Funder Collaborations

Climate change affects funding priorities in many areas of philanthropy, from health to poverty reduction, to human rights, nature conservation, democracy and social entrepreneurship. CJRF is growing an active community of philanthropic funders that includes many different sectors of philanthropy. Funders can partner with us to:

  • Expand your strategic reach. We welcome new partners with aligned funding interests. Our strategic framework and flexible institutional arrangements create opportunities for partners with a variety of priorities and investment levels. Please contact us to learn more about how our pooled fund works.

  • Increase momentum on existing efforts. We align our grantmaking with the work of other funders and have made several joint investments with grantmaking colleagues. For example, our 2018 project grant to IMPACT was developed in alignment with a grant from The Christensen Fund, building on their many insights from long-term work in northern Kenya. In 2020, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked with co-funders at the BAND Foundation and USAID to support the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservation Association in shifting strategy to keep work going.

  • Collaborate for greater impact. Climate change is a bigger challenge than any one foundation can tackle alone. We create opportunities for funders to learn about climate justice and resilience, and to team up on advocacy and on leveraging public finance.

    We have recently launched a funder coalition that will more deeply explore the accelerating global movement for climate justice, including “just transition” activities. As a group of funders, including some new to the climate issue, we seek to gain new insights from existing work, identify joint learning opportunities, and over time, co-create grant-making strategies. Our aim, ultimately, is to grow philanthropic investment in climate justice, and to do so in ways that shift power and resources to those on the front lines of the climate crisis in the Global South. 

  • Learn and evolve. We are committed to collecting and sharing lessons from our grantee partner portfolio. Our mid-term review in late 2020 surfaced valuable insights as did learning sessions hosted by our Council of Advisors.  In 2021, we are hosting a series of grantee-partner-driven efforts to take the lessons of locally led climate action to a broader audience. Our events will include a wide range of interests and sectors, from water to energy, gender, Indigenous rights, and more.

Contact us to learn more about our funder partnerships.

CJRF’s Funder Collaborations