Funding Climate Action: Pathways for Philanthropy

Climate change represents a critical challenge to humanity.

While climate-focused philanthropy has increased significantly in recent years, it is still insufficient relative to the size and urgency of the challenge. Less than two percent of global philanthropy is focused on climate-related giving.

In a recent survey, 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. Climate change merits greater action by the philanthropy community in the US and globally.

Funding Climate Action: A Pathway to Climate Philanthropy, a report developed in partnership with Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management, is designed to provide insight and tools to inspire philanthropists to address climate change. The report lays out various approaches to climate philanthropy, supported by case studies of five funders and profiles of key resource organizations. It concludes by offering a set of six guiding principles for climate philanthropy.