May 03, 2023 Two Years In, Climate Justice Pledge Sees Results on the Ground, But Still Too Many Holdouts May 03, 2023/ Michael Kavate A campaign asking funders to support more BIPOC-led climate action is seeing real impacts among participating funders and the groups they’re backing. The amount pledged is growing, but progress remains hard fought.Read More
April 25, 2023 “Defend, Develop, Decolonize.” Inside NDN Collective, a Thriving Backer of Indigenous Causes April 25, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen NDN Collective, a growing philanthropic intermediary and organizing force, works to build Indigenous power and has racked up an impressive array of backers. Its leaders would still like to see philanthropy go further and move faster.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
March 30, 2023 Managing the Risks of Climate Tech Moonshots March 30, 2023/ Bruce Boyd and Loren McArthur, Guest Contributors Philanthropists have begun to recognize that tech moonshots may be essential for reckoning with the climate crisis. Guest authors Bruce Boyd and Loren McArthur outline how we can avoid harmful unintended consequences.Read More
March 21, 2023 For Real Climate Justice, Philanthropy Must Support the Front Lines, Fund Early and Fund Big March 21, 2023/ Supriya Lopez Pillai, Guest Contributor Even as climate justice groups remain underfunded, the restorative work they’re engaged in grows ever more urgent. Guest author Supriya Lopez Pillai says now is the time for funders to commit to more transformative approaches.Read More
August 22, 2022 Philanthropy Should Help Close Climate Justice Gaps in Inflation Reduction Act August 22, 2022/ Katie Redford, Guest Contributor The Inflation Reduction Act will undoubtedly reduce emissions, but it will do so on the backs of front-line communities. Katie Redford, executive director of the Equation Campaign, says philanthropy can help counter the bill’s flaws.Read More
July 18, 2022 Summer Reading for Climate Philanthropists (and Other Earth-Based Funders) July 18, 2022/ Michael Kavate They might not exactly be beach reads, but these five resources on climate philanthropy are worth a look this summer — both for those already focused on climate giving and those just wading in.Read More
May 25, 2022 Goldman Prize Winners Reflect Larger Trends Toward Environmental Resistance May 25, 2022/ Michael Kavate This year’s edition of the renowned Goldman Prizes are a marker of a gradual shift in environmentalism toward people standing up to powerful interests. Funding, too, seems to be moving that way, though more slowly.Read More
May 17, 2022 Amid Calls for More Climate Philanthropy, Report Instead Asks for Greater Focus on Justice May 17, 2022/ Michael Kavate Climate funders have long bemoaned that the field only receives 2% of global philanthropy. But a new report says the problem is the sector’s focus, pointing to a persistent trend of overlooking climate justice.Read More
April 25, 2022 MacKenzie Scott Gave Big to International Climate Justice Regrantors. Who Else Is Out There? April 25, 2022/ Michael Kavate There’s a lot of new money in the U.S. climate ecosystem — and a lot of need abroad. Here are eight funds that weren’t on MacKenzie Scott’s game-changing list last month.Read More
April 12, 2022 Seven Questions with Helen Mountford, President and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation April 12, 2022/ Michael Kavate The international climate intermediary fund has a new leader who envisions some “shifts and accelerations” for the grantmaker. We spoke with her about those plans and more.Read More
April 05, 2022 Climate Justice Pledge is Growing, but Many Top Funders Are Slow to Get on Board April 05, 2022/ Michael Kavate Just over a year ago, the Donors of Color Network challenged the top 40 climate funders to commit more dollars to BIPOC-led groups. Momentum is building, but many funders declined or have yet to make a decision.Read More
March 03, 2022 IPCC Says Climate Change Is Rapidly Making the Planet Uninhabitable. What Can Philanthropy Do? March 03, 2022/ Michael Kavate The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change further sounds the alarm about impending catastrophe, emphasizing inequity and the need for adaptation. Experts say philanthropy can help drive change.Read More
March 02, 2022 Funder Spotlight: 6 Things to Know About the JPB Foundation’s Environmental Grantmaking March 02, 2022/ Michael Kavate JPB is one of the wealthiest grantmakers in the county, and its environmental program is among the largest. Here, we take a closer look at key elements of its giving, and a few areas for improvement.Read More
January 10, 2022 6 Questions with Arturo Garcia-Costas, New York Community Trust’s Environment Program Officer January 10, 2022/ Michael Kavate Arturo Garcia-Costas is a rare place-based environmental grantmaker with a national and international portfolio—and perspective. Michael Kavate spoke with him about his approach to funding and the current green giving landscape.Read More
December 16, 2021 Eight Questions for Danielle Deane-Ryan, Director of Equitable Climate Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund December 16, 2021/ Michael Kavate Jeff Bezos’ $10 billion fund hired a respected veteran of philanthropy and climate justice for a key position in November. Danielle Deane-Ryan discusses what drew her to the role and her views on the state of climate philanthropy.Read More
November 17, 2021 With a Growing Base of Power and Support, Climate Justice Fundraisers Are Asking More of Philanthropy November 17, 2021/ Katy Harris Organizations focused on climate and equity still get a small slice of the funding pie, but have scored some big grants in recent years. Fundraisers discuss promising developments and what still needs to change. Read More
February 05, 2021 Self-Sabotage: Climate Philanthropy’s Mistrust of Communities of Color Must End Now February 05, 2021/ Dr. Michel Gelobter, Guest Contributor How can philanthropy successfully confront climate change when it so often spurns climate justice? Guest contributor Michel Gelobter calls out the problem and outlines a path forward.Read More
February 04, 2021 New Initiative Calls for 30% of Climate Funding to Back Justice Groups Led by People of Color February 04, 2021/ Michael Kavate Environmental justice receives just 1.3% of all foundation giving to green groups. A new campaign hopes to raise that to 30% to transform the climate movement and fuel more wins.Read More
December 08, 2020 For the New CEO of a Climate Justice Grantmaker, Funding From Bezos is Just the Beginning December 08, 2020/ Michael Kavate Rooted in grassroots organizing, Gloria Walton takes the helm at The Solutions Project as the fund prepares to move $43 million in funding from Jeff Bezos. Walton tells us how the gift came about and what lies ahead.Read More