Grantmaking

The document argues that philanthropic funding for climate change is severely underfunded and misaligned with scientific needs. It provides a framework for grantmakers to elevate climate as a key award criterion, integrate climate justice into administration, align endowments with climate goals, and foster organizational education to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.

• Global philanthropic giving for climate change mitigation is significantly underfunded, representing less than 2% of the over US$800 billion in total giving in 2022. According to the Climate Policy Initiative, annual climate finance needs to increase by at least five-fold to prevent the worst impacts of the crisis.
• Grantmakers are encouraged to prioritize 'emergency brake' solutions—those that can be deployed immediately without new infrastructure and provide compounding benefits—such as plant-rich diets, forest protection, reduced food waste, and methane leak management.
• There is a significant funding gap for BIPOC-led and justice-oriented organizations; one study of 12 national environmental funders found that only 1.3% of the US$1.34 billion awarded in 2016 and 2017 went to these groups.
• Climate funding is unevenly distributed globally, with only approximately 25% of total public and private climate funding flowing to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), despite these regions being disproportionately vulnerable.
• Philanthropies can act as 'accelerators' by funding strategies that improve policy, regulatory, and financing landscapes. Climate nonprofits identify movement building, mobilization, climate justice, and policy-based approaches as the top accelerators requiring more funding.
• To ensure climate justice, the guide recommends awarding multi-year, unrestricted grants and simplifying application processes to avoid overburdening under-resourced grassroots organizations.
• Organizations are advised to align their financing strategies by ensuring endowments are not invested in activities causing the climate crisis, such as deforestation and fossil fuels, and instead using them for direct investing in climate-aligned funds or conservation projects.

APA

Project Drawdown (n.d.). Grantmaking. https://drawdown.org/job-function-action-guides/grantmaking

Chicago

Project Drawdown. Grantmaking. n.d. https://drawdown.org/job-function-action-guides/grantmaking.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Project Drawdown |title=Grantmaking |url=https://drawdown.org/job-function-action-guides/grantmaking |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{projectdrawdownndgrantmaking, author = {{Project Drawdown}}, title = {{Grantmaking}}, institution = {Project Drawdown}, url = {https://drawdown.org/job-function-action-guides/grantmaking}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }