OVERVIEW: ClimateWorks Foundation is a global grantmaker and philanthropy-serving organization supporting a range of climate change mitigation efforts through research, collaboration and grantmaking within several sub-areas, which include carbon removal, transportation systems, forests & land use, and food & agriculture.
IP TAKE: ClimateWorks Foundation is a major presence in the climate change space, known more for its research initiatives, convenings, and collaborations than for its grantmaking. In an Inside Philanthropy interview with environmental reporter Michael Kavate, ClimateWorks CEO Helen Mountford emphasized the foundation’s role as an intermediary supporting climate philanthropy writ large. “We’re here to help all of climate philanthropy to tackle the climate crisis as best we can,” she said. “It’s not about ClimateWorks per se, and what we’re doing in our programs, it’s about supporting and amplifying the effects of all of climate philanthropy.”
ClimateWorks is a transparent funder with a user-friendly website that includes a grants database along with financial information. However, the foundation isn’t particularly accessible or approachable for grantseekers. ClimateWorks is proactive in its grantmaking and generally does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. It does occasionally release calls for proposals, so sign up for its newsletter for alerts to new opportunities. The website includes information about staff and program officers, but does not supply contact information. This is a highly competitive giving space, and while ClimateWorks is an important funder to know about, it is not a likely source of funding for first-time grantseekers, particularly smaller organizations.
PROFILE: Established in 2008 with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Packard Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation is a global non-governmental organization based in San Francisco, California. It is involved with collaborative climate action and made up of a team of grantmakers, researchers, strategists, and facilitators. The organization’s mission is to “end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy,” characterizing itself as a “global platform for philanthropy to innovate and accelerate climate solutions that scale.”
Since its inception, it has granted nearly $2 billion dollars to support hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries. Its Global Grantmaking interests all revolve around climate change, but the foundation has specifically targeted programs concerning Aviation, Cooling, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Fod & Agriculture, Forests & Land Use, Industry, Just Transition, Maritime Shipping, Power, Road Transportation and Sustainable Finance.
In addition to its Global Grantmaking, the ClimateWorks Foundation also conducts several other initiatives toward its aim of mitigating climate change.
- Its Global Collaborations initiative “leads collaborations that enable funders to strategize, learn, and execute new and existing climate initiatives.” It promotes funder forums, learning networks, joint action groups, and other philanthropy resources to “build high-trust relationships, create strategic alignment, and facilitate coordinated actions across the climate philanthropy ecosystem.”
- The Global Intelligence initiative “equips donors, foundations, and philanthropic advisors with insights to build and execute transformative climate strategies.” Working with a variety of partner organizations, ClimateWorks has developed tools and datasets to “track, map, and analyze the state of the climate solutions community.” The foundation publishes its findings about the state of climate philanthropy and climate research on its website and makes its data available to partners.
Grants for Climate Change and Climate Research
According to its website, the ClimateWorks Foundation “has granted over $1.8 billion to more than 850 grantees in over 50 countries” since 2008. Its grants support projects and organizations that are working to alleviate the climate crisis. It does this through nearly a dozen different climate change programs.
- Grantmaking for Aviation focuses on mitigating pollution caused by air traffic. Areas of interest including scaling the use of renewable fuel sources, reducing air travel and “exploring emerging opportunities” in the field.
- Cooling is a newer area of engagement for Climateworks and addresses the increased demand for cooling technologies with rising global temperatures, as well as the emissions released by traditional air conditioning and refrigeration technologies.
- The Carbon Dioxide Removal program works to support and advance “a variety of carbon removal approaches to responsibly and readily remove carbon, restore the climate, and protect all living beings for generations to come.” It focuses on three distinct areas of carbon dioxide removal: natural removal, which seeks to utilize the inherent ability of trees and soil to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; technological removal, which strives to mimic the abilities of the natural world through artificial means; and ocean-based removal, which supports research into augmenting the world’s oceans’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
The Forests & Land Use program is overseen by the Climate and Land Use Alliance and seeks to support organizations, projects, and policies that work to “halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of indigenous and forest communities.” It names several subinitiatives, including but not limited to interventions in the areas of land use policy, Indigenous land rights, deforestation, conservation, land and resource governance and carbon capture technology and advocacy for sustainable protein sources.
- The Industry program works to engage the producers of cement, steel and chemicals in efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions around the world through “efficient use of materials,” emerging technology for cleaner processes and encouraging the use of “clean industrial materials.”
- Just Transition refers to ClimateWorks’ engagements with communities, local governments and private sector stakeholders to effect a clean energy transition that is “inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.” ClimateWorks launched its Global South Just Transition Fund in 2023. The fund is a $20 million commitment to grantmaking, “deep learning” and information sharing focusing on most-affected communities in Indonesia, South Africa, Vietnam and India.
- A new program for Maritime Shipping was established to “transform maritime shipping toward a carbon-free future.” With a goal of achieving zero-emissions by 2050, the program focuses on the development of regulatory policy and engaging public and private stakeholders with experts in the field.
- The Power program focuses on global clean energy transition countries where development translates into “huge potential for solar, wind, and other renewable energy deployment” projects. The program prioritizes programs and initiatives that create jobs and improve local economies and environments.
In the area of Road Transportation, ClimateWorks engages and coordinates efforts to bring “clean, affordable, and zero-emission road transportation” to communities all over the world. Like most of its work, ClimateWorks engages the public and private sectors, along with communities, in efforts to marry cutting edge technologies with real-world demand.
- The Sustainable Finance program “aims to catalyze financial and market changes that accelerate climate action” and “works in partnership with the philanthropic community to pursue multi-grant transnational strategies that target specific outcomes in the capital markets and for public finance.” Grantees include Climate Policy Initiative, International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation, and London School of Economics and Political Science.
Grants for Sustainable Agriculture
The Food & Agriculture program supports organizations and projects that advance food’s potential as a solution for climate change, particularly groups working in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America, and to combat climate polluting food practices.
- According to the ClimateWorks website, food production is responsible for 34% of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The program partners with NGOs, researchers, businesses, governments, and other funders.
Important Grant Details:
ClimateWorks grant amounts range widely from $5,000 to $10 million, but most grants stay below $500,000.
The ClimateWorks Foundation’s grantmaking is global. When it funds in North America and Europe, it primarily supports organizations whose work is also international in scope.
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding, but occasionally announces open calls for letters of inquiry and proposals.
The foundation suggests that grantseekers sign up for its newsletter to stay updated on its latest news and announcements.
- Grantseekers may review the foundation’s searchable Grants Database for more information on its past grantmaking.
- Grantseekers may contact the foundation via its online form for information or inquiries. The foundation’s phone number is listed as (41) 433-0500.
PEOPLE:
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