Clean Air Fund

What Clean Air Fund does

Clean Air Fund is a London-headquartered philanthropic foundation founded in 2019 and registered as a UK charity (charity number 1183697). It is the largest philanthropically-backed funder dedicated solely to tackling global air pollution, operating across the United Kingdom, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Ghana, South Africa, and a global programme track. The organization works with four primary constituencies: governments (supporting air quality policies and Low Emission Zones), funders (coordinating philanthropic capital through a coalition model), businesses (via the Alliance for Clean Air with the World Economic Forum), and NGOs/campaigners (through its grants programme). Its portfolio of programmes and initiatives includes the Breathe Cities initiative with Bloomberg Philanthropies and C40 Cities (operating across 14 cities with a goal of cutting air pollution and climate emissions by 30% by 2030), the Action on Black Carbon Programme ($12.9M), the Alliance for Clean Air corporate coalition, and supporting data platforms including OpenAQ and the State of Global Air. Since inception the organization has raised $248M of direct philanthropic funding from eight core funders, catalysed an additional $124M toward clean air initiatives, and supported over 600 projects globally. Its primary products are not commercial technology but rather grant programmes, research publications (including the only global analysis of international development funding for tackling air pollution 2019-2023), policy advocacy outputs, and resource hubs. The revenue model is exclusively philanthropic: Clean Air Fund raises charitable contributions from foundations (notably IKEA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies), corporations, and institutional donors, and distributes these as grants to partner NGOs, charities, and research organizations. Pricing is not applicable as no commercial products or services are sold; grant sizes range from $350k to $6m (approved by the Grants and Contracts Approval Committee) with grants over $6m approved by the Board. The 11-50 employee team operates from London with regional leadership across its geographies, supported by a Board chaired by Katherine Garrett-Cox (CEO of GIB Asset Management) with trustees including representatives from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Antares Ventures, Jacob's Ladder Africa, and the IKEA Foundation.

Name

Clean Air Fund

Legal name

The Clean Air Fund

Website

https://cleanairfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clean Air Fund is a UK-registered philanthropic foundation, the largest philanthropically-funded organization dedicated to tackling global air pollution. It grants funds, convenes corporate and government coalitions, and supports data platforms to drive clean air action across the UK, EU, India, Indonesia, Ghana, and South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO)

Keywords

• Air quality grants
• Clean air philanthropy
• Air pollution advocacy
• Environmental grantmaking
• Clean air funding

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding and Grants: Clean Air Fund operates as a philanthropic organization that raises funds from diverse donors including foundations (IKEA Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies), corporations, and institutional funders. The organization then distributes these funds as grants to NGOs, charities, research organisations and campaigners working on clean air initiatives globally. Revenue comes entirely from charitable contributions and not from commercial product/service sales.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clean Air Fund is a philanthropic foundation that raises charitable contributions from foundations and institutional donors and redistributes them as grants and programmes to organisations combating outdoor air pollution. Its core offering is grantmaking and convening — funding NGOs, research bodies, governments and campaigners, and operating flagship initiatives such as Breathe Cities and the Alliance for Clean Air to drive clean air policy and action globally.

Product overview

Clean Air Fund is a global philanthropic organisation that operates as a portfolio of grant-making and project implementation programmes rather than a unified software product. The organisation's offerings include funding programmes (Grants), strategic initiatives (Breathe Cities, Alliance for Clean Air, Action on Black Carbon Programme), data platforms (The State of Global Air), resource hubs (Black Carbon Hub), campaigns (Our Children's Air), and commissions (Our Common Air). These programmes work together to fund partners, generate data, build public awareness, influence policy, and drive action on air pollution globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grants Programme Core funding programme providing grants to NGOs, charities, research organisations and campaigners working to clean the air in their communities; has supported over 600 projects since 2019.
• Breathe Cities Flagship partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and C40 Cities supporting cities around the world to cut air pollution and climate emissions by 30% by 2030; operating in 14 cities globally.
• Alliance for Clean Air Corporate coalition with the World Economic Forum that mobilises multinational companies (Google, Accenture, Siemens, Biogen, Maersk, IKEA, Wipro, Haleon, Bloomberg and others) to measure and reduce their air pollution footprint.
• Action on Black Carbon Programme A $12.9 million programme to generate scientific research, build coalitions and implement solutions to cut emissions of black carbon.
• The State of Global Air Comprehensive analysis of air quality data and health impacts for 200 countries, funded by Clean Air Fund and produced by the Health Effects Institute in collaboration with IHME's Global Burden of Disease initiative.
• Black Carbon Hub A one-stop shop resource hub providing the latest evidence, resources and news on black carbon, a potent climate super pollutant.
• Our Common Air A global commission of high-level government figures, health experts, academics and climate specialists working to accelerate collective action on air pollution.
• Our Children's Air A campaign collecting powerful stories from parents around the world about the impact of air pollution on children's health.

