Climate change is perhaps the single most important challenge of our time. And yet work in this area remains underfunded, attracting just 2% of all philanthropic giving. Climate change and environmental issues as a whole require far more attention, action and funding. Donors at all levels have a crucial role to play and have many choices of strong organizations to support, taking a range of approaches. Below, we’ll explain why work on climate should be a top priority for progressive donors, the different strategies donors can support, and tips for getting started with giving.

Why Donating for Climate Change Work is Important

Progress is being made in the fight against climate change. The United States is now implementing historic legislation to curb emissions and the cost of renewables has plunged faster than expected. Part of the credit for these gains goes to the many progressive organizations engaged in this fight, along with the private funders who’ve underwritten this work. But far more work is required and the clocking is ticking. Individual donors can be especially helpful in supporting work that major foundations won’t or can’t support, including electoral organizing and legislative advocacy. Further, because the impacts of climate change will hit low-income people the hardest, it’s important that donors help leaders in these communities organize to enact change.

Where Donors Should Give for Climate Change

• Organizations building a grassroots movement. A strong, broad-based movement demanding action is essential to sustain forward movement on climate change. Top groups to consider supporting in this space include 350.org, Sunrise Movement and the Sierra Club. To support smaller, front-line groups, donors can give to a funding intermediary that regrants funds. The Solutions Project is a great choice, supporting grassroots groups across the United States that individual donors would be unlikely to identify on their own. The Climate Justice Alliance plays a similar role, but includes tools to help donors organize to raise money. CLIMA Fund is an intermediary that funds globally. If donors want to find front-line organizations to support directly, two useful resources are the Anthropocene Alliance and the Sunrise Movement, which allows donors to give directly to local hubs through its website. The U.S. Climate Action Network also has a large directory of groups working on climate around the United States. 

• Organizations engaged in research and policy advocacy. From pushing for policies to reduce emissions or create green jobs to campaigning for divestment from fossil fuels and greater investments in clean energy, there are myriad organizations engaged in research and policy advocacy around climate change. Top players in this space — the so-called “big greens” — include Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and EarthJustice. The Greenlining Institute is an example of a group that is particularly focused on how climate change is impacting communities of color and works on climate equity. 

• Climate-focused electoral groups. In addition to their c3 work, many climate groups also have c4 arms that engage in electoral work, seeking to elect leaders committed to action on climate change and defeat those that aren't. Donors who can afford to give without getting a tax deduction should support such work, since ultimately, forward movement on climate requires legislative wins. Groups in this space include the League of Conservation Voters, NRDC Action Fund, EDF Action Fund and Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which gives priority to down-ballot races. The Movement Voter Project also channels funds to grassroots electoral groups working on climate change through its Climate Vote Fund.

• Research and media projects trying to change the narrative. The movement to fight climate change needs to build stronger public support and effective messages, and compelling narratives can play a key role here. Many of the organizations mentioned above are engaged in this narrative work, but donors can also give specifically to support research in this area. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication is a leader in understanding public opinion on climate and testing narratives to change people’s attitudes and behavior. Journalism outlets focused on climate can help deepen public understanding on the issue, including Grist, Inside Climate News and Anthropocene Magazine.  

For Donors Getting Started

• Learn more about climate change work. All of the organizations listed above publish reports, briefs and articles on a wide array of climate topics. To see what other funders are doing on climate change, donors can read Inside Philanthropy’s coverage on climate change and its white paper, “Giving for Climate Change and Clean Energy.”

• Give to an intermediary and connect to other funders. For donors looking to give with greater confidence and learn from peers, there are a number of funds, collaboratives and donor tables in the climate space, including The Solutions Project and CLIMA Fund, mentioned earlier. Giving Green is a funding intermediary and advisory group that engages in research to identify high-impact giving opportunities that address climate change from different angles. The Climate Leadership Initiative offers philanthropists advisory services to help them get started with their climate giving. The Environmental Grantmakers Association is a great way for donors to connect to other climate funders. It offers sliding membership fees, making it affordable to join. 

• Think about your giving in the bigger picture. Climate change is a foundational challenge and progress on nearly all other issues that donors care about is ultimately contingent on a stable environment. Donors have many ways to support work in this area. In choosing where to fund, it’s important to think about supporting both grassroots movement-building as well as research and policy advocacy. As with many other issues, though, grassroots work on climate is underfunded compared to other approaches.