Aims and activities
Aims and questions
Aims and activities
The Climate Activist Speaker Fund (CASF) was launched in early 2023 by the Environmental Funders Network to trial simple and effective ways for young climate activists to receive unrestricted philanthropic funding, while also being able to access more holistic support including training, peer networks and greater audience reach.
Designed with climate activists themselves, the CASF enables invaluable climate justice leaders to be compensated for their work and to strengthen their impact as speakers, campaigners and messengers.
By pooling and redistributing funds, the CASF has the added benefit of enabling funders to directly support individuals, be part of a more collaborative community and gain valuable insight and learning through their involvement. The CASF is currently coming to the end of a successful and insightful pilot year and is now progressing into a second phase.
The overarching aims for the CASF are to:
- Channel more unrestricted funding to MAPA (Most Affected People and Areas) activists in the most flexible manner possible while relieving undue burdens
- Bring more visibility to the unpaid labour of activism and normalise activist compensation
- Support activists to access desired platforms and audiences through their chosen speaking and messaging channels and to strengthen the quality and impact of their messages
- Support activist well-being, safety and healthy boundary-setting
- To foster a community centred around trust, accountability and collective learning.
How to get involved
We are currently seeking funding partners to support a full scale launch of our second phase, building on the success and deep learning generated from the pilot year. We are also looking to connect with similar initiatives and potential collaborators to share insights, explore opportunities, and support our efforts in contributing to a more inclusive, collaborative, and resilient movement.
If you are interested in learning more or becoming involved, please contact Sophia Cooke at sophia@greenfunders.org or Sarah Bradley at sarahd.bradley@gmail.com.
Who's involved
Who was involved
Who was involved
Learning and Resources
Learning by doing: adopting more inclusive and reflective approaches to funding, accompanied by this blog piece, shares insights from our recruitment and selection process for the pilot.
In 2023, we trialled a three-part series of panel sessions featuring the pilot participants entitled ‘From Words To Action’. The speakers presented to an audience of environmental funders and NGOs on their activism, motivations, and what it means to move beyond rhetoric. We invite you to view:
