Final Report

How can philanthropists turn the tide against global warming? Never before have donors, foundations, policymakers and the general public confronted such a complex, far-reaching crisis. Left unattended, human-induced climate change could overshadow all our other efforts to cure diseases, reduce poverty, prevent warfare and preserve biodiversity. The stakes – and hurdles – could not be any higher.

U.S. philanthropy’s current investment in climate change is anemic given the urgency and immensity of the problem. The financial commitment to global warming also pales by comparison to what donors and foundations spend on health and education programs. To attract more funding for this vital issue, a consortium of the world's leading foundations sought a detailed and rigorous roadmap for philanthropic investment in climate change.

As the leader of the Design to Win (DTW) initiative, CEA prioritized potential investments by analyzing their mitigation potential and their ability to prevent “lock-in” of greenhouse gas emissions. We surveyed the scientific literature and sought the input of more than 100 of the world’s leading experts on energy and climate change. Based on this investigation, we developed a prioritized list of possible interventions and quantified each strategy’s expected cost and emissions reduction. We also surveyed current philanthropic and NGO investments in climate change to determine their effectiveness and identify gaps in funding. Our recommendations focus on carbon policy and interventions in six critical sectors: power, industry, buildings, transportation and forestry. Design to Win is intended to serve as an internal strategy document for foundations, but a public version of the document can be found here.

In 2006, CEA worked with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to assess the Foundation’s Wild Salmon Ecosystem Initiative (WSEI), the first of the Foundation’s programs to undergo external evaluation. CEA worked with selected WSEI grantees, external stakeholders and salmon experts to test WSEI’s strategy, or “theory of change.” CEA’s in-depth critique focused on WSEI’s goals, strategies, tactics and grant portfolio as well as existing field capacity and additional, external project financing. We also determined whether the Initiative’s “intervention strategy” matched the Foundation's philosophy, resources, and funding constraints. As part of the evaluation, CEA conducted an in-depth assessment of one of WSEI's oldest projects, the “State of the Salmon” program.

Detailed case study

On behalf of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, CEA evaluated the opportunities for a new programmatic investment to support the use of incentive-based tools for biodiversity conservation in the United States. In designing the program, CEA investigated past and current incentive models, barriers to success, prospects for national scalability, and financial leverage opportunities. CEA assisted the Foundation in evaluating potential grantees for the program. The project resulted in the investment of $10 million over five years to establish the Center for Conservation Incentives.

Detailed case study

The Funders for Sustainable Food Systems (FSFS) is a California-based group of public and private grantmakers whose mission is to promote a sustainable agriculture and food system in California. CEA serves as Coordinator for FSFS, providing staff capacity to organize and strategically lead their collaborative activities.

Detailed case study

CEA worked on behalf of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) with support from the Turner Foundation to identify strategic opportunities for pollinator protection in North America. The resulting report, Funding Opportunities for Pollinator Protection in North America, underscores the critical importance of pollinators and provides strategic approaches for organizations dedicated to pollinator protection as well as providing current and potential funders with funding opportunities for pollinator protection.

Detailed case study

CEA evaluated the Oak Foundation’s marine grant portfolio. This included an evaluation of over 55 grants, spanning much of the globe and ranging from support for marine protected areas in Belize to fisheries reform in the Bering Strait and policy reform in Brussels. The evaluation included in-depth case studies of several grantees, including an analysis of their accomplishments to date, collaboration with other partners, and potential leverage of other projects in their region. The project culminated in recommendations on how the Foundation could further concentrate their grantmaking both geographically and topically to be more effective in achieving its desired results.

Detailed case study

On behalf of a number of philanthropic foundations including the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, CEA evaluated the performance of organizations involved in environmental certification programs and analyzed improvements that could be made. This work primarily addressed the effectiveness of current certification methods in changing market behaviors and market strategies to remove existing barriers. The models resulting from this analysis were used as a basis for a funders' meeting to develop future strategies for managing their related grant investments.

On behalf of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, CEA has evaluated potential Program Related Investments (PRIs) for the purpose of furthering sustainable fisheries. CEA performed detailed due diligence on a number of potential investments, which included analyzing company performance against financial and environmental criteria. Most recently, CEA has structured a $20 million private equity fund to invest in companies that further access to sustainable seafood. The Sea Change Investment Fund is capitalized with a $10 million PRI loan from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, matched by a $10 million private equity investment and will invest in seafood companies which meet strict sustainability and financial criteria. The Fund's dual objectives are to expand the market for sustainable seafood and demonstrate that sustainable seafood is profitable for the fisherman and for the investor.

Detailed case study

The Pew Charitable Trusts, a leading national philanthropic foundation, was seeking to develop a market-based program to encourage U.S. manufacturers to reduce their use and release of persistent toxic chemicals. CEA worked with the Tellus Institute to design a national program to promote chemical use reduction as a long-term business strategy. This assignment led to the creation of the Chemical Strategies Partnership.

On behalf of the Resources Legacy Fund, CEA designed a grantee selection structure for the Sustainable Fisheries Fund, a fund administered to support fisheries pursuing Marine Stewardship Council certification. This work involved the analysis of funding objectives and opportunities for the Sustainable Fisheries Fund to increase the efficacy of the Marine Stewardship Council. CEA also developed practical investment criteria for the fund such as scalability, certifiability, and stakeholder support for potential grantees

Detailed case study

CEA worked with a team of funders to conceptualize and develop the Roots of Change (ROC) Fund. The ROC Fund is a funder collaborative supporting work to accelerate California’s transition to more sustainable food systems. The ROC Fund, working with an outside advisory board of experts—the Roots of Change (ROC) Council—supports key projects that will help California lead the way to food systems that protect public health, sustain natural resources and biodiversity, provide sustainable livelihoods for farmers and farm laborers, and support thriving regional food economies. CEA currently serves as the project director for the ROC Fund and coordinates grantmaking activities, project convenings, and ongoing administration.

CEA provides strategic support for the organizational development and ongoing activities of the Women's Environmental Leadership (WELL) Network, which is a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization uniting women throughout California to ensure the environmental health and well-being of families and communities.