New program to boost funding for priority climate solutions

The new Capital Coalition for philanthropists, impact investors, and their advisors will leverage Project Drawdown’s scientific expertise to guide capital to the most promising solutions.

Private capital has a critical role to play in funding climate solutions. While funders spend billions of dollars annually to stop climate change, many seek more support to ensure their giving and impact investments are focused on the most effective, science-backed strategies. To this end, Project Drawdown has launched the Drawdown Capital Coalition, a new program and community for impact investors, philanthropists, and their advisors that aims to guide billions of dollars in private capital to climate solutions that maximize impact with respect to sector, timing, geography, and benefits for human and environmental well-being. 

“Science shows us where we should focus our efforts and resources to stop the climate crisis,” says Project Drawdown executive director Jonathan Foley, Ph.D. “The Capital Coalition provides an opportunity to rapidly accelerate funding for science-based climate solutions that will safeguard a more just, sustainable, and equitable future.” 

Project Drawdown has specialized in evaluating and identifying critical climate solutions and is now partnering with experts in vetting philanthropic and impact investing opportunities aligned with these solutions. As a result, the Capital Coalition will equip and empower a broad community of funders with the latest climate science, identify critical solutions for reducing emissions, and ultimately inspire more and better investments. It will also spur a new wave of solutions-focused climate funding by providing a foundation for funders across the capital stack – from family foundations to impact investors – to collaborate and share knowledge. 

“Scaling climate solutions requires prioritization, coordination, and collaboration across sometimes siloed scientific and capital realms,” says Drawdown Labs program manager Hannah Henkin. “The Drawdown Capital Coalition and its expert slate of partners will bring together a wide range of funders to explore and chart the best ways to work together to advance critical solutions.” 

Every member of the Capital Coalition will have access to Drawdown Briefings – private, in-depth webinars on the latest in climate science and solutions hosted by Project Drawdown’s world-renowned scientists. Members will also be invited to participate in Drawdown Deep Dives – multi-week, interactive workshops produced in partnership with leading nonprofits like the Climate and Land Use Alliance, Climate Lead, ReFED, and Toniic that will help members better understand the unique and powerful levers at their disposal to scale climate solutions. Project Drawdown continues to explore how our science, communication, and sustainability experts can best support Capital Coalition members in advancing climate solutions.

The Capital Coalition was launched with support from many. For our full list of founding partners, please check out our website at drawdown.org/capital-coalition or see below. 

“As a founding partner of the Drawdown Labs Capital Coalition, we are incredibly proud to be supporting this first-of-its-kind program aiming to bridge the current disconnect between what the science tells us, and where climate investments are going,” says Wayne Bruce, chief communications and DEI officer at Bentley Motors, who is responsible for the Bentley Environmental Foundation.

“At Wana Brands and the Wana Brands Foundation, we're committed to our people and our planet. Investing in programs like the Capital Coalition at Project Drawdown allows us to stay in touch with climate science experts, keep up-to-date with current sustainability trends, and adopt solutions that minimize our environmental impact,” says senior community impact manager Kaylyn Fern. “Our friends at Project Drawdown have been instrumental to our climate action plan success as we navigate the nuances of sustainability in the cannabis industry.” 

“As emissions continue to rise globally, simply investing is not enough,” says Dario Parziale, managing director at Toniic, a community of impact investors. “Investors must focus on the most effective solutions to cut emissions as rapidly as possible. Toniic members’ contribution to the Capital Coalition is a powerful example of how collective action can amplify science-based climate investments and push for significant, rapid advancements in climate action.” 

Support was also provided by: 

• Anne and Don Bice Climate Fund
• Anne Hale and Arthur W. Johnson Fund
• Caldwell Fisher Family Foundation
• Consilium Capital
• Deer Dancer Impact Fund
• Excelsior Impact Fund
• Gratitude Fund 
• Joseph and Vera Long Foundation
• Seabright Ventures Fund
• Spectrum Impact
• Studio Kakapo
• Xancharlize Fund

The Capital Coalition is designed for impact investors, philanthropists, and their advisors deploying or planning to deploy at least US$50,000 per year toward climate change solutions.

Membership is by invitation and may include:

• foundations, family offices, individual donors, and their advisors 
• accredited impact investors and their advisors
• impact investment firms and asset managers
• philanthropic or impacting investing networks or service providers.

Please reach out if you or your organization are interested in learning more.