Climateworks Foundation

“During 2020, the organization contracted with vesancy forestry consultants/chris elliott to manage the climate and land use alliance. Compensation paid to vesancy forestry consultants during the 2020 tax year in exchange for these services totaled $507,620.”

“The form 990 is prepared jointly by climateworks foundation staff and an outside accounting firm. The draft is reviewed by the cfo/treasurer, president & chief executive officer, and general counsel. Climateworks' financial management and the accounting firm's tax lead reviews the draft with climateworks' audit committee. The audit committee recommends approval of the return to the board, who receives the form 990 prior to filing with the internal revenue service.”

“Climateworks foundation's policy requires that any apparent or potential conflicts of interest be fully disclosed before a decision is made on the matter involved, and that no director, officer, or staff member participate (other than by providing information) in any decision in which he or she has a conflict of interest. Climateworks' conflict of interest policy is included as part of the formal orientation for all new board of directors, officers, and staff. Additionally, all officers, directors, and staff are required to complete an annual conflict of interest disclosure statement. Potential officer and board member conflicts are reviewed by the chair of the board, who will investigate the facts, seek advice from outside counsel as necessary, and report back to the board at the time it considers the transaction. An interested director or officer will not participate in deliberations or the vote. Potential staff member conflicts are reviewed by the president & chief executive officer, who will investigate the facts, seek advice from outside counsel as necessary, and take appropriate action in accordance with the policy.”

“The board annually reviews the compensation of the president and chief executive officer and approves changes. Consistent with its conflict of interest policy, the president and chief executive officer, who is also a director, did not participate in any board deliberations or votes regarding her compensation. The board approves changes to the cfo/treasurer's compensation, unless the change applies to substantially all employees. The board uses third-party compensation surveys and compensation information of comparable organizations, including other foundations, public charities, and ngos to benchmark compensation for these positions. Climateworks foundation documents the deliberations regarding compensation in minutes of the meetings of its board. Compensation for key employees is reviewed annually by direct supervisors, with final review by the president and chief executive officer. Third-party surveys, compiling data from other foundations, public charities, and ngos are used to benchmark compensation for each position.”

“Climateworks foundation provides a copy of the form 990 directly to guidestar to publish on its website, in addition to posting the form 990 on its website and providing a copy of the form 990 upon request by the general public.”

“Climateworks foundation makes its governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and audited financial statements available to the public upon request.”

“The climateworks foundation's mission is to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy. We are a global platform for philanthropy to innovate, collaborate, and accelerate climate solutions that scale by bringing together a unique network of funders, grantees, researchers, and other partners. We provide a suite of global programs and global services uniquely designed to amplify the power of a climate philanthropy community that is larger, more coordinated, more international, and growing faster than ever. Climateworks global programs support climate change mitigation efforts from early explorations to scaled initiatives. We help develop innovative and impactful solutions, fund their implementation, and scale up those that show the greatest promise. Our diverse set of philanthropic programs are critical to climate mitigation success and include carbon dioxide removal; cooling; finance; food & agriculture; forests & land use; governance & diplomacy; industry; power; super pollutants; transportation; as well as expertise and advisory services to help design and implement grantmaking strategies that drive climate progress. Climateworks global services include: (i) global intelligence that provides funders with the knowledge necessary to build their climate investment strategies, which helps them explore areas for climate action and identify opportunities for greater impact and partnership; (ii) global collaborations that enable climate funders to increase individual and collective impact; and (iii) global grantmaking that enable funders to invest in climate strategies around the globe. Through our programs and services, climateworks helps the field of climate philanthropy act with the ambition, urgency, capabilities, and interconnections needed to end the climate crisis.”

