Climate Works

What Climate Works does

ClimateWorks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic grantmaking foundation established in 2008 and headquartered in San Francisco. Its core function is to intermediate between philanthropic capital providers and on-the-ground climate-implementing organizations: it identifies bold climate strategies, co-creates them with local experts, and disburses grants to 850+ grantees across 50+ countries through 14 thematic programs spanning power, road and maritime transportation, aviation, industry, cooling, carbon dioxide removal, food and agriculture, forests and land use, adaptation and resilience, just transition, sustainable finance, and minerals for the energy transition. Since inception, ClimateWorks has granted more than $2 billion to climate solutions worldwide, working with 80+ philanthropic funders; flagship activities include the Drive Electric Campaign (a coalition ClimateWorks secretariats to drive 100% zero-emission road transportation by 2050), the Clean Cooling Collaborative, the Global Energy Transition Initiative, the Independent Global Stocktake (iGST) coalition, and the Adaptation Innovation Lab launched in early 2026.

The foundation is not a technology company: it has no proprietary software, no API or developer-facing product, and no AI/ML components. Its business model is philanthropic rather than commercial — it receives contributions from a diversified base of major donors (notably MacKenzie Scott, who gave a $40 million gift in December 2025 and an earlier gift in 2022) and redistributes capital as grants, retaining modest overhead to fund a leadership bench of approximately 11–50 staff organized into program-specific Senior Directors, Associate Directors, VPs (Programs, Justice & Equity, Philanthropic Partnerships, Global Insights & Action, HR), and a President & CEO. Revenue mechanics are: donated contributions in, grants out, with knowledge products (Funding Trends reports, thematic publications) and convening/policy engagement as ancillary outputs that enhance funder stickiness and grantmaking effectiveness.

Name

Climate Works

Legal name

ClimateWorks Foundation

Website

https://climateworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ClimateWorks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic grantmaking foundation that intermediates between 80+ philanthropic funders and 850+ climate-implementing grantees across 50+ countries, deploying $2B+ since 2008 through 14 thematic climate programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAM

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGAGAF

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAKAH

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPADALAA

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Climate philanthropy grantmaking
• Climate change mitigation funding
• Clean energy transition grants
• Climate adaptation programs
• Sustainable finance philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic grantmaking: ClimateWorks Foundation receives donations and philanthropic contributions from funders and redistributes these as grants to climate solution implementers worldwide. The foundation connects philanthropic capital with innovative, proven strategies led by local experts to scale climate solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ClimateWorks Foundation is a nonprofit philanthropic grantmaking organization that connects 80+ philanthropic funders with 850+ climate solution implementer organizations across 50+ countries. It receives donations and grants capital through 14 thematic programs (Adaptation & Resilience, Aviation, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Cooling, Food & Agriculture, Forests & Land Use, Industry, Just Transition, Maritime Shipping, Minerals for the Energy Transition, Power, Road Transportation, and Sustainable Finance) and named initiatives such as the Drive Electric Campaign, Clean Cooling Collaborative, Global Energy Transition Initiative, Independent Global Stocktake, and Adaptation Innovation Lab. Since 2008 the foundation has granted more than $2 billion to scale bold, locally-led climate solutions.

Product overview

ClimateWorks Foundation is a philanthropic grantmaking organization — not a software product company — that connects funders with implementing organizations to scale transformative climate solutions across 14 thematic programs. Its programmatic portfolio spans Adaptation & Resilience, Aviation, Carbon Dioxide Removal, Cooling, Food & Agriculture, Forests & Land Use, Industry, Just Transition, Maritime Shipping, Minerals for the Energy Transition, Power, Road Transportation, and Sustainable Finance. Named initiatives include the Drive Electric Campaign (a global coalition to transition to 100% zero-emission road transportation), the Clean Cooling Collaborative (also known as the Global Cooling Efficiency Accelerator), the Leapfrogging Partnership (accelerating EV adoption in emerging economies), the Global Energy Transition Initiative, the Battery Sustainability Initiative, and the independent Global Stocktake (iGST) coalition. ClimateWorks also produces knowledge products including its annual Funding Trends report series and thematic research publications. The organization does not offer a technology product, API, SaaS platform, or developer-facing tool; its outputs are grantmaking strategy, research, convening, and policy engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drive Electric Campaign: Global initiative to accelerate transition to 100% electric transportation, working with partners on policies, business leadership, and people-powered coalitions
• Clean Cooling Collaborative
• Global Cooling Efficiency Accelerator

