To build a strong climate and water justice movement, frontline communities experienced disproportionate harm — and the justice focused organizations serving them — must be continuously well-resourced.
Yet racial justice organizations in the United States are underfunded. A recent study by The New School looked at 12 national environment grantmakers and found that of the roughly one billion dollars granted, only 1.3% of funding was invested in BIPOC-led environmental and justice-focused organizations. This reflects historical and current institutional barriers on-the-ground leaders, such as our Core Members, experience accessing and securing sustained, long-term philanthropic investments.
Each year, PolicyLink mobilizes resources to support on-the-ground work by WECR Caucus members. Our approach is grounded in a trust-based regranting framework and decision-making is shared between the Caucus Steering Committee and PolicyLink staff.
WECR Caucus resource distribution includes:
Alignment and Movement Building Grants
Grants advance projects and programming aligned with WECR Caucus priorities, contributing to movement building around our collective efforts for water equity, climate resilience, and justice. Learn more and meet our grant recipients.
Federal Policy Engagement Cohort Grants
Grants provide frontline water and climate leaders with an on-ramp to federal policy, demystifying the federal landscape and policymaking processes, building critical engagement skills, and providing one-on-one advocacy support to connect policy priorities to national advocacy efforts. Learn more and meet our 2024 cohort recipients.
WECR Delegations at Water & Climate Events
Travel scholarships provide opportunities for WECR Caucus members to shape key water and climate conferences and events throughout the year, engaging as expert panelists and conference participants, while deepening in-person connections and movement building across the Caucus.
If you are a funder interested in supporting these leaders, please learn more about our Core Members and reach out directly to candidates a good fit for your portfolio, and/or contact Yasmin Zaerpoor, Director of Water Equity & Climate Resilience at PolicyLink (yasmin@policylink.org).
