How we make grants
To make sure we deliver results in line with our mission, we apply strict criteria for how we make our grants.
We take a hands-on approach to our grant making: we take time to understand the landscape, develop projects in partnership with grantees and make sure grants meet the needs and priorities identified by local stakeholders. This way, we deliver worthwhile investments.
Most of our funding and grant making is proactive and made to charities or non-profits identified by our team. We approach potential grantees directly where their work might be in line with our focus for a particular region or policy area.
We do not respond to unsolicited grant applications. This saves time and effort for would-be applicants that might otherwise be wasted – and ensures that we use our own limited resources as efficiently as possible.
Our grant making principles
Grant making within Clean Air Fund is guided by these key principles. Our grants are aligned to:
- At least one of the four drivers in our theory of change: data, demand, drive and reinforce.
- Clean Air Fund’s organisational values: Evidence-informed, Collaborative and inclusive, and Dynamic.
- Our geographic and thematic strategies.
What we don’t fund
We do not fund in the following areas:
- Litigation: Clean Air Fund does not make grants used directly to litigate.
- Lowering air pollution exposure only: we want to tackle both climate and health – and our focus is on reducing carbon pollution and air pollution exposure together.
Our commitments regarding equity and grant making
At Clean Air Fund, we are committed to addressing the unequal impacts of air pollution through our funding and partnerships. We believe that a more equitable, diverse and inclusive clean air movement is essential to achieving lasting impact.
We aim to:
- Work towards achieving equitable outcomes by understanding the disproportionate impacts of air pollution on marginalised people, designing and delivering equitable solutions, and enabling voices of under-represented groups to be heard.
- Ensure the presence of people with a wide range of identities, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences within the clean air movement.
- Actively engage communities disproportionately affected by air pollution and to incorporate different perspectives into decision-making processes.
- Understand and demonstrate disparities in local levels and impacts of air pollution. This data is vital to support advocacy for, and the design of, policies and measures that reach everyone.
- Direct funds and opportunities to participate in global and national clean air advocacy, research and action, to organisations led by and focused on people disproportionately harmed by air pollution. A more representative, diverse field of clean air practitioners will build a stronger foundation for lasting clean air action.
- Ensure that:
– the health and economic benefits of clean air policies and measures are shared fairly
– the costs are not disproportionately borne by those less able to afford them
– the perspectives of groups disproportionately harmed by air pollution are included in policy development - Strengthen and support grassroots organizations and movements working for clean air. Including the voices and experiences of affected groups and communities strengthens the clean air movement.
Further, we commit to ensuring that our grant making approach reflects these aims and is itself equitable. We will:
- Design and deliver projects that reflect lived experience and local realities
- Use accessible language and formats in all communications and applications to reduce barriers to entry
- Promote fair access to funding, opportunities and decision-making
- Identify and support grassroots organisations
- Offer multi-year funding where possible to allow organisations to plan and grow sustainably
- Grant the true cost of the work, whilst encouraging value for money
- Treat our grantees as partners, working with them with in the spirit of mutual respect and learning. Build strong and positive working relationships.
- Regularly publish information on grants made
- Provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants if requested
- Ensure feedback mechanisms are in place for grantees to share their experiences, and ensure that there are processes to answer and action feedback received in a transparent way
We will continue to listen, learn and adapt our practices to better serve our grantees and the communities they support.
Transparency about our grant making
We publish detailed information on our funding and grant making every year. Read our Annual Report and Accounts.
