Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant

The Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant aims to support climate solutions that prioritize equity in BIPOC communities across Georgia. Launched in 2022, the program addresses the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities. With a commitment to collaboration and strategic funding, the grant encourages innovative projects that apply and scale effective climate solutions. Funding partners include five foundations dedicated to empowering communities affected by climate-related challenges, ensuring a sustainable and equitable future.

NOTE: In keeping with the crippling limitations that continue to be put in place by the current Presidential Administration pertaining to federal grants and loans for climate solutions and equity initiatives, the funding partners and equity consultants for the Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions and Equity Grants program have decided to forego a call for new applications for a 2026-27 cohort.Instead, the funders are committed to “leaning in” and providing additional unrestricted grants to the community based organizations we have supported since 2023.
Overview
Here in Georgia, communities from the mountains to the coast feel the effects of climate change in a variety of ways. From the health impacts of extreme heat to the property loss associated with flooding and other natural disasters, communities that are home to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) often bear a disproportionate burden. This is not equitable, and it's not sustainable.
Now is the time for solutions.
Drawdown Georgia is building a statewide movement to bring climate solutions home. The Drawdown Georgia Climate Solutions & Equity Grant (Drawdown Georgia Grant) seeks to support efforts to advance climate solutions that prioritize equity.
The grant was initially launched in 2022. Five foundation partners are teaming up to support a new round of grantmaking in 2023: the Ghanta Family Foundation; the NextGen Committee of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation; the R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation and its next gen program, The Dobbs Fund; The Reilly Family Fund; and The Wilbur & Hilda Glenn Family Foundation.
What is Drawdown Georgia?
Drawdown Georgia is the inspiration for the Drawdown Georgia Grant. It is a statewide initiative  working to scale climate solutions in Georgia in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while advancing other societal priorities, including equity. For example, climate solutions can improve public health, reduce household energy costs, and increase opportunities for green jobs.
Drawdown Georgia identified 20 climate solutions that are ready to make a big impact in Georgia today and are tailored to our state’s unique natural, economic, and social resources. The Drawdown Georgia Grant will focus specifically on 10 of these solutions that best fit the capabilities, budgets, and social capital of the nonprofit organizations and networks that this grant will support.
Our Commitment to Equity
The goal of the Drawdown Georgia Grant is to fund projects that will apply, grow or scale climate solutions and prioritize equity in BIPOC communities in Georgia. We especially encourage applications from and for Black and Indigenous communities in Georgia in recognition of the present day legacy of enslavement and colonialism in the state. We believe that BIPOC communities, especially communities with low-income and/or low-wealth households, stand to benefit from climate solutions and must be centered in the work.
What Kind of Work Will be Funded?
To be competitive, proposed work should include the following:

• Climate Solutions
• Projects must apply, grow, or scale one or more of the 10 climate solutions within a BIPOC community in Georgia.
• Collaboration

Projects must reflect significant engagement and collaboration with partners in the BIPOC community served throughout the duration of the project. Projects can also include formal collaboration, where a primary applicant submits the grant proposal with up to two co-applicants. These “formal” partners should have shared values, goals, and plans, and they should have skill sets that complement each other as they pursue a common goal.
Plan for Success
Projects must have a clear implementation plan that outlines: (A) specific goals that take budget, resources, and other factors into consideration, (B) a description of the planned work, (C) desired results, and (D) an evaluation process to determine degree of success.

Application Details

Overview
Climatechangeisoneofthemostcriticalsocial,environmental,andeconomicissuesofourday.
HereinGeorgia,communitiesfromthemountainstothecoastfeeltheeffectsofclimatechangeina
varietyofways.Fromthehealthimpactsofextremeheattothepropertylossassociatedwithflooding
andothernaturaldisasters,under-investedBIPOCcommunitiesoftenbearadisproportionateburden.
Thisisnotequitableandit'snotsustainable.Nowisthetimeforsolutions.
DrawdownGeorgiaisbuildingastatewidemovementtobringclimatesolutionshome.The
DrawdownGeorgiaClimateSolutions&EquityGrant(DrawdownGeorgiaGrant)seeksto
supporteffortstoadvanceclimatesolutionsthatprioritizeequity.
Thegrantwasinitiallylaunchedin2022andrepeatedin2023.In2024,fivefundingpartnersare
teaminguptosupportanotherroundofgrantmaking:TheGhantaFamilyFoundation;theRayC.
AndersonFoundation;TheReillyFamilyFund;TheWilbur&HildaGlennFamilyFoundation;andan
anonymousdonorinspiredbythepastsuccessofthisprogram.
Thisteamplanstoawarduptofive,two-yeargrantsofupto$100,000peryear(forworktobe
conductedin2025-2026).Toapply,applicantsmustfirstsubmitaLetterofIntroduction.Finalistswill
beinvitedtosubmitafullproposal.AwardswillbeannouncedinDecember2024.
Youcanfindlinkstoapplyaswellasadditionalinformationaboutthegrant
atwww.drawdownga.org/grants.
WhatisDrawdownGeorgia™?
DrawdownGeorgiaistheinspirationfortheDrawdownGeorgiaGrant.Itisastatewideinitiative
workingtoscaleclimatesolutionsinGeorgiainwaysthatreducegreenhousegasemissionswhile
advancingothersocietalpriorities,includingequity.Forexample,climatesolutionscanimprove
publichealth,reducehouseholdenergycosts,andincreaseopportunitiesforgreenjobs.

