Climate Justice Needs Courageous Funders — Now More Than Ever

There’s a lot of noise around politics right now. But underneath it, there’s a simple truth: if we want climate justice to win, our funding strategies have to be as resilient and bold as the movements themselves.

We are standing at a crossroads.
The political signals are getting louder — attacks on environmental protections, restrictions on funding flows, rising authoritarian tactics. Whether or not Trump or anyone else delivers executive orders today, the chill effect has already begun.

We can’t afford to wait for the hammer to fall. By then, it will be too late.

Funders who care about climate justice — and about democracy itself — need to act now to future-proof their giving, protect climate grants, and ensure that movements have the resources to keep fighting, regardless of political storms.

Climate Philanthropy Must Be Built for the Long Haul

We know what happens when movements are cut off from funding.
Momentum stalls. Leaders burn out. Frontline communities are left to fend for themselves.

At The Social Change Nest, we work daily with people who are building real alternatives — energy justice campaigns, climate action hubs, grassroots policy advocacy. These groups aren’t just vulnerable to political swings, they are often the first targets.

That’s why protecting climate funding isn’t just a technical fix. It’s an act of solidarity. It’s a political strategy. It’s a commitment to a livable future.

Moving Money Smartly – Practical Steps for Funders

We need to be smarter than the systems trying to shut us down.

That means:

• Setting up cross-border funding routes that can’t be easily disrupted.

   

• Using fiscal hosts and resilience funds based outside jurisdictions vulnerable to political pressure.

   

• Diversifying funding portfolios so that no one government can pull the plug on our collective future.

   

• Backing groups directly but with built-in legal and financial flexibility.

   

This is how we future-proof climate philanthropy — by being as organised, determined, and visionary as the movements we support.

It’s Not About Fear. It’s About Building Power.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about running scared. This is about building collective power that can withstand the headwinds ahead.

Climate movements are ready. They’re innovating, collaborating, rising.
The question is — will funders rise with them?
Will we choose courage over comfort?
Action over anxiety?

A Call to Action

If you’re a funder feeling unsettled, good. Now, move that discomfort into action:

• Review your grant structures.

   

• Explore granting from outside of the US.

   

• Talk to peers and build collaborative funding pools.

   

• Reach out to those of us who can help you think it through.

   

At The Social Change Nest, we are building the infrastructure for resilient funding. If you want your money to keep working for climate justice — through 2025 and beyond — the time to act is now.

We are ready.
Movements are ready.
The future won’t wait.