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.
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.
Transparency about our grant making
We publish detailed information on our funding and grant making every year. Read our Annual Report and Accounts.