DrawdownGeorgiaidentified20climatesolutionsthatarereadytomakeabigimpactinGeorgia
todayandaretailoredtoourstate’suniquenatural,economic,andsocialresources.The
DrawdownGeorgiaGrantwillfocusspecificallyon10ofthesesolutionsthatbestfitthe
capabilities,budgets,andsocialcapitalofthenonprofitorganizationsandnetworksthatthisgrant
willsupport,including:

• Foradditionalinformationabouttheclimatesolutions,pleaseseetheglossaryoftermsattheend
• ofthisdocument.
• OurCommitmenttoEquity:
• ThegoaloftheDrawdownGeorgiaGrantistofundprojectsthatwillscaleclimatesolutionsand
• prioritizeequityinunder-investedBIPOCcommunitiesinGeorgia.BIPOCisabroadtermthat
• encompassesmanycommunitiesinourstate.Weespeciallyencourageapplicationsfromandfor
• BlackandIndigenouscommunitiesinGeorgiainrecognitionofthepresentdaylegacyof
• enslavementandcolonialisminthestate.WebelievethatBIPOCcommunities,especiallythosethat
• haveexperiencedhistoricaldisinvestment,standtobenefitfromclimatesolutionsandmustbe
• centeredinthework.
• WhatKindofWorkWillbeFunded?
• Tobecompetitive,proposedworkshouldincludethefollowing:

ClimateSolutions:Projectsmustapply,grow,orscaleoneormoreofthe10climate
solutionslistedabovewithinanunder-investedBIPOCcommunityinGeorgia.Note:Grants
willbeawardedbasedonthequalityoftheproposedproject,notthenumberofsolutions
addressed.Therefore,anapplicationthatstronglyaddressesoneortwoclimatesolutions
wouldbevaluedoveraweakerapplicationlistingmanysolutions.
Collaboration:Projectsmustreflectsignificantengagementandcollaborationwithpartners
intheunder-investedBIPOCcommunityservedthroughoutthedurationoftheproject.
Projectscanalsoincludeformalcollaboration,whereaprimaryapplicantsubmitsthegrant
proposalwithuptotwoco-applicants.These“formal”partnersshouldhavesharedvalues,
goals,andplans,andtheyshouldhaveskillsetsthatcomplementeachotherastheypursuea
commongoal.
PlanforSuccess:Projectsmusthaveaclearimplementationplanthatoutlines:(A)specific
goalsthattakebudget,resources,andotherfactorsintoconsideration,(B)adescriptionof
theplannedwork,(C)desiredresults,and(D)anevaluationprocesstodeterminedegreeof
success.
WhoShouldApply?
ThegrantaimstofundacohortofprojectsfromacrossGeorgiathatmeetthefollowingcriteria:

• NonprofitStatus:TheprimaryapplicantmustbeaUS-based501(c)3publicnonprofit
• organizationingoodstandingwiththeInternalRevenueServiceorhaveafiscalsponsorthat
• demonstratessuchstatus.
• ValuesinPractice:Applicantsshoulddemonstratecommitmenttounder-investedBIPOC
• communities,andsharehowthesecommunitieswillbenefitfromtheproposedwork.We
• stronglyencourageandseekapplicantsfromorganizationsthathaveBIPOCleadership
• amongtheirstaff,programs,and/orboardofdirectors.
• PlaceBased:Theprimaryapplicantshouldbebasedintheplaceswheretheproposedwork
• willoccur.
• HowtoApply
• ThefirststepistocompleteaLetterofIntroductionthatincludes:(A)aformthatasksfor
• basicinformationabouttheorganization(s)applyingandtheproposedwork,and(B)amore
• detailednarrativedescriptionoftheproposedwork,nottoexceedtwopages/750words.

UponreviewoftheLetterofIntroduction,applicantsmaybeaskedtoprovideadditionalfeedback
orclarification,ifneeded.Finalistswillbeselectedandinvitedtosubmitafullprojectproposal.
LettersofIntroductionandproposalswillbereviewedbythefoundationpartnersaswellasan
outsidereviewpanel.
Applicationdetailscanbefoundatwww.drawdownga.org/grants.
TermsandConditions
ThisRFPwillresultinuptofive,two-yeargrantsofupto$100,000peryear.Grantswillbeissuedin
one-yearincrementsbeginningin2024forworkbeginningin2025.Yeartwofundingwillbeprovided
afterthegranteeshowsprogresstowardsmeetingobjectivesduringyearone.Granteeshave24
monthstoaccomplishstatedgoals,deliverresults,andexpendallgrantfunds.
Grantswillnotexceed$100,000ineithergrantprojectyear,andtwo-yearfundingwillnotexceed
$200,000.Projectscanutilizeotherfundingsourcestoexpandtheworkbeyondthegranttotals.
Organizations who received funding from the 2023 (Cohort 2) Drawdown Georgia Grant as either
primary applicants or co-applicants are not eligible for this 2024 Drawdown Georgia Grant.
Organizations who received funding from the 2022 (Cohort 1) Drawdown Georgia Grant may apply
for a grant to support new or existing project work related to scaling Drawdown Georgia climate
solutions.
GrantTimeline
Yearonerequiredactivitiesincludetwovirtualmeetingswithfunderstoreportonprogress.
Yeartworequiredactivitiesincludetwovirtualmeetingswithfunderstoreportonprogressanda
finalwrittenreport.
ContactInformation
PleasecompletetheLetterofIntroductiononlineatwww.drawdownga.org/grants.Questions
regardingtheDrawdownGeorgiaGrantandtheLetterofIntroductionshouldbesentto
grants@drawdownga.org.