The climate crisis is one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time. It touches every aspect of our lives and deepens existing inequities. Addressing it requires not only decisive action to reduce emissions, but also a deep commitment to social justice and equity. Across Canada, communities that have been marginalized by culture or identity are among those most affected by climate change — and their leadership must be central to the solutions we pursue.
This understanding has prompted us to look more closely at how we can strengthen our support for the community-rooted leaders who are driving change across the country.
Over the past year, we partnered with Catalyst Philanthropy to explore how we might strengthen our support for Black, Indigenous, racialized, and youth-led climate initiatives. The resulting report draws on rich conversations with community-rooted leaders across Canada and offers practical insights for funders seeking to engage more deeply in this space. Its recommendations serve as a guide and an invitation — a collection of ideas and entry points for those ready to begin or expand this important work.
We share it in that same spirit: with humility and curiosity, as part of an ongoing dialogue rather than a finished product. For us, this report captures a moment in a longer learning journey — one that continues to evolve through listening, reflection, and collaboration.
What we heard
The leaders we heard from are doing creative and impactful climate work — even if they don’t always call it that. They’re making housing more affordable, helping families access healthy food, improving transit, and restoring polluted land and water. These efforts build trust, strengthen communities, and, in doing so, lay the foundation for deeper and more durable climate action.
Their work also helps build the kind of public will and momentum that makes large-scale policy change possible. When climate solutions are seen as improving people’s day-to-day lives — by creating good jobs, lowering costs, or strengthening communities — they generate the broad support needed to sustain policies at the local, provincial, and federal levels. Conversely, we’ve seen how quickly ambitious policies can be rolled back when they are perceived as disconnected from those realities.
One lesson came through clearly: community-rooted leadership isn’t peripheral to climate action — it is essential to it. Funding these leaders isn’t only about equity. It is a strategy for building durable public support and ensuring that climate solutions meet people’s everyday needs — a necessary foundation if Canada is to reach its climate goals.
Listening, Learning, and Partnering
This report marks the start of our community-rooted climate journey — one grounded in learning directly from the leaders driving change. This year, we’ll partner with Small Change Fund to build relationships and learn from 15 organizations across Canada about the support they need to strengthen a lasting, community-driven climate movement.
This means that for the time being, we will not be accepting unsolicited grant applications for community-rooted funding. This phase is about learning before scaling — understanding what works, what support is most meaningful, and how philanthropy can contribute without imposing rigid structures.
We approach this early work with openness and humility, knowing that the strongest ideas and strategies will come from the communities already linking climate action with social and economic well-being in their regions.
We invite other funders to join us in this exploration, to share lessons and challenges, and to help shape a philanthropic approach that supports both equity and effectiveness.