  const exampleInitiativesDirectory = path.join(__dirname, "initiatives");
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     jest
       .spyOn(require("os"), "tmpdir")
@@ -62,6 +65,17 @@ describe("cli/common", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("initiativesDirectory", () => {
+    it("uses the environment variable when available", () => {
+      process.env.SOURCECRED_INITIATIVES_DIRECTORY = exampleInitiativesDirectory;
+      expect(initiativesDirectory()).toEqual(exampleInitiativesDirectory);
+    });
+    it("returns `null` if the environment variable is not set", () => {
+      delete process.env.SOURCECRED_INITIATIVES_DIRECTORY;
+      expect(initiativesDirectory()).toBe(null);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("loadWeights", () => {
     function tmpWithContents(contents: mixed) {
       const name = tmp.tmpNameSync();
diff --git a/src/cli/discourse.js b/src/cli/discourse.js
index 11be5a1..801b4f7 100644
--- a/src/cli/discourse.js
+++ b/src/cli/discourse.js
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ const command: Command = async (args, std) => {
       plugins,
       sourcecredDirectory: Common.sourcecredDirectory(),
       githubToken: null,
+      initiativesDirectory: null,
     },
     taskReporter
   );
diff --git a/src/cli/load.js b/src/cli/load.js
index bf920d2..4586312 100644
--- a/src/cli/load.js
+++ b/src/cli/load.js
@@ -57,11 +57,17 @@ function usage(print: (string) => void): void {
             public repositories, no special permissions are required.
             For private repositories, the 'repo' scope is required.
 
+        SOURCECRED_INITIATIVES_DIRECTORY
+            Local path to a directory containing json files with
+            initiative declarations. Required when using the Initiatives
+            plugin; ignored otherwise.
+
         SOURCECRED_DIRECTORY
             Directory owned by SourceCred, in which data, caches,
             registries, etc. are stored. Optional: defaults to a
             directory 'sourcecred' under your OS's temporary directory;
             namely:
+
                 ${Common.defaultSourcecredDirectory()}
     `.trimRight()
   );
@@ -112,6 +118,7 @@ const loadCommand: Command = async (args, std) => {
     weights = await loadWeightOverrides(weightsPath);
   }
 
+  const initiativesDirectory = Common.initiativesDirectory();
   const githubToken = Common.githubToken();
   if (githubToken == null) {
     return die(std, "SOURCECRED_GITHUB_TOKEN not set");
@@ -142,6 +149,7 @@ const loadCommand: Command = async (args, std) => {
       plugins,
       sourcecredDirectory: Common.sourcecredDirectory(),
       githubToken,
+      initiativesDirectory,
     };
   });
   // Deliberately load in serial because GitHub requests that their API not
diff --git a/src/cli/load.test.js b/src/cli/load.test.js
index 9dd8c76..4748020 100644
--- a/src/cli/load.test.js
+++ b/src/cli/load.test.js
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ describe("cli/load", () => {
     const dirname = tmp.dirSync().name;
     process.env.SOURCECRED_DIRECTORY = dirname;
     process.env.SOURCECRED_GITHUB_TOKEN = exampleGithubToken;
+    process.env.SOURCECRED_INITIATIVES_DIRECTORY = tmp.dirSync().name;
     return dirname;
   }
 
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ describe("cli/load", () => {
         plugins: [githubDeclaration],
         sourcecredDirectory: Common.sourcecredDirectory(),
         githubToken: exampleGithubToken,
+        initiativesDirectory: Common.initiativesDirectory(),
       };
       expect(await invocation).toEqual({
         exitCode: 0,
@@ -105,6 +107,7 @@ describe("cli/load", () => {
         plugins: [githubDeclaration],
         sourcecredDirectory: Common.sourcecredDirectory(),
         githubToken: exampleGithubToken,
+        initiativesDirectory: Common.initiativesDirectory(),
       });
       expect(await invocation).toEqual({
         exitCode: 0,
@@ -142,6 +145,7 @@ describe("cli/load", () => {
         plugins: [githubDeclaration],
         sourcecredDirectory: Common.sourcecredDirectory(),
         githubToken: exampleGithubToken,
+        initiativesDirectory: Common.initiativesDirectory(),
       };
       expect(await invocation).toEqual({
         exitCode: 0,