Products and services

• Adaptation & Resilience Program A grantmaking program supporting locally led climate adaptation and resilience solutions, helping communities prepare for intensifying climate impacts across the Global South.
• Aviation Program A grantmaking program dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector, including work on sustainable aviation fuels and zero-emission aircraft.
• Carbon Dioxide Removal Program A grantmaking program supporting the development and scaling of diverse carbon dioxide removal approaches, with a focus on community-oriented and equitable solutions.
• Cooling Program A grantmaking program addressing sustainable cooling solutions, operating through the Clean Cooling Collaborative to expand access to efficient, climate-friendly cooling globally.
• Food & Agriculture Program A grantmaking program focused on transforming food systems to reduce their climate impact, including work on agroecology, methane reduction, and sustainable farming practices.
• Forests & Land Use Program A grantmaking program working to protect and restore forests and sustainably manage land use as critical climate solutions.
• Industry Program A grantmaking program focused on decarbonizing heavy industry sectors including cement, steel, and chemicals, supporting low-carbon industrial processes and clean energy transitions.
• Just Transition Program A grantmaking program ensuring that the shift to a low-carbon economy is equitable, supporting workers and communities affected by the transition away from fossil fuels.
• Maritime Shipping Program A grantmaking program working to transform the global maritime shipping sector toward zero-emission, resilient, and equitable operations by 2050, targeting the sector's nearly 3% share of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Power Program A grantmaking program advancing the clean power transition, including work on renewable energy deployment, grid modernization, and phase-out of coal and fossil fuels.
• Road Transportation Program A grantmaking program accelerating the transition to zero-emission road transportation globally, encompassing cars, buses, two/three-wheelers, and freight trucks.
• Sustainable Finance Program A grantmaking program working to align financial flows with climate goals, including work on climate finance definitions, green public procurement, and unlocking investment for climate solutions.
• Minerals for the Energy Transition Initiative An initiative under the Road Transportation Program focused on building responsible mineral supply chains for clean energy, addressing extraction in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.
• Drive Electric Campaign A global campaign convened by ClimateWorks Foundation as secretariat, working to end the polluting tailpipe and transition to 100% clean electric transportation, targeting 100% sales of electric buses, two- and three-wheelers by 2030, cars by 2035, and freight trucks by 2040, with global net-zero road transportation by 2050.
• Clean Cooling Collaborative (Global Cooling Efficiency Accelerator) An initiative focused on expanding access to clean, affordable, and efficient cooling solutions, addressing the tripling of cooling demand projected by 2050 while reducing energy consumption and HFC emissions.
• Global Energy Transition Initiative An initiative working across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to advance the global energy transition, supporting domestic clean energy manufacturing, responsible mineral supply chains, and just transition for workers and communities.
• Independent Global Stocktake (iGST) A community of analysts and advocates convened by ClimateWorks that monitors and contributes to the formal UNFCCC Global Stocktake process, submitting independent analysis on equity, adaptation, mitigation, and climate finance.
• ClimateWorks Insights & Reports A portfolio of research publications, data analyses, and funding trend reports produced by ClimateWorks and its programs, including the annual 'Funding Trends' series and thematic reports on climate mitigation and adaptation philanthropy.
• Adaptation Innovation Lab A new accelerator for climate adaptation entrepreneurs launched in early 2026, designed to support and scale locally led adaptation and resilience innovations.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2B+ granted since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Energy FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Drive Electric Campaign secretariat, supporting the transition to 100% zero-emission road transportation globally.
• Energy Foundation ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Drive Electric Campaign, supporting electric vehicle transition efforts in China.
• European Climate FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Drive Electric Campaign, supporting electric vehicle transition efforts in Europe.
• Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (Electric Mobility Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Drive Electric Campaign, supporting electric mobility transition in India and emerging economies.
• United Nations FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in maritime shipping decarbonization efforts, working to eliminate ship pollution and advance zero-emission shipping by 2050.
• Opportunity GreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in maritime shipping decarbonization, focused on decarbonizing maritime shipping by 2050 through policy and industry engagement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bezos Earth Fund: Bezos Earth Fund is one of the largest climate philanthropies ($10B+ commitment), funding climate solutions globally. It is a broad incumbent peer, operating at larger scale across similar themes (energy, transport, food, CDR).
• The Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation has a long-standing climate program including the $1B commitment to deploy renewable energy. It is a broad incumbent peer in climate philanthropy with similar funder relationships.
• IKEA Foundation: IKEA Foundation is a major European philanthropy funding renewable energy, forests, and climate action, often in partnership with peer foundations. It is a broad incumbent peer in climate philanthropy.
• Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): CIFF is a major UK-based climate and child welfare philanthropy with significant climate grantmaking. It is a broad incumbent peer, funding climate solutions at scale globally including clean energy and transport.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Bloomberg Philanthropies is a major US philanthropy with significant climate programs including the Beyond Carbon campaign and coal phaseout initiatives. It is a broad incumbent peer in climate grantmaking.

Direct peers

• Open Philanthropy: Open Philanthropy is a US-based research and grantmaking foundation with substantial climate giving focused on climate policy and clean energy. It is a direct peer in the climate grantmaking space.
• European Climate Foundation: European Climate Foundation is a major European climate grantmaking foundation supporting decarbonization across sectors. It is a direct peer to ClimateWorks, with whom it co-convenes the Drive Electric Campaign globally.
• Hewlett Foundation: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has a dedicated Environment Program supporting climate and clean energy. It is a direct peer to ClimateWorks as a US-based climate grantmaker with overlapping grantees and program areas.
• Energy Foundation: Energy Foundation is a major US-based climate philanthropy that works across power, transportation, and buildings. It is a direct peer to ClimateWorks, and they are core co-convening partners in the Drive Electric Campaign.
• Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation: Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation is an India-based climate philanthropy focused on energy access and transport. It is a direct peer to ClimateWorks, and a core partner in the Drive Electric Campaign's India/emerging economy efforts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeclimateworks.org/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climateworks
• Xx.com/climateworks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climate Works