OVERVIEW: The 128 Collective supports climate change and clean energy work, particularly just transition, public and democratic control of energy systems, worker power and movement building. Through a separate 501(c)(4), it also funds voter engagement, political participation and progressive organizing.
IP TAKE: The 128 Collective is a significant progressive climate funder that places considerable emphasis on changing the political and economic systems that influence climate outcomes. Its recent grants support public power, democratic ownership, worker-led decarbonization, public climate finance, climate-policy implementation, youth organizing and progressive movement infrastructure.
The collective also stands out for its willingness to support labor organizations, grassroots coalitions and projects working through established nonprofit intermediaries. Its giving suggests that organizations seeking to build political power, advance structural policy changes or strengthen organized constituencies may be stronger prospects than those focused exclusively on clean-energy deployment or direct services.
This is a difficult funder to approach without an existing relationship. The Foundation’s latest 990s say that it funds only pre-selected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals. For grantseekers, the most promising approach is likely to involve building relationships with organizations and coalitions already working in 128’s priority areas.
PROFILE: Established in 2018, 128 Collective seeks “to create a society that redirects capital to build healthier ecosystems and flourishing human communities.” It was founded by veteran climate change philanthropists Theresa and Tom Preston-Warner, who are signatories of the Giving Pledge. Tom Preston-Werner cofounded GitHub, which Microsoft acquired in 2018, and Theresa Preston-Werner holds a Ph.D. in anthropology and has worked with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations in the U.S. and abroad. The Giving Pledge has described 128 Collective as a progressive climate organization working on a “just transition to 1.5 degrees” and says Theresa Preston-Werner leads its work toward a climate-safe world.
Grantseekers should understand that 128 Collective operates through more than one funding vehicle:
- 128 Collective Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that makes charitable grants. Thomas and Theresa Preston-Werner serve as co-presidents and directors.
- 128 Collective Initiatives is a separate 501(c)(4) that supports political participation, civic engagement and electoral organizing.
The Preston-Werners have also described their broader philanthropy as including political contributions, investments and direct gifts outside conventional foundation grantmaking.
Grants for Climate Change and Clean Energy
The 128 Collective’s giving targets “high-leverage, upstream, and under-resourced strategies.” Climate change remains the central lens for 128 Collective’s giving, but its recent grants point to a more specific interest than conventional clean-energy deployment. The Foundation supports efforts to change who owns, governs and benefits from the energy transition, including public power, democratic ownership, public climate finance, climate-policy implementation and worker-led decarbonization.
The Collective names six strategy areas.
- 128 supports campaigns that publicize and support policy to accelerate transition.
- The collective provides vital support to labor-climate organizing to leverage the influence and reach of organized labor to impact “climate-critical industries” and climate policy.
- The state and local politics area makes grants to advocacy efforts for local candidates and policies supportive of the climate agenda, including efforts for public sector control and oversight on industries with climate impact.
- Youth-led organizing grants support youth-led or youth-centered groups and aim to provide young people with resources to “confront entrenched interests, drive clean energy at speed and scale, and build the just transition.”
- Giving for federal politics seeks to build power and motivation for large-scale change through grassroots and community groups. This work also emphasizes economic equity and democratization of climate assets and decision-making.
- The collective also supports climate change action globally via its global political economy grantmaking, which focuses on “increasing the power of internationalist climate demands” through international collaborations, harnessing global energy markets and addressing “systemic issues of global inequality.”
Recent grants include:
- The Foundation awarded $500,000 to Tides Center for the Climate and Community Institute, a climate policy and research organization.
- The Hack Foundation received $300,000 for Public Grids, while the Center for Public Enterprise received $200,000 for public-power research and advocacy.
- Spring Street Climate Fund received $150,000 for the work of the Public Power NY coalition.
- UndauntedK12 received $300,000 for Inflation Reduction Act implementation in public schools.
- McMaster University received $157,000 for a project concerning public banking for green and just transitions.
- New Economy Organisers Network received $250,000 for worker-led industrial decarbonization and advocacy.
Grantmaking is not limited to the United States. Recent grants supported organizations or projects in Canada and the United Kingdom, among other international work.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
128 Collective’s recent labor giving is better understood as support for worker power, labor organizing and a worker-centered just transition than as conventional workforce-development or job-access funding.
- In 2024, the Foundation awarded $490,000 to the UE Research and Education Fund for the Green Locomotives Project and another $200,000 for the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee. Southern Vision Alliance received grants totaling $450,000 for the Southern Workers Assembly. Other grants supported Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, workers’ reform movements through the Social Justice and Solidarity Fund, public rail ownership and progressive rail-reform caucuses, and worker-led industrial decarbonization.
- Organizations that organize workers, build rank-and-file power, strengthen labor movements or connect decarbonization to worker ownership, public institutions and good jobs appear to be considerably stronger prospects than conventional job-training or workforce-placement organizations.
Grants for Democracy and Civic Engagement
Democracy and civic engagement are significant parts of the Preston-Werners’ giving and operate through both charitable and noncharitable vehicles. The foundation has supported organizations such as the State Democracy Project, Alliance for Youth Organizing and the Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund.
The separate 128 Collective Initiatives conducts more explicit political and electoral grantmaking, and it promotes voter registration, political participation and civic involvement.
- Recent grants include $175,000 to Working Families Organization for work around the 2024 election, $150,000 to People’s Action for its Movement Politics Team and $100,000 to Down Home North Carolina for state and local campaigns.
- Other recent recipients include Gen-Z for Change, Carolina Federation, Detroit Action, Care in Action, Center for Empowered Politics and Progressive Caucus Action Fund.
Grants for Youth and Movement Organizing
Youth organizing and broader movement infrastructure cut across 128 Collective’s climate and democracy portfolios.
- The Foundation awarded Alliance for Youth Organizing $100,000 in general operating support in 2024 and supported Youth vs Apocalypse through Alliance for Global Justice. It also funded the African Climate Alliance and Gen Z-focused civic engagement work.
Important Grant Details:
In 2024, the Foundation made 80 grants totaling about $11.4 million. The median grant was approximately $103,000, with grants ranging from $7,000 to $500,000. Major awards included $500,000 each to Voices for a Sustainable Future, Tides Center for the Climate and Community Institute, and the Labor Education and Research Project.
- While this funder supports organizations of all sizes, its climate giving mostly supports policy, advocacy, organizing and political work.
- Giving is national in scope, with a smaller proportion of grants supporting U.S. climate organizations that work internationally.
- This funder does not accept applications for funding at this time.
- Organizations appear less likely to fit if their work consists primarily of conventional direct services, standalone workforce training, or climate technology deployment without a policy, organizing, worker-power or systems-change dimension. The Foundation does, however, fund both established organizations and projects working through intermediaries, so organizational size or independent 501(c)(3) status does not appear to be the defining factor. These are observed patterns, not stated exclusions.
- 128 does not provide a clear way to get in touch. Its phone number is listed as (650) 804-7100.
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CONTACT:
128 Collective
314 Lytton Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301-1430
650-804-7100
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