February 07, 2023

How a Cross-Sector Partnership Is Expanding Action on Clean Cooling

February 07, 2023/ Martina Bosi, Guest Contributor

Air conditioning, fans and refrigeration account for 7% of greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere, and demand is surging. The World Bank’s Martina Bosi outlines a partnership with ClimateWorks to curb emissions.

December 21, 2022

Green Heavyweights: The Nation’s 25 Largest Environmental Grantmakers

December 21, 2022/ Michael Kavate

We compiled a list of the top green funders in the U.S., based on the most recent full year of giving data available. One big takeaway: Living billionaires now dominate the list.

November 30, 2022

A Half-Dozen Top Climate Programs Are Led by Alumni of This Think Tank. Why Is That?

November 30, 2022/ Michael Kavate

Veterans of the World Resources Institute hold positions across climate philanthropy, including leading six top programs. Here are a few reasons that may be — and why that prevalence concerns some in the field.

October 31, 2022

Climate Funding Surged Last Year Thanks to Pledges from Billionaires and Major Foundations

October 31, 2022/ Michael Kavate

A new report from ClimateWorks Foundation shows a 25% increase in philanthropic support for climate change mitigation between 2020 and 2021. It’s a welcome development, but the momentum must continue.

August 24, 2022

What Was Philanthropy’s Role in Passing the Biggest Climate Bill in U.S. History?

August 24, 2022/ Michael Kavate

The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was a massive effort involving players from all sectors. Philanthropy, too, had a supporting role. Here are key areas where funders contributed, from movement-building to policy work.

August 11, 2022

Inside a Campaign to Move $1 Billion Toward Electrifying Global Transportation

August 11, 2022/ Michael Kavate

Drive Electric is a global campaign to electrify road transportation, housed at ClimateWorks and including over 100 partners. It’s out to move $1 billion to the cause, and has rallied $700 million to date, thanks a big new award.

May 11, 2022

How a Couple Became Major Climate Donors with a Game-Changing Gift to Cut Industrial Emissions

May 11, 2022/ Michael Kavate

Jill Kearney and Stephen McDonnell’s $20 million gift made them the single largest donor to the cause of reducing industrial emissions — and set one of them on a mission to recruit other donors.

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.

March 29, 2022

MacKenzie Scott’s Green Giving Expands, Sending Millions to the Front Lines of Climate Change

March 29, 2022/ Michael Kavate

MacKenzie Scott’s latest round of grants gave unprecedented, unrestricted resources to regranters working with marginalized communities confronting climate change globally. “It’s seismic,” said one grantee.

February 16, 2022

IP Briefing: What's Going on With Philanthropy on Climate Change and Clean Energy?

February 16, 2022/ IP Staff

Climate change is the most pressing issue of our time—but even after some landmark recent pledges, it’s still receiving only a small share of philanthropy. Who’s funding what as the clock ticks louder and the stakes get higher?

November 09, 2021

A New Billionaire Climate Funder: Where Chan Zuckerberg’s First Green Grants Are Headed and Why

November 09, 2021/ Michael Kavate

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropy of the Facebook co-founder, is now a climate funder. CZI is backing efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere—an essential but also contentious area in climate action.

November 04, 2021

Philanthropy’s Attempts to Remain Above the Fray Are Slowing Progress on Climate Change

November 04, 2021/ Tate Williams

For as long as philanthropy has been funding climate action, foundations have preferred a non-ideological stance that refuses to confront powerful political and industry opposition. It’s been a drag on progress.

October 13, 2021

Climate Philanthropy Increased Again Last Year, But Still Far From Meeting Need

October 13, 2021/ Michael Kavate

Philanthropy for climate change continues to increase, according to a new ClimateWorks Foundation analysis. But giving remained on pace with previous years and is still far too low, despite a year of cascading disasters.

May 06, 2021

Carbon Removal Philanthropy Is Off to the Races, but Nowhere Near the Finish Line

May 06, 2021/ Jan Mazurek and Noah Deich, Guest Contributors

Carbon dioxide removal has drawn interest from some big names, but guest contributors from ClimateWorks Foundation and Carbon180 say far more funding is needed to advance this climate solution equitably and at scale.

April 21, 2021

A More United Transit Funder Community Celebrates Federal Wins—and Looks Ahead

April 21, 2021/ Michael Kavate

Funders say support for collaboration between local and national mobility advocates, and a heightened focus on transit riders, led to historic recovery funding for transit. Could transformational change be next?

November 17, 2020

With Federal Climate Action Back on the Table, How Will Funders Respond?

November 17, 2020/ Michael Kavate

With the election of Joe Biden, federal action on climate change will once again be possible. While it’s still unclear how the largest climate funders will respond, several players in this funding space shared their thoughts on the future.

September 28, 2020

Philanthropy Isn’t Spending Enough on Climate Change, and it’s Missing Big Opportunities

September 28, 2020/ Michael Kavate

The good news is that climate change funding is on the rise, with philanthropy totaling between $5 billion and $9 billion in 2019. The bad news? It’s still a small sliver of all giving, and nowhere near what the challenge demands.

August 05, 2020

Once the “800-Pound Gorilla," ClimateWorks Charts a New Course in a Changing Field

August 05, 2020/ Michael Kavate

When ClimateWorks launched, it was a dominant force in climate funding. Twelve years later, it’s had hits and misses, and the field is a very different space. As the grantmaker embarks on a new plan, we go deep on its past, present, and future.