Does it stop with El-Nino?

A Rallying Call for Climate Philanthropy

Heat-domes, weather bombs, red warnings. Tuning into television weather reports on any given night can seem more akin to a 1970’s Sci-Fi drama, and a bad one at that. Yet with alarming speed the crisis in climate and nature now regularly subject us to extreme events and their impacts. Moninne Griffith examines the role climate philanthropy can play in finding solutions.

A hiker in the foreground with their back to the camera. They have light climbing gear and a backdrop.. They are looking down a valley between mountain peaks, with water possibly a lake or the sea in the background.
Photo from Fáilte Ireland

More Extreme Weather

Sweltering temperatures across Europe have already taken a huge human toll this summer and the signals for the year ahead are ominous. As temperatures soared in mid-June, the EU was joining the scientific community in warning we must prepare for extreme events at least until the end of the year. All prompted by the emergence of El-Nino in the Pacific Ocean.

Climate change and the disappearance of our natural world is not only real, it is also here and not off in some far-flung part of our planet. In responding, we need innovative thinking, big ideas and new approaches.

At Community Foundation Ireland, we know Irish philanthropy has the ability to bring ambition and courage to lead and take a long-term view. As a philanthropic hub, we must have a role, and we are working hard to make that happen.

Climate Philanthropy

Providing that leadership and opportunity for impactful philanthropy in climate and nature is high on the agenda of Community Foundation, as reflected in our recently published Organisational Strategy, which identifies Planet as a priority pillar.

In doing so, we are capturing a programme of work that has been developing since 2021 and has seen 868 partnerships formed with grantees to act before it is too late. Strategic partnerships are formed with communities, experts and researchers, advocates, climate lawyers and Government.

A huge footprint from this work is in protecting nature. Some 300 communities now have while others are implementing local action plans for biodiversity, each formed with insights from expert ecologists and the result of philanthropy working with the National Parks and Wildlife Service – pooling private and public resources.

Two women and a man bird-watching on the coast of Dublin. Dressed in outdoor clothes and hat, Deirdre Lynn of the National Parks and wildlife service is holding binoculars. Standing in middle of group with a big outdoor coat is Minister Christopher O'Sullivan, also standing next to him with binoculars which she is holding aloft is Moninne Griffith of the Community Foundation. All three are standing in coastal grasses about knee high.
Deirdre Lynn of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with Minister of State Christopher O’Sullivan TD and Moninne Griffith of the Community Foundation at the announcement of latest biodiversity grants.

We see this too in work to end our throw away society as programmes developed with Government through increased awareness and actions seek to increase involvement in the circular economy.

Headline local projects like Burren Beo and others are captured in a special Invest In Our Planet Video, together with many others on our YouTube channel.

Strategic

Motivating communities is hugely important and in many ways marked the start of our journey into becoming a leader in strategic climate philanthropy. We know visionary donors have an ability to partner with work which otherwise may not happen for a variety of reasons.

Their support has allowed an exploratory and somewhat dispersed approach to evolve so that it can be more targeted, systems orientated, and impact driven.

We strike a strong balance between local engagement and national, systemic change – each equally important for our commitment to planet.

The establishment of Ireland’s first Centre for Environmental Justice at Community Law and Mediation has paved the way for the assertion of rights, for those most impacted by severe weather, but also to protect and safeguard natural, clean and sustainable communities into the future.

We also recognise that education must go so much further than the classrooms, playgrounds and gardens of our schools – it is about investing in new and more sustainable practices in farming, energy production and in fact how we live every day.

Research and practical real-world programmes receive philanthropic support to identify these new pathways – and make them happen.

Advocates

Complexities and challenges locally, nationally and internationally are seeing already inadequate commitments on climate and nature being circumvented, undermined or simply ignored. We must hold both Governments and big businesses to their commitments.

Philanthropy through the Community Foundation is intended to ensure not only that existing commitments hold – but that they become more ambitious, more courageous.

We see this through the support of our work with our partners over at Friends of the Earth – whom for over half a century have been holding government accountable to making Ireland greener.

Growing Interest

Climate philanthropy is gathering momentum and interest, we see it from the next generation of donors, from families, partners like the Sunflower Charitable Foundaiton and even from corporates. So too is its footprint, from island communities to Dublin City Centre, from classrooms to campuses, from farmyard to our big learning institutions the impact is being felt.

Yet even with the experience of over 860 established partnerships we also know the journey has only begun. The actions and the impact will only grow if more answer the call.

Moninne Griffith is Director of Social Impact, Grants and Donor Care at Community Foundation Ireland. 

Take Climate Action

If you are interested in climate philanthropy or supporting other parts of our equality mission please do check out our Strategic Giving Guide.