In memory of Flo Britton, who was always a wonderful adventure partner and travel companion ❤️

Backed by careful research to maximize the impact of our dollars. It's an issue that is critical for out survival. Gotta make this one monthly 🔄🌍

Supporting this awesome organization again as they fight a series of anti-trans bills in the Maine legislature (including trying to ban trans youth from school sports programs) 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

Making my previous donation recurring :) The Steel Yard is an amazing crossroads of magical people and ideas. It's a place were people come to learn new job skills, explore the industrial history of Rhode Island, create public art, and at least once a year, see molten iron flung into the air.  It's the kind of place where a welder who's been working on submarines for 40 years can be found collaborating with a young ceramic artist. It's so full of creativity, teamwork, and a deep care for the Rhode Island community.

Our rights and existence are under attack so it is more important than ever to invest in organizations that strengthen our support networks and ensure every person can live authentically and without fear. The ECC’s commitment to providing resources, affordable housing, and a collaborative hub for advocacy helps keep our community resilient and strong.

Supporting this awesome org for Giving to Women and Girls Day!

Alzheimer's Association National Office

Supporting highly-impactful, evidence-based solutions to the triple challenge of climate change, air pollution and energy poverty.

The Founders Pledge Climate Fund exists to leverage each dollar and fund the most effective, neglected climate solutions.

Climate change is an incredibly complex problem borne out of how we produce and consume energy; it's intertwined with challenges of economic development, energy poverty, and emissions-fueled air pollution. It is an environmental and humanitarian crisis we must urgently address.

We aim to take a holistic approach that recognizes the global nature of this challenge and the fact that, despite its urgency, we are still in the early days of climate action. We address the worst-case scenarios of climate damage, and look for solutions that can reduce current carbon emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy to meet global demand, especially in developing countries. Through the Fund, we:

- Accelerate innovation in neglected technologies
- Catalytically grow the most effective climate organizations
- Promote policy leadership and paradigm shaping

### Our Approach to Grantmaking
When evaluating potential grants, we consider several key points:

- **Counterfactual impact.** Our grants are designed to create a meaningful outcome that would not otherwise have happened. This means that you can rely on the Funds to create meaningful, real change, rather than just maintaining the status quo.
- **Impact-driven philanthropy.** This fund prioritizes the highest-impact solutions to challenges. We assess where the gaps are, which opportunities may be neglected by other funders, and where the biggest wins are in terms of making the biggest difference.
- **The organization’s funding gap.** Not all organizations are set up to scale up their programming and many can’t productively absorb large amounts of unsolicited funding. We evaluate all potential grantees’ capacity for growth and consider how much money they could put to good use.
- **Organizational strength.** Particularly with unrestricted funding, it’s important to have trust in the leadership and capacity of the organizations we support. We look at their track record of success and their transparency about failures as well as successes, and we only support those organizations which are exceptionally well run.
- **Time-critical opportunities and funding certainty.** While Founders Pledge members give to our top climate charities regularly, sometimes there are time-critical opportunities which require fast decisions. We will use the Fund to make grants that enable such short-term opportunities and stability for high-impact funding opportunities thereby increasing the impact compared to individual giving to specific organizations.
- **Portfolio approach.** Because most climate damage comes from particular severe outcomes – with a world of 4 degrees of warming being much worse than twice as bad as a world with 2 degrees – and because every particular strategy – such as energy innovation – might underdeliver, we pursue a portfolio approach to maximize positive impact. This means we will diversify our bets in ways that, when one approach fails (such as energy innovation), the others we promote (such as carbon removal) can be expected to be particularly important and still available.

### Frequently-Asked Questions

**Can charities apply for money from the Fund?**
The Funds do not generally accept applications from charities, and we request that charities do not send unsolicited applications for funding. If the Fund Managers choose to open up an application round, this will be publicized.

**How frequently will you make grants from the Fund?**
In general, Fund Managers will review grantmaking decisions on a quarterly basis. Decisions will be made based on the value of Funds and the available options for high-impact grantmaking. We may disburse funds outside of quarterly review dates if we become aware of a particularly promising and time-sensitive funding.

**How will my contribution be used?**
All funds are granted out. The Fund is not an investment vehicle. The Fund does not use any percentage of contributions to cover staff time or other overhead costs. Every dollar contributed to the Fund will be used to make grants directly to end-user organizations creating a real difference.

### More Questions?

To learn more about the Founders Pledge Climate Fund, please visit [founderspledge.com](https://founderspledge.com/funds/climate-change-fund) or email the Fund Managers at [funds@founderspledge.com](mailto:funds@founderspledge.com).

Founders Pledge: Climate Fund

Maine's only trans advocacy organization, supporting and empowering trans people to create a world where they can thrive.

Our mission is to support and empower transgender people to create a world where they can thrive.

