Two fund representatives, Jenny Everett (left) and Ben Brimble (right), pose with 2026 nonprofit grant partners at a donor education event.
The Central Texas Climate Philanthropy Collaborative—a group of climate-focused philanthropists—recognized that accelerating climate action in Central Texas requires a simpler way for people to invest in local solutions. Many community members understand the urgency of climate issues in Central Texas but don’t know where to give or how to make the greatest impact.
By partnering with Austin Community Foundation (ACF) to establish the Central Texas Climate Action Fund, the Collaborative created a streamlined way for donors to invest in trusted organizations while building a stronger, more coordinated movement for climate action.
Championing Climate Solutions with a Field of Interest Fund
The Central Texas Climate Action Fund is a field of interest fund at ACF—a charitable fund type that allows donors to champion a cause while pooling community resources for greater collective impact.
For the Collaborative, this model has allowed donors to unite around a shared vision for climate action in Central Texas. The Collaborative leads the fund’s strategy by convening local experts, identifying funding priorities, engaging donors through educational events, and guiding grantmaking decisions. As their philanthropic partner, Austin Community Foundation provides the charitable infrastructure that supports this work—from providing online giving tools and processing donations, to facilitating grant distributions and investing charitable assets.
Together, this partnership allows the Collaborative to stay focused on advancing climate solutions while ensuring donors have a simple, trusted way to support the work.
Celebrating the Fund’s Impact
Donor education event hosted at ACF
Since its launch in 2024, the Central Texas Climate Action Fund has awarded $407,000 to organizations advancing climate solutions throughout Central Texas. Its grantmaking reflects the broad scope of climate work, supporting organizations focused on energy and the built environment, natural systems and land use, and community resilience, equity and education.
In 2026 alone, the Fund awarded $150,000 to 10 organizations across these three impact areas, directing resources to partners with the local knowledge, relationships and solutions needed to strengthen climate action in Central Texas. To guide funding decisions, the Collaborative brought together more than 20 community and subject-matter experts to review 47 Letters of Intent from organizations across the region.
By combining donor generosity with a community expertise, the Climate Action Fund ensures charitable dollars are directed where they can make the greatest impact. Through its partnership with Austin Community Foundation, the Collaborative can focus on identifying local priorities and evaluating opportunities while ACF manages the grantmaking process, helping move resources efficiently to organizations.
Bringing Your Community Together Around What Matters
The Collaborative’s Climate Action Fund demonstrates what’s possible when people unite around a shared purpose. Through a field of interest fund, donors can invest in the causes they care about while relying on a trusted philanthropic partner that brings together local expertise, thoughtful stewardship, and the philanthropic infrastructure needed to move charitable dollars efficiently to organizations making a difference.
Whether your passion is climate action, education, the arts, health, or another issue shaping Central Texas, a field of interest fund can help turn a shared vision into lasting community impact.
At ACF, we’re here to help you create a charitable solution that reflects your values and advances the causes you care about. Contact heretohelp@austincf.org to learn how we can help bring your charitable vision to life.
To get involved with the Central Texas Climate Action Fund, join their mailing list.
