OVERVIEW: The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund supports climate change, the environment, racial equity and Indigenous rights in multiple states across the U.S.
IP TAKE: Despite not providing a clear way to submit a proposal, this is a relatively transparent funder even though it’s not as accessible as other funders in it’s giving spaces. It does make its annual reports available on its website and conveniently organizes its previous grantees by state. Additionally, it provides details of the types of support it has provided for a selection of previous grantees, so new grantseekers can get a sense of the types of projects it has backed in the past.
CCEEF only funds in 13 states and does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding, but it does provide opportunities to get in touch and introduce themselves. It supports both local and national groups. It’s an approachable funder, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
PROFILE: Established in 2016, the Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund (CCEEF) is a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund. It invests in leadership in diverse communities, engages voters through civic engagement campaigns and supports climate and clean energy policy solutions through a strategic multi-state initiative. CCEEF currently partners with organizations in the following 10 states but plans to add additional states in the near future: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Grantmaking focuses on climate change, the environment, racial equity and indigenous rights. Additionally, CCEEF offers a Policy Accelerator that provides coaching, research and technical assistance on climate and clean energy-related issues, as well as a Communications Accelerator to help grantee partners develop communications strategies.
Grants for Climate Change and Clean Energy, Environment, and Racial Equity and Indigenous Rights
CCEEF’s grantmaking is focused on 13 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It “supports some of the most powerful community-based civic engagement, grassroots organizing, powerbuilding, and voter turnout programs for climate and clean energy solutions in the country.” It works to invest in diverse communities composed of BIPOC and other groups most impacted by climate change. It seeks to engage voters in these communities and enact climate policy solutions “that reflect the priorities of communities and advance racial, economic, and environmental justice.” Grantseekers can visit the funding page for each state (listed here) to get a better sense of the types of organizations the Equity Fund supports.
In addition to grantmaking, the fund’s grantees have access to its Policy Accelerator, which “provides policy coaching, rapid-response policy research, and technical assistance on climate and clean energy policy campaigns.”
Its Communications Accelerator facilitates grantee partners’ development of “strategic communications capacity and strategies to combat fossil fuel disinformation and accelerate the pace and scale of change.” Previous grantees here include We Make the Future, Hip-Hop Caucus, ReFrame, and Advance Democracy.
Important Grant Details:
CCEEF is a funding intermediary and should be viewed as more of a passthrough funder rather than a traditional grantmaker. The organization’s total grantmaking budget varies from year to year. In a recent year, CCEEF awarded $10.3 million to 80 grantees. The fund does not appear to accept unsolicited requests for funding; however, it does invite those “interested in partnership opportunities” to contact it at partnership@theequityfund.org. Additionally, its fiscal sponsor, the New Venture Fund, announces funding opportunities on its website.
PEOPLE:
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