The Climate Finance Fund

What The Climate Finance Fund does

The Climate Finance Fund (CFF) is a philanthropic platform founded on September 15, 2021, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, and hosted by the European Climate Foundation with funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Its approach is rooted in the Hewlett Foundation's 2018–2023 Climate Finance Strategy. The fund mobilizes capital for climate solutions by working with capital allocators across the supply chain — consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises, large non-financial corporations, banks, and asset managers — and provides expertise to market rule makers such as financial regulators. Geographically, CFF focuses on China, the European Union, and the United States.

CFF operates as a grant-making organization rather than a product or technology company. It maintains a curated portfolio of 17+ strategic partners spanning French and EU banking cooperatives (La Nef), US minority depository institutions (Optus Bank), credit unions (Clean Energy Credit Union, Inclusiv), climate fintechs in China (New Energy Nexus Shanghai), standards bodies (PCAF, GHG Protocol), think tanks (ZOE Institute), and ESG data providers (GSG). The fund does not accept unsolicited proposals and does not sell products or services. Its engagement model is thought-leadership-driven, evidenced by articles in the Financial Times, Forbes, and GreenBiz, the Global South Climate Tech podcast, and formal comments to regulators including the EU ESG ratings consultation, US SEC climate disclosure rulemaking, and US DOL pension climate-risk rulemaking.

The fund is led by Managing Director Marilyn Waite, supported by Senior Associate Yubai Wu and a 'Chief Joy Officer' named Alma. CFF was established with a pre-determined term limit; the fund is now fully allocated and will wind down by the end of 2025. It is not a commercial enterprise and has no disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or product revenue streams — its financial capacity derives from philanthropic grants channeled through its host and supporter foundations.

Name

The Climate Finance Fund

Legal name

Climate Finance Fund

Website

https://climatefinance.fund

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Climate Finance Fund is a philanthropic platform, hosted by the European Climate Foundation and supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, that mobilizes capital for climate solutions across China, the EU, and the US via a network of 17+ partner organizations spanning banking, fintech, think tanks, and standards bodies. It is scheduled to wind down by end of 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Finance / Philanthropic Capital Mobilization

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Climate finance
• Philanthropic platform
• Capital mobilization
• Sustainable investing
• Climate grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grant Funding: CFF is a philanthropic platform supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and hosted by the European Climate Foundation. The fund's approach is rooted in the Hewlett Foundation's Climate Finance Strategy. As a grant-making organization, CFF does not generate revenue from product/service sales but mobilizes capital for climate solutions through its network of partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Climate Finance Fund is a philanthropic platform that mobilizes capital for climate solutions through grant-making and strategic support to partner organizations. It targets capital allocators across the supply chain—consumers, SMEs, large non-financial corporations, banks and asset managers—and provides expertise to financial regulators. The fund does not sell products or services; it operates as a grant-making vehicle backed by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and hosted by the European Climate Foundation, focused on China, the EU, and the United States.

