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Supporting Community Foundations Climate Action

Explore how climate change affects communities, and the role community foundations can play in mitigation and adaptation. Learn more about our Climate & Philanthropy Learning Journey, Climate Action Days, and collaboration with Philanthropy For Climate.

Participants at the Climate Action Days, September 2023, Berlin, Germany. © ECFI

Climate & Philanthropy Learning Journey

From January to March 2023, ECFI brought together 27 representatives from community foundations across Europe to take part in a special cohort of Climate + Philanthropy: A Compact Learning Journey, an online course developed by Active Philanthropy. In 2024, ECFI extended access through scholarships for practitioners to complete a newly designed version of the course at their own pace over three months.

Participants continue to share insights and experiences through ECFI’s dedicated climate peer group, strengthening learning and collaboration across the field.

Climate Action Days

In September 2023, ECFI hosted the Climate Action Days – a hybrid event combining online and in-person gatherings in Berlin. The programme began with an online thematic meeting on Circular Economy and Circular Philanthropy, followed by a two-day in-person workshop focused on community foundation climate action.

The event brought together the Learning Journey Scholars alongside other community foundation practitioners and climate experts, committed to exploring local responses to the climate crisis.

Workshop session during Climate Action Days, September 2023, Berlin, Germany. © ECFI

Philanthropy For Climate signatory meeting ahead of the Philea Forum 2024, Ghent. © Philea

Community Foundations and Philanthropy For Climate

ECFI supports community foundations across Europe that are ready to take meaningful climate action by joining the global Philanthropy For Climate movement. We collaborate closely with Philea’s Climate Coalition – the European coordinator of the movement – to raise awareness of the seven pillars of climate action and support their practical implementation within the community foundation context.

In 2024/2025, we partnered with the German Alliance for Community Foundations to encourage and guide German community foundations in signing the International Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change, marking an important step toward stronger climate leadership at the local level.