“We collaborated with our expansive network of partners and grantees to contribute to a variety of achievements around the globe, driving meaningful progress on climate action. Climateworks global programs: through our global programs, we drive innovation and climate solutions that scale. Our portfolio of global and transnational climate mitigation strategies and grantmaking help funders maximize their philanthropic impact. We support climate change mitigation efforts from early explorations to scaled initiatives. We help develop innovative and high-impact solutions, fund their implementation, and scale up those that show the greatest promise. 2020 global programs activities included: (i) carbon dioxide removal: we boosted carbon removal efforts with new initiatives, including the launch of ocean cdr, a new knowledge hub to support ocean-based carbon dioxide removal. (ii) food & agriculture: we worked in europe, the u.s., asia, and south america to accelerate the transition to a global food system that is healthier and more sustainable. (iii) road transportation: california, quebec, and the u.k. Members of the zero-emission vehicle alliance all accelerated the transition to electric vehicles by announcing phaseouts of oil combustion vehicles in favor of 100% zero-emission passenger vehicle sales by 2035 or earlier. (iv) industry: buy clean a public procurement policy designed to lower emissions was implemented in california and introduced in new york state and the u.s. Congress. (v) shipping: the european parliament voted to include the maritime shipping sector in its emissions trading system, as well as the overarching eu climate law, making it mandatory to achieve full decarbonization by 2050. (vi) finance: we developed a financial reform playbook with partners to guide the biden transition team on how to reduce the risk posed by climate change to the financial system. The biden administration has adopted many of the recommendations for early action. (vii) power: china and japan enhanced their 2030 emission reduction targets, while south korea put an end to coal financing and committed $35 billion to its clean energy transition. (viii) cooling: china implemented energy efficiency standards for room air conditioner units, and as a result, the domestic market is already on its way to achieving a 30% efficiency improvement. Climateworks global services: our intelligence, collaborations, and grantmaking services give funders the tools they need to make their climate giving as effective as possible. Designed with the unique needs of individual funders in mind, these services also enable the broader climate philanthropy community to operate collaboratively for greater collective impact. Global intelligence: climateworks global intelligence provides funders with the knowledge necessary to build their climate investment strategies. It helps them explore areas for climate action and identify opportunities for greater impact and partnership. 2020 global intelligence highlights include: (i) in september 2020, climateworks global intelligence issued a first-of-its-kind publication that shed light on the state of climate philanthropy. The report, "funding trends: climate change mitigation philanthropy", offered unparalleled insights on philanthropic funding flows for climate change mitigation, including a breakdown of foundation funding across regions and sectors. Notably, our research revealed that less than 2% of global philanthropic giving is dedicated to climate change mitigation not nearly enough to meet the scale of the global challenge. Although the field of climate change mitigation philanthropy has been developing rapidly, there remains immense room for sustained growth. The funding trends report enabled funders to better understand the relationship between where funding is most needed and where it is going, more accurately scope new strategies and refine their existing work, and identify emerging partnership opportunities. Data”

“In 2020, climateworks foundation advanced land-use policies and practices that mitigate climate change, benefit people, and protect the environment through its support for and administration of the climate and land use alliance (clua), a collaborative philanthropic initiative. The climate and land use alliance had an eventful and productive 2020, implementing the third year of its 2018-2022 strategy, developing strategic frameworks for new workstreams, and successfully delivering on key elements of its first annual operational work plan, guided by the principles in clua's higher-level organizational plan. Through clua, in 2020 climateworks made 148 grants totaling $19.6 million to 127 grantees focused on halting and reversing forest loss, advancing sustainable land use and development, and securing the rights and livelihoods of indigenous and forest communities.”

“Program consulting: program service expenses 15,709,756. Management and general expenses 48,000. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 15,757,756. Communications: program service expenses 393,573. Management and general expenses 334,910. Fundraising expenses 16,598. Total expenses 745,081. Consulting and professional services: program service expenses 143,595. Management and general expenses 2,800. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 146,395. Temporary staffing: program service expenses 396,628. Management and general expenses 71,500. Fundraising expenses 12,950. Total expenses 481,078. Program measurement and evaluation: program service expenses 462,718. Management and general expenses 0. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses 462,718. Recruiting: program service expenses 13,278. Management and general expenses -56,639. Fundraising expenses 0. Total expenses -43,361.”

“Recovery of prior year grant expenses 1,260,807.”