NEW YORK (June 26th, 2025) — Youth-led climate groups are getting a $25 million injection from a philanthropic collaborative that hopes other funders will follow their lead in supporting solutions created by younger generations grappling with a future marked by increasing temperatures and rising sea levels.
Despite recent upticks in donations to nonprofits combating climate change, Enlight Foundation President Xin Liu said emerging leaders on the front lines of the crisis are not getting enough of that money. So, she and The Patchwork Collective are offering $1 million multi-year grants to 25 community organizations led by 15- to 35-year-olds.
“There’s a little funder stigma of trusting youth, trusting young funders, trusting their capacity, their ability to lead," Liu said.
“They’re really quite often very innovative and creative. And very much close to the problem, which drives them to come up with really impactful solutions," she added. "As an older generation, we have a responsibility in helping them, empowering them, to scale their work, too.”
The award is open to anyone globally who is tackling a broad range of climate issues including education, justice, resilience, conservation, sustainable agriculture and disaster preparedness. Applicants have until Sept. 22 to enter the open call run by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the MacArthur Foundation.
Applicants must register to apply before 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Friday, August 15, 2025. Once registered, applicants must submit an online application before 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, September 22, 2025.
