The question of partnership roles is raised so often in conversations that it’s time to put it here as a reference. In a nutshell:
- Philanthropy is a seeding mechanism.
- Most funders who are into climate work aren’t wielding enough resources to fund implementation – this is where state / provincial / national funding plays well.
- Funders who are large enough to support implementation often deploy these resources via prescribed, come-and-go programs.
- But the average climate funder can be very good at supporting trust-based, risk-accepting experimentation at the local level. Especially when these resources are pooled and delivered via a mechanism that’s strategically designed to target change in specific processes and systems.
- Cash on the table brings people together and unlocks other resources. It activates entire ecosystems around climate work.
- Global / national / regional networks of climate practitioners are spreading mechanisms.
- They test and scale actions that work in local contexts as local governments copy-cat each other.
- They can also come together to influence shared pain points – like regional, state / provincial, and national policies – if well organized and supported to do so.
- This requires flexible, largely unrestricted funding from a variety of funders and sectors. It also requires ownership and clear signals from the members. Network staff lead from behind, applying resources to priorities that arise from the network.
- Local governments are Petri dishes.
- They try this and that, win some and lose some. Cities are still the biggest carbon emitters after ~20+ years of taking climate action. They can cut emissions, sure, but more importantly they house the majority of people on earth. Which is still a vastly untapped force of change.
- Many funders are reaching more deeply into cities – beyond the government level – to find the local foundations and the community-based organizations. These can often be more nimble in applying targeted funding and support. They tend to already have in place relationships with people in historically ignored areas that need the most climate change adaptation help.
- If these partners work with the local government – who is really good at convening and project management – the combined strengths sets become a powerful force.