Product overview

The Climate Finance Fund is a philanthropic platform that mobilizes capital for climate solutions. It is not a product or technology company, but rather a grant-making fund focused on capital allocators across the supply chain including consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises, large non-financial corporations, banks and asset managers, and market rule makers. The Fund partners with various organizations including La Nef, Adasina Social Capital, PCAF, Optus Bank, Bank for Good, Business for Climate Finance, Clean Energy Credit Union, Inclusiv, New Energy Nexus, Nia Global Solutions, Sustainable Capital Advisors, VC Include, ZOE Institute, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, GF60, and GSG. The Fund began on September 15, 2021, and will wind down by the end of 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Climate Finance Fund Grant Program Philanthropic grant-making and strategic support program that mobilizes capital for climate solutions by funding and partnering with banks, credit unions, fintechs, think tanks, and standards organizations across China, the EU, and the United States. Targeted at organizations advancing climate-friendly lending, fossil-fuel-free banking, JEDI-aligned corporate finance decarbonization, and harmonized GHG accounting.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFF partners include organizations expanding climate-friendly lending capacity across the US MDI community, French and EU banking systems, and China's climate fintech ecosystem.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• La NefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Nef is a French banking cooperative with a strategic priority to serve a climate-friendly just transition and the overall sustainable development of France and by extension, Europe. CFF partnership focuses on increasing climate-friendly lending capacity and communicating as a model of fossil fuel-free, sustainable banking for the French and EU banking systems.
• Adasina Social CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdasina Social Capital's Climate Justice criteria aim to advance environmental sustainability goals in partnership with social justice movements. The partnership focuses on developing a climate-friendly agri-food data set for investors and providing insight into harmful climate practices in the sector.
• Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCAF is a global partnership of financial institutions working together to develop and implement a harmonized approach to assess and disclose greenhouse gas emissions associated with their loans and investments. CFF partnership focuses on expanding PCAF geographically and developing methodologies for more financial asset classes.
• Optus BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOptus Bank is a federally designated Minority Depository Institution and a U.S. Treasury Certified Community Development Financial Institution committed to helping all people build wealth regardless of background. CFF partnership focuses on expanding capacity for climate-friendly lending and building awareness among the U.S. MDI community.
• Bank for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank for Good was born out of a coalition of organizations coming together to elevate a financial system that makes it easy for people to align their values with their financial decisions. CFF partnership focuses on launching the BankForGood platform and campaign.
• Business for Climate Finance / Impact Experience InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Impact Experience Institute focuses on building bridges among people that catalyze collaboration and investment. CFF partnership involves serving as the secretariat for Business Climate Finance, an initiative that seeks to decarbonize corporate bank accounts and employee retirement plans using a JEDI lens to advance racial equity alongside sustainability initiatives.
• Clean Energy Credit UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Energy Credit Union's mission is to promote clean energy, environmental stewardship, and cooperative enterprises through financial services including climate-friendly banking options such as checking and savings accounts and affordable loans for clean energy and energy-saving products. CFF partnership focuses on expanding lending capacity for clean energy loans.
• InclusivcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusiv's mission is to help low- and moderate-income people and communities achieve financial independence through credit unions. CFF partnership focuses on establishing the Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy as the premier resource for credit unions embracing climate action strategies and building a network of nearly 200 credit union lenders.
• New Energy Nexus ShanghaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Energy Nexus Shanghai (NEX Shanghai) works to support climate fintech in China with the objective to reduce GHG emissions through climate fintech innovations. CFF partnership focuses on mapping the global climate fintech landscape and supporting climate fintech companies in China.
• Nia Global SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNia Global Solutions was launched in 2013 to bring activism and impact investing into public markets, developing six solutions-focused investment themes with gender-lens throughout. CFF partnership focuses on providing resources for retirement savers to align retirement funds with a climate safe future.
• Sustainable Capital AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable Capital Advisors is a financial, research, and policy advisory firm with extensive background in innovative and inclusive capital solutions in sustainable infrastructure. CFF partnership focuses on launching the AskSustainable database of climate-friendly banking and investment products available to retail investors.
• VC IncludecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVC Include platform was created in 2018 to accelerate investment into historically underrepresented emerging managers—women, Black, Latinx, Indigenous and LGBTQ—to drive economic growth through diversity. CFF partnership focuses on demonstrating that diverse-led climate funds lead to concrete climate benefits and benefits for underserved communities.
• ZOE InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZOE Institute is a think tank for new economic thinking focused on the European Union and Germany. CFF partnership focuses on convening a group of high-level experts to develop and mainstream a financial, fiscal, labor and industrial policy strategy to mobilize finance for phasing out gas in Germany.
• Greenhouse Gas ProtocolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenhouse Gas Protocol establishes comprehensive global standardized frameworks to measure and manage greenhouse gas emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains and mitigation actions. CFF partnership focuses on updating the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
• Green Finance Forum of 60 (GF60)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGF60 is an international platform on green finance operated by Shanghai Jinsinan Institute of Finance, inviting foremost leaders and experts in green finance worldwide to shape green finance development and accelerate carbon neutrality goals. CFF partnership supports this initiative's mission.
• GSG (Governance Solutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSG is a one-stop service provider for ESG investing and sustainability with a focus on the Chinese market, providing ESG data, research and rating services for Chinese and foreign institutional investors. CFF partnership focuses on developing a publicly available platform for climate friendly investments in bonds, funds, and bank retail products.
• European Climate FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Climate Finance Fund is hosted by the European Climate Foundation, a major European climate policy organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• European Climate Foundation: Major European climate policy grantmaker and the host organization of CFF. Closely comparable in mission (climate capital mobilization) and structure (philanthropic platform), with much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Quadrature Climate Foundation: Climate-focused philanthropic foundation that deploys grants across climate finance and decarbonization. Comparable to CFF as a foundation-channel donor, with similar focus on systemic capital reallocation.
• Sequoia Climate Foundation: Climate philanthropic foundation funding climate solutions including decarbonization and finance. Comparable as a major philanthropic capital allocator in the climate space with grant-based deployment model.
• ClimateWorks Foundation: Global philanthropic platform that funds climate solutions across mitigation and adaptation. Directly comparable to CFF as a grantmaking foundation channeling capital into systemic climate strategies and serving as an institutional donor intermediary.
• Climate Action Fund (by Sequoia): Philanthropic regranting vehicle supporting climate advocacy and finance. Directly comparable to CFF as a grantmaking platform focused on climate capital mobilization and policy influence.
• Climate Arc: Philanthropic regranting platform focused on climate finance, particularly mobilizing capital toward decarbonization. Closely mirrors CFF's grantmaking-plus-thought-leadership model and target on financial system decarbonization.

Broad incumbents

• Rockefeller Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation with a dedicated climate and energy transition portfolio. Comparable to CFF in deploying philanthropic capital toward climate finance solutions, but with vastly greater scale and broader mandate.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Large philanthropic vehicle with a significant climate finance and decarbonization portfolio. Comparable to CFF in mission but far broader in scope, geographic reach, and capital scale.

Emerging players

• Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF): Global partnership of financial institutions developing harmonized GHG emissions accounting. Comparable to CFF as a CFF partner working on climate finance infrastructure, but functions as a member-driven standard-setting body rather than a grantmaker.
• Mission Driven Finance: Mission-driven financial institution focused on deploying capital toward climate and social outcomes. Comparable to CFF in the climate capital mobilization space, but operates as a financial intermediary rather than a grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Climate Finance Fund