Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund
Mission
The Indiana Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund consists of local, state, and national funders who are committed to catalyzing movement building at the intersection of climate, democracy, and environmental justice in Indiana. We believe that to create a robust ecosystem ready to take on local challenges, philanthropy must support the capacity and infrastructure building of frontline and place-based organizations so they can focus on community outcomes. Additionally, we must tell the story of Indiana’s challenges and successes to inspire change and galvanize additional funding for this integral work.
Our Why
Our Why
Indiana emits the most carbon emissions per capita in the Midwest and must transition to renewable energy to reach our collective regional and national carbon reduction goals. We must increase our efforts to halt planned new gas plants and retire the remaining coal fired power plants while reversing the alarming anti-solar momentum. There has been a dearth of clear, unified voices raising the collective consciousness of Hoosier communities to the devastating economic opportunity cost of blocking renewable energy investment while entrenching outdated fossil-derived energy.
We must invest in climate and clean energy advocacy organizations with a proven track record of success. Equally critical, we must build and fund infrastructure to empower more nonprofits and grassroots organizations to attract additional federal funding to implement systems level environmental initiatives.
We urgently need to engage community members in the democratic process (Indiana consistently ranked among the lowest voter turnout states) to advocate for an equitable clean energy transition. This includes increasing democratic participation and civic engagement in the state.
Fifteen Indiana based organizations, including four environmentally focused nonprofits, participate in the strengthening democracy Indiana Voices coalition. During 2024 this coalition recruited 900 volunteers, registered 4,653 Hoosiers to vote and verified the registration status of 16,902 Hoosier voters across the state. Their efforts to increase voter turnout was the most coordinated effort Indiana has seen in decades, which included contacting 558,136 Hoosiers via canvassing, phones, text, tabling, postcards and digital ads. In seven counties alone, the communications and messaging organization Stand Up Indiana created 42 unique ads encouraging Hoosiers to vote that received 8.4 million views on digital media such as YouTube, Meta, CTV, Google and Snapchat. These organizations will need philanthropic investment to continue to improve voter engagement and civic engagement.
Currently, Indiana nonprofits are leading the charge on environmental action, renewable energy implementation and decarbonization on many fronts including by pursuing federal opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act. Two Solar for All grants were awarded in the state, one to a group of nonprofits for community and residential solar and another to The Indianapolis Foundation in collaboration with nonprofit partners for residential solar. While these awards are exciting, they also come with a myriad of challenges and require a high level of technical expertise and oversight. Nonprofit partners need additional support to apply for additional IRA funding including through Thriving Communities Grants, Community Change Grants and Department of Energy Community Benefit Plans.
To address these needs, The Indianapolis Foundation, in collaboration with local and regional funders, developed a co-invested fund which serves three major roles; 1. It will strengthen relationships between environmental funders in the state through the development of shared goals and administration of grants and; 2. It will maximize the impact of funding beyond what any one funder could achieve or support alone; 3. It will expand funding opportunities to frontline, grassroots, and community-based organizations who are often unable to access private foundation opportunities.
While environmental funders in Indiana have strong relationships, there has not been a formal co-investment strategy to catalyze climate action and democracy work across the state. To leverage expertise and impact, The Indianapolis Foundation will convene a committee consisting of organizations that have financially committed to this fund. The goals of the pooled fund and committee include: 1. Develop shared granting priorities for this pooled fund; 2. Engage additional philanthropic organizations to co-invest in this fund and; 3. Re-grant to organizations in Indiana leading work mentioned above.
Purpose
- Leverage current and future federal funding opportunities
- Attract philanthropic investments in Indiana
- Strengthen relationships between environmental, democracy, and climate funders in the state
- Maximize the impact of funding beyond what any one funder could achieve alone
- Strengthen organizing capacity in Indiana toward power-building, climate justice, and democracy
Values
- Center equity in process, funding priorities, and organizational outcomes
- Community-based solutions as the path to climate justice and democracy
- Transparent systems that foster trust-based philanthropy
- Return learnings to leaders and frontline communities
Fund Members
We envision a robust ecosystem of environmental justice and power-building organizations in Indiana that are sufficiently funded, thriving, and accountable to the communities they serve to create an equitable and sustainable future for all Hoosiers.
Grantmaking Guidelines
The Indiana Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund prioritizes funding for frontline communities, place-based organizations, BIPOC-led and/or BIPOC serving organizations, LGBTQ+ led and/or LGBTQ+ serving organizations, tribal governments, rural communities, and rural governments.
Organizations must be centered in Indiana, led by Indiana communities and/or center community voice in work, and have measurable community outcomes.
ELIGIBLE PROJECTS
The Indiana Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund provides statewide support for the following:
- Nonprofit staff for current organizational scope of work
- New or existing programs and/or projects
- Pay for services such as consultants, technical assistance, or contractors
- Convening, collaboration, and coalition-building
Examples (These are meant to be examples, not parameters on what the fund would consider)
Democracy: Get Out the Vote activities, voter registration, organizer training, voting access, and voting rights protection.
Climate Justice: Community convening on an EJ solution, consultant to develop a federal grant proposal, data collection for environmental challenge, citizen science projects.
If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility or project eligibility, contact Jamie Valentine at the Indianapolis Foundation, jamiev@indianapolisfoundation.org.
GRANT INFORMATION
- Open application process, although it is recommended that you speak with a member of the Governing Committee prior to submitting an application.
- Members of the Governing Committee include:
- Tenzin Dolkar, McKnight Foundation, TDolkar@mcknight.org
- Stephanie Goodrid Lawson, the McKinney Family Foundation, sgoodridlawson@mckinneyfamilyfoundation.org
- Ellie Symes, the McKinney Family Foundation, ellie@mckinneyfamilyfoundation.org
- Jamie Valentine, Indianapolis Foundation, jamiev@indianapolisfoundation.org
- Rolling application with funding decisions monthly.
- Award range from $5,000 -$100,000.
- If you have a request that is over $100,000, please reach out to Jamie Valentine at the Indianapolis Foundation, jamiev@indianapolisfoundation.org, prior to applying.
- Single-year and multi-year award opportunities.
- Applications are submitted through the Indianapolis Foundation via the SmartSimple platform.
- Application questions have a maximum limit of 500 words per response. There is no expectation that responses utilize all 500 words. The application can include text and bullet points.
- Grantees selected by majority agreement of Governing Committee.
- Grantees may receive funding from the Climate and Democracy Catalyst Fund in the same year they receive funding from the McKnight Foundation, the Indianapolis Foundation, the McKinney Family Foundation, and the Herbert Simon Family Foundation.