September 26, 2023 Major Philanthropies Launch $50 Million Fund to Shepherd Federal Dollars on Jobs, Climate September 26, 2023/ Michael Kavate With the launch of BuildUS, another intermediary fund enters an increasingly crowded field of regrantors, in the climate space in particular. We learned more about how this one will work, and the rationale for its creation.Read More
September 25, 2023 What the Heck Happened in New York Last Week? A Climate Philanthropy Roundup September 25, 2023/ Michael Kavate One of the year’s busiest weeks for the climate movement and philanthropy concluded last Wednesday. Here’s a look at some of the most notable philanthropic pledges that emerged from Climate Week NYC.Read More
September 21, 2023 Youth Leaders Put Climate on the Agenda, But Get Philanthropic Scraps. They're Ready for Abundance September 21, 2023/ Michael Kavate The new Youth Climate Justice Fund, which debuted at Climate Week NYC, will channel the fundraising and organizing chops of young leaders to build the field and, hopefully, inspire a wave of similar funds.Read More
September 19, 2023 Why This Texas Billionaire Is Giving Big for Biodiversity Science in the Lone Star State September 19, 2023/ Paul Karon Low-key philanthropist Stephen Winn, a Dallas-based investor and tech businessman, and his family have committed $50 million to help the University of Texas at Austin sharply expand ecology and climate research in the state.Read More
September 19, 2023 Funds Are Flowing for Decarbonization. Funders Can Make the Impact Equitable September 19, 2023/ Sponsored Content from Community Climate Shift In this sponsored post, Lotte Schlegel of the Institute for Market Transformation and Corrine Van Hook-Turner of the People’s Climate Innovation Center introduce Community Climate Shift, an initiative working for equitable emissions reduction and community-driven policymaking.Read More
September 14, 2023 Tracking Green Regrantors: Who’s Funding in the Amazon, Brazil and Beyond? September 14, 2023/ Michael Kavate Billionaires and big foundations, often from abroad, may be the megafauna of Amazon philanthropy, but there’s also a growing array of regrantors, intermediaries and grantmaking nonprofits to note.Read More
September 14, 2023 Trust-Based Philanthropy Is the Key to a Just Transition September 14, 2023/ Suzanne Singer and Emily Teitsworth, Guest Contributors Citing their own organizations’ partnership as an example, guest authors Suzanne Singer and Emily Teitsworth argue that trust-based giving is key to helping all communities benefit from the transition to renewable energy.Read More
September 07, 2023 Billionaires Are Backing Brazil and the Amazon. What Do Locals and Longtime Funders Think? September 07, 2023/ Michael Kavate A wave of new commitments from foreign billionaires has some Amazon conservationists and activists feeling hopeful. But they’re also voicing concerns about where and how the money’s flowing.Read More
August 29, 2023 Bridgespan Looks to Inspire “A Mass Rush Off the Sidelines” for Climate Philanthropy August 29, 2023/ Michael Kavate The Bridgespan Group’s trying to get funders to step up and get in gear on climate with a new report. It’s a helpful framework — and jibes with takeaways from our own reporting.Read More
August 22, 2023 What Type of Climate Groups Does This Billionaires’ Collaborative Fund? August 22, 2023/ Michael Kavate With its many billionaire donors, The Audacious Project can award game-changing gifts to environmental nonprofits. But can it widen the aperture beyond tech-friendly and market-based solutions?Read More
August 11, 2023 AI for the Planet: How One of the World's Biggest Tech Firms Is Backing AI-Powered Climate Science August 11, 2023/ Paul Karon Google.org is putting artificial intelligence at the center of its current efforts to foster innovation in climate research. It’s something of a return to form for a corporate funder that previously focused heavily on COVID response.Read More
July 10, 2023 Millions to Move Trillions? New Climate Philanthropy Group Aims to Woo the Private Sector July 10, 2023/ Michael Kavate Giving to Amplify Earth Action, or GAEA, brings together 60-plus members and intends to serve as a convening point and intelligence depot in the global effort to mobilize $3 trillion in climate financing per year.Read More
May 30, 2023 Universities Get Big Bucks, Climate Does Not. But Recent Gifts Show Growing Crossover May 30, 2023/ Michael Kavate Does a series of recent awards for climate-related university projects suggest a promising fundraising trend amid a planetary crisis, or is this just a case of more of the same?Read More
May 22, 2023 These Five Green Grantmakers May Not Be Massive, But They're Influential May 22, 2023/ Michael Kavate Billionaires may increasingly dominate environmental philanthropy, but small grantmakers still have sway. Here’s a handful whose influence extends beyond what their modest grantmaking might suggest.Read More
April 28, 2023 Collaborative Green Movement Funding Initiative Grows, Looks to Harness Federal Climate Investment April 28, 2023/ Michael Kavate The green movement funder Mosaic has been pulling in partners and expanding its influence. With major new federal climate funding in the mix, it’s showing the potential of intermediaries and participatory methods.Read More
April 24, 2023 Spring Reading for a Cleaner Planet: Five New Resources on Climate Philanthropy April 24, 2023/ Michael Kavate With spring in the air, here’s some recently released reading material on climate giving, with an emphasis on how funders can clean up their act when it comes to their investments.Read More
April 18, 2023 A Look at The Russell Family Foundation’s Ongoing Journey to Net Zero April 18, 2023/ Kathleen Simpson, Guest Contributor What does it take for a foundation to commit to net zero? Guest author Kathleen Simpson, CEO of The Russell Family Foundation, walks us through what that process has been like so far.Read More
April 12, 2023 Philanthropy Must Advance Climate Justice Now. Here’s How April 12, 2023/ Marion Gee and Gloria Walton, Guest Contributors Support for climate justice has been on the rise lately, but front-line communities and organizations remain under-resourced. Guest authors Marion Gee and Gloria Walton lay out four pathways for funders.Read More
April 10, 2023 A Conversation with Caitlyn Fox, CZI’s Climate Lead and First-Ever Employee April 10, 2023/ Michael Kavate Caitlyn Fox, who heads the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s nascent climate portfolio, joined us to talk about why CZI’s focusing on carbon dioxide removal, what it’s looking for in grantees, and what lies ahead.Read More
April 04, 2023 A Conversation With Sushma Raman, the New President and CEO of Heising-Simons Foundation April 04, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen This Bay Area funder moved $155 million last year for a mix of science, education, climate and more. We talked to the head of the foundation about her plans, the state of philanthropy, and what she likes to do in her free time.Read More