Climate Change Grants

Where is climate funding going?

Climate philanthropy spans global, regional, and local efforts. Much of it funds mitigation—especially large, cross-border initiatives like international collaborations and research—along with public engagement and sustainable finance. A smaller but growing share supports adaptation and resilience (ClimateWorks).

Significant gaps remain. Lower-income countries receive far less core, flexible funding than the U.S. and Europe, and giving remains concentrated in a narrow set of solutions.

What regions receive the most climate funding?

Most foundation funding for mitigation goes to U.S.-based nonprofits, followed by global initiatives, according to ClimateWorks. For adaptation and resilience, most dollars support transnational efforts, while Africa receives the most region-specific funding, followed by the U.S. and Canada (ClimateWorks).

Despite greater vulnerability, Asia and Oceania receive less than 10% of adaptation funding, and Latin America less than 3%—underscoring a stark mismatch between funding and need.

Which types of climate work receive the most support?

In the same study by ClimateWorks, clean electricity, forests, and food and agriculture receive the largest share of mitigation funding. Adaptation funding focuses on health, ecosystems, and biodiversity. 

The fastest-growing area: cutting super-pollutants, especially methane.

Funders give significantly for public engagement work including grassroots organizing and narrative change. Sustainable finance, spanning endeavors like corporate accountability and ESG, is a growing area of climate philanthropy. Advocacy–from litigation to policy design–is a longstanding funder priority. 

What are top funding strategies in climate funding?

Climate funders deploy a mix of grantmaking, impact investing, and other strategies to support nonprofits. Effective funders approach the issue from multiple angles, giving operational, programmatic, and capacity-building grants while also investing their endowments in line with their missions. Top funding strategies in climate philanthropy include  

• Impact investing: Deploying endowments into clean energy and other climate solutions, often paired with fossil fuel divestment to align investments with mission.
• Collaboration: Donor collaboratives, public-private partnerships, and giving circles pool resources and coordinate strategy.
• Intermediaries: Regrantors channel funds to vetted frontline groups and handle the legal and administrative complexity of international giving.

Where is climate funding falling short?

Climate funding gaps appear where resources mismatch with community needs. Though this philanthropic area is rapidly growing, trends suggest that it’s still underfunding some sectors, regions, and communities. Here’s an overview: 

• Disaster risk management: Disaster preparedness and risk reduction initiatives receive less funding despite increased extreme weather events. 
• Adaptation infrastructure: Philanthropy misses needed investment in energy, water, and other infrastructure needed for higher resilience. 
• Asia and Oceania: These areas receive only 10% of funding despite hosting nearly half the global population.
• Indigenous communities: Though these communities lead adaptation, conservation, and place-based initiatives, they receive less funding.
• Youth climate funding: Youth-led climate movements and leadership pipelines receive limited investments. 
• Natural solutions: Investing in clean energy, for example, receives more funding than ecosystems, biodiversity, and land-based solutions. 
• Climate justice and adaptation: Less than 10% of global climate finance goes toward adaptation, and only a fraction reaches frontline communities.

How to approach climate change funders

When seeking funding, learn your funders. Review their missions, program priorities, and past grants, considering if their work aligns with yours for the best fit.

Approaching climate funders for policy vs grassroots funding

• Frontline groups should seek funding from foundations and intermediaries that support grassroots initiatives. 
• Nonprofits working at the policy level should seek grants from funders – typically large foundations – with experience in policy advocacy.
• Fundraisers for policy initiatives should note which funders support 501c4 work and which only give to 501c3s. 

How to leverage intermediaries

Intermediaries provide a viable entry point for grantseekers when direct access to other climate funders is limited. Regrantors, pooled funds, and community foundations often direct grant money from major funders to smaller organizations. Build relationships with them and show how your organization’s work aligns with their priorities. 

1. Identify intermediaries aligned with your organization’s mission.
2. Review their mission, priorities, and funding process. 
3. Check if they accept unsolicited proposals. 
4. Understand how to show the alignment between your organization’s work and their funding priorities. 
5. Build relationships through networking (events, introductions, etc). 
6. Position your work as effective and ready for implementation with compelling texts about the organization and its programs that you can use in LOIs and grant proposals. 
7. Stay on their radar for future opportunities. 

Working with climate donor-advised funds

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are donor-directed, which means access depends on building relationships directly with the people connected to the fund — either the donors or the fund officers at the sponsoring organization. Treat DAF fundraising like major gift work. Consider:

• Building connections with individual donors, community foundations and other DAF fund managers.
• Making your work visible within your local philanthropic community. 
• Adding “Give via DAF” language to your website, email signatures, and other visible areas.

How to find climate change grant opportunities

Targeted research and strategy-driven prospecting is key to finding climate change grants. Start by identifying funders that align with your work, then analyze how they give — how much, how often, to which kinds of organizations, through intermediaries, through DAFs, and so on. 

IP Takes in Grant Finder profiles offer insider guidance on how to approach top climate funders and reduce the time it takes to create vetted prospect lists.

Know your funding source

• Identify strategy-aligned funders by matching your programs to funder priorities (e.g., adaptation, mitigation, justice).
• Analyze issue-area portfolios to understand what types of projects and organizations receive support and how support is structured. 
• Track regrantors moving funding to grassroots and frontline community organizations. 
• Monitor donor collaboratives and pooled funds aligned with your organization’s programs and mission. 
• Use tools like Grant Finder to quickly build a focused prospect list. 

Align your fundraising strategy 

Winning proposals show tight alignment with funder priorities. Don’t contort your mission—prioritize best-fit funders.

• Track emerging priorities and funding trends.
• Target the right support type (general operating vs. project).
• Ensure the funder’s approach fits your model.
• Confirm you match their typical grantee profile.
• Gauge a funder’s risk tolerance.
• If unsolicited proposals aren’t accepted, build relationships to get on their radar.

How to get a climate change grant 

To win climate grants, start with strong work – and explain it clearly. Back it up with research, evaluation, and documentation. Use storytelling and case studies to show impact and urgency. 

• Identify funders with Inside Philanthropy’s Grant Finder. 
• Study IP’s funder profiles to understand how to approach each one. 
• From there, tailor your letters of inquiry and proposals, if accepted, to show each funder how your nonprofit’s work aligns with their funding priorities. 

Research-backed funder profiles, grantmaking histories and practical prospect intelligence.