MaineTransNet is a community based organization led by transgender people for transgender people. We provide peer-to-peer support groups, social and community events, advocacy for the transgender community across Maine, and transgender cultural competency training for medical, mental health, and social service providers. We engage transgender people and our allies across Maine in the practice of community building and organizing for mutual liberation. Our work is rooted in a deep desire to care for one another, which leads us to focus our efforts on building systems of mutual support on a bedrock of accessibility, inclusivity, and hospitality. We view structures of power and oppression as interlocking, and believe in finding our leadership from among those people who experience this as a reality in their daily lives.

MaineTransNet

The Steel Yard offers arts and technical training programs designed to increase opportunities for cultural and artistic expression.

The Steel Yard is a non-profit industrial art center and shared studio located in Providence, RI. We’re an arts maker space and non-traditional craft school offering courses & educational programs in blacksmithing, welding, jewelry, foundry, and ceramics. 

Our public projects department fabricates functional, design-driven public-art for installation throughout Southeastern New England. These decorative bike racks, trash cans, benches, and fences are found at businesses and main streets from Western Massachusetts to Block Island, with custom metal sculptures installed along waterways, parks, schools and public spaces across the region.

We’re a community of artists, makers, and learners. We host an artist residency program for emerging and mid-level artists that provides full access to our studios and equipment. Our welding job training program pays under-employed Rhode Islanders to learn welding, shop safety, and associated skills with the goal of getting a good-paying job.

Our 3.8-acre award-winning campus is the perfect venue for public and private events and one-of-a-kind fundraisers like our annual Halloween Iron Pour.

the Steel Yard

Equality Community Center is a non-profit organization. It is based in Portland, ME. It received its nonprofit status in 2018.

The Equality Community Center is a collaborative workplace for LGBTQ+ and allied social justice seeking non-profit organizations.

We strive to be a safe and inclusive gathering space that provides social and educational programming for all, while supporting the most marginalized in our communities.

Equality Community Center

Helps you put your money where your morals are. Together, we can close the funding gap for Black-founded nonprofits.

Giving Gap

the nonprofits

Full STEAM Forward is a free STEM+Art enrichment program for 3rd through 5th grade girls from underserved communities.

Full STEAM Forward is committed to advancing equity in education by providing free, high-quality STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) enrichment programs for girls from underserved communities. We aim to ignite a lasting passion for the sciences through multi-year, hands-on experiences that build knowledge, cultivate creative problem-solving skills, boost self-confidence, and connect girls with inspiring role models in STEM fields. By nurturing interest and enthusiasm for STEAM, we aspire to influence academic achievement, guide career paths, and drive meaningful diversity and representation in our future STEM workforce.

Since 2020, we've been working to increase access to impactful afterschool programs for girls living in NYC, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. In 2024, we served over 230 girls through our in-person and online classes.

Our innovative program includes:

- Three years of free, high-quality afterschool STEAM programming,
- Weekly 1.5 hour classes delivered in-person or on-line,
- Hands-on projects designed to encourage intellectual curiosity and teach the foundations of science and technology,
- Access to women of color in STEM fields to serve as role models,
- An Alumni Program for our students and family to ensure continued awareness of future STEM opportunities.

When we measure our impact, we find that our students:

- Have increased positive attitudes towards science,
- Have a better developed understanding of science,
- Academically outperform their peers in science,
- Show an increased interest in STEM careers,
- Love the program!

Full STEAM Forward

Hot Bread Kitchen is a nonprofit creating economic opportunity through careers in food.

Hot Bread Kitchen

LifeStraw operates the Safe Water Fund, a 501(c)3 project to support the provision of safe water where it is needed most.  

In addition to our retail-funded Give back program, LifeStraw's Safe Water Fund supports provision of safe water during humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters. We also utilize funds to support the implementation of long-term, sustainable safe water programs around the world. We work with incredible grassroots organizations and local partners to help identify and reach communities and families most in need. LifeStraw also implements special initiatives in the cities where our employees live, including our headquarters in Baltimore City – as well as on Giving Tuesday each year.

Your contribution helps us reach more families with safe drinking water!

**100% of donated funds go toward the cost of products and distribution of supplies. Vestergaard Frandsen, Inc. (d/b/a “LifeStraw”) does not profit from your donation.**

*LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund operates through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund, a Texas nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178, ppf.org/pp). Contributions to LifeStraw’s Safe Water Fund qualify as tax-deductible.*

LifeStraw Safe Water Fund

Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs to do the most good possible with their charitable giving. 

We equip members with everything needed to maximize their impact, from evidence-led research and advice on the world’s most pressing problems, to comprehensive infrastructure for global grant-making, alongside opportunities to learn and connect. We’re grateful to be funded by our members and other generous donors. 

Founders Pledge

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We are a nonprofit, so instead of charging fees we rely on the generosity of donors like you.