Quantifiable outcome

• 930,000 coal boilers replaced with subsidised clean heating alternatives in Poland
• +7 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• World Economic ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnered with World Economic Forum to launch the Alliance for Clean Air at COP26 in 2021. The alliance brings together multinational companies to take action on air pollution, accelerate climate action, and create healthy communities.
• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC40 Cities is a strategic partner in the Breathe Cities initiative, bringing together data, communities and city decision-makers to cut urban air pollution. C40 supports city mayors and provides technical expertise for clean air action.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Air Fund works with WHO on global health initiatives, including supporting the second global conference on air pollution and health in Colombia (March 2025). WHO roadmap endorsed at 78th World Health Assembly with voluntary goal of halving air pollution deaths by 2040.
• OpenAQmajorTechnology or IntegrationOpenAQ is supported by Clean Air Fund to aggregate and provide free access to billions of air quality data points from more than 43,000 reference, research and low-cost monitors worldwide, doubling the number of countries with publicly available air quality data.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClean Air Fund partnered with CII to analyze the economic cost of air pollution to Indian businesses ($95 billion annually) and developed the India CEO Forum for Clean Air with over 130 members galvanizing the private sector.
• Health Effects InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Air Fund funds The State of Global Air, a comprehensive analysis of air quality data and health impacts for 200 countries, produced by Health Effects Institute in collaboration with IHME's Global Burden of Disease initiative.
• Global Climate and Health AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Air Fund supports the Global Climate and Health Alliance's Healthy NDCs Scorecard, a comprehensive assessment of governments' national climate commitments that recognise health impacts of air pollution.
• Alliance for Clean Air MemberscoreOthersAlliance for Clean Air founding members include Google, Accenture, Siemens, Biogen, Maersk, IKEA, Wipro, Haleon, Bloomberg, and others. These corporations have committed to measuring and reducing their air pollution footprint, using assets to accelerate clean air solutions, and championing clean air with customers and stakeholders.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• OpenAQ: OpenAQ is the open-source air quality data platform supported by Clean Air Fund, comparable as a complementary ecosystem player driving open data and policy action on air pollution.
• Health Effects Institute: HEI produces the State of Global Air report funded by Clean Air Fund and is a peer in the global air-pollution evidence ecosystem for policy and donor decision-making.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety: Bloomberg's road safety initiative shares overlapping transport-pollution reduction goals and donor base with Clean Air Fund's Breathe Cities and Alliance for Clean Air work.

Direct peers

• Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): CIFF is a major climate and health-focused philanthropic foundation active in air pollution funding across emerging markets, directly comparable in mission scope and grantmaking approach.
• IKEA Foundation: IKEA Foundation is both a core funder and board-represented partner of Clean Air Fund, deploying philanthropic capital into climate, air quality and renewable energy with a comparable grantmaking model.
• Energy Foundation: Energy Foundation is a philanthropic intermediary that funds clean energy and clean air policy advocacy, with a comparable grantmaking and advocacy model across multiple geographies.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: ClimateWorks Foundation is a global philanthropy services platform that pools and deploys donor capital for climate mitigation, including super-pollutants and clean air, with a comparable pooled-funder model.

Regional players

• European Climate Foundation: ECF channels philanthropic capital into European climate and air quality initiatives, overlapping heavily with Clean Air Fund's EU portfolio and convening role.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Bloomberg Philanthropies is a major philanthropic vehicle that co-funds and co-runs the Breathe Cities initiative with Clean Air Fund, making it a directly comparable and active peer in air-quality and climate grantmaking.
• William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Hewlett's Environment Program supports air quality and climate policy advocacy, making it a comparable large-scale funder in the same policy-impact space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cleanairfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-air-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles30 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Clean Air Fund