Funding Opportunity
Opportunity Summary
In addition to the gradual climate changes of the last sixty years, we have seen recent surges in extreme weather that suggest an abrupt climate shift. For example, the annual tally of big windstorms in the US went from a baseline rate of 1.2 per year before 2008 up to 19 events in 2023, an order of magnitude more. This threat has a different time scale than gradual global warming. We must now prepare for big troubles in the next decade.
Droughts and fires, heavy flooding, mega heatwaves, stalled hurricanes, windstorms, and extreme cold are already causing unprecedented losses to human lives and well-being, infrastructure, agriculture, and ecosystems. We must think big and implement quickly to intervene.
The CO2 Foundation funds innovative smaller-scale projects that can accomplish a lot in a short timeframe, which might otherwise fall through the cracks. We seek proposals to support timely interventions for extreme weather and/or prepare communities for the impacts of a rapidly changing climate system.
Examples include small workshops to explore innovative, fast-track solutions; new ways of reaching new audiences; or early research into the most promising protective interventions. Because civilization must survive until climate change and extreme weather are no longer a threat, we need to be resilient and to cooperate with each other.
We invite you to connect with our Executive Director to discuss our current funding priorities before submitting a proposal.
07/31/2025
will receive priority.
We anticipate funding the following activities:
Conferences & Workshops: Convening diverse stakeholders to amplify and improve upon their best efforts. Past grantees in this category include Chispa AZ (community listening sessions + IRA Summit), EcoAdapt (National Adaptation Forum), and Wisconsin Academy (Tribal Climate Summit + Climate Fast Forward).
Research: Digging deep into the most promising strategies to address alarming trends and build toward a positive future. Past grantees in this category include Conservation Biology Institute (World Scientists Warning/State of the Climate), Environmental Defense Fund (insurance research), and University of Washington – Friday Harbor Labs (marine heatwaves course)
Communications: Broadly distributed storytelling about extreme weather impacts, reporting on community-scale and society-wide responses and future risks, or new communication methods or audiences. Past grantees in this category include Grist (extreme weather coverage), Knee Deep Times (story series + community-based reporting), The Climate Restorers and The Here Now Project, and Yale Climate Connections (Spanish-language storytelling).
Pilot Project Implementation: Move what has been imagined out into the world with a focus on co-benefits, project sustainability/durability, and replicating what works. This is a new category for us, and we welcome grantees who already have community resilience plans to submit their implementation-ready projects. Examples might include solarizing and installing a heat pump in a large community center to keep vulnerable people safe during heatwaves or high smoke events or developing rainwater harvesting projects to ensure clean water during droughts.
We fund selected projects outside of these categories that are well-aligned with the Foundation’s overall mission. For more information on all our grantees, see our News & Updates page.
Successful projects…
- Bridge gaps: Recognize the importance of both scientific insights and diverse community perspectives to design, evaluate, and/or implement appropriate interventions.
- Share process and outcomes: Communicate broadly on successes and challenges, lessons learned from what has been attempted.
- Turn innovation into impact: Explore how ideas and practices can generate solutions, action, and change across different contexts.
Who Should Apply
Funding is available to nonprofit efforts that are either registered as or fiscally sponsored by a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization. Work can happen in other countries, but should be anchored in the United States context.
Process and Timeline
Prospective grantees should first submit a letter of inquiry (LOI) to have their proposal considered. LOIs are screened in-house, and full proposals will go through an external review process. Please review the application and admin process for more information.