Interest in the issue from donors and philanthropists is high, but the amount of giving toward this area is low.
According to the recent March 2023 Aspen Institute\’s report entitled ‘Funding Climate Action:
Pathways for Philanthropy:’
‘85 percent of all U.S. foundation funders stated that climate change was a top three issue, but only about a third reported they were “open to considering funding efforts” to address climate change.’
This disconnect in interest and monetary support may be the result of the following points:
- Difficult for donors and philanthropists to find their place or see an ‘entry point’
- Lack of cohesive message across the sector and consistent ways for donors and philanthropists to make an impact.
- Donors and philanthropists may feel like they are throwing money into a void
- Lack of familiarity around metrics to gauge impact of climate change funding
An additional challenge is keeping the issue front and center on donors’ minds. Disaster strikes there can be a rush of support. Better to spend on mitigation than on response and rebuilding.
That said, there are simple and quite easy entry points into climate change philanthropy donors or others should consider.
Here are a few:
- Provide funding for a trusted individual to assist vulnerable households (think a senior living alone or an individual living with disability) in securing weatherization equipment (HVAC, new windows, mold removal, etc.) for their residence.
- Disinvest in investment funds and/or more directly, corporations, that directly harm the environment (for example, oil and gas).
- Implement simple policies internally; no plastic cutlery at events, etc.
This list above is by no means exhaustive, nor does it ‘solve’ the impact of climate change. Nonetheless, the actions are an easy point of entry into an increasingly important field of philanthropic work.