the Emerging Climate Champions Award
Young people are increasingly taking the reins in climate solutions. Now, a new philanthropic drive is putting real firepower behind their ideas.
The Enlight Foundation, in collaboration with the Patchwork Collective, has committed $25 million to supporting youth-led climate action worldwide.
As part of this initiative, they’re offering 25 grants of $1 million each to organizations led by individuals aged 15 to 35.
The goal is clear: fund game-changing work in conservation, climate justice, resilience, sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, and education.
“The people who are most invested in this are the people who are going to be bearing the burden of climate change in their future,” said Kristen Molyneaux, President of Lever for Change.
A Unique Collaboration
This initiative builds on Enlight Foundation’s pledge to distribute its entire endowment within the next eight years.
Led by President Xin Liu, the foundation believes young climate leaders are often “innovative and creative,” and “very much close to the problem,” yet they lack sufficient funding.
To expand reach, Enlight partnered with Lever for Change, a grant facilitator tied to the MacArthur Foundation.
This alliance taps Lever’s experience, unlocking $2.5 billion through previous open calls.
Responding to this momentum, the Patchwork Collective, a family-backed philanthropic fund, has stepped in with an additional $5 million.
Grants Designed for Longevity and Flexibility
Grants will range from two to five years, providing flexibility to grow initiatives at sustainable paces.
Recipients will receive not just funds, but mentorship, networking, and strategic support.
This approach follows the trust-based philanthropy model—grantmakers providing unrestricted funding and flexible support, trusting local leaders to know their communities best.
Liu noted: “There’s a little founder stigma of trusting youth… we have a responsibility… to empower them, to scale their work too.”
Broad-Based Eligibility, Global Reach
Applications are open worldwide to youth-led organizations addressing
- Climate resilience
- Environmental justice
- Conservation
- Education
- Sustainable agriculture
- Disaster preparedness
The open call closes September 22. It welcomes diverse perspectives: youth advisers helped shape the call’s design and will join peer-review processes.
“As an older generation, we have a responsibility in helping them… they’re quite often very innovative and creative,” Liu said.
Youth at the Center of Philanthropic Strategy
For Enlight, channeling all resources before dissolving amplifies urgency and legacy. Liu views this grant as a cornerstone of that strategy.
Molyneaux stressed that youth voices must lead climate philanthropy:
“The people who are most invested in this are the people who are going to be bearing the burden of climate change in their future… they understand the importance… and how to mobilize their communities.”
What Could Be Funded
Though the effort is too new to name recipients, examples of eligible initiatives include:
- Solar micro-grids for remote villages
- Community-led reforestation in deforested regions
- Climate education platforms in local languages
- Disaster prep systems for flood-prone communities
- Agroecological farms that regenerate soils
The goal is to support locally rooted solutions that youth lead and scale.
How This Fits into the Big Picture
This launch echoes other global youth climate funding:
- Youth4Climate (UNDP & Italy): $30K per project for 100 groups across 52 countries, funded $2.5 million since 2023
- Global Youth Climate Action Fund: Focused micro-grants and capacity building in climate adaptation
- European Union & GCA YouthADAPT: Awards of $100K to Africans scaling climate resilience enterprises
This pattern reflects a shift toward trusting youth and empowering them with real resources and decision-making power.
Uphill Challenges Ahead
But scaling innovative local projects isn’t easy. Grantmakers must balance accountability with trust.
Some youth groups may lack the administrative capacity for $1 million budgets. Mentorship and flexible disbursement will be critical.
Still, leaders are optimistic.
Liu said: “I am very excited… They are going to build a much better and brighter future when they are engaged.”
The Enlight–Patchwork–Lever partnership marks one of the most ambitious philanthropic bets yet on youth-led climate action.
By pairing massive grants with mentorship and flexibility, it aims to unlock untapped potential, from grassroots innovators to global changemakers.
Grantees could emerge as tomorrow’s major climate leaders—redefining how change unfolds in their communities and beyond.
This initiative invites ambitious youth changemakers to apply by September 22.
With the promise of large-scale funding, mentorship, and trust-driven support, it could shape the future of climate philanthropy, empowering the generation that will inherit the planet.
Editors Note:
Enlight Foundation: A spend-down philanthropic organization focused on education equality and youth empowerment.
It plans to disburse its entire endowment over eight years and views youth-led climate initiatives as its final, legacy-setting investments.
Patchwork Collective: A family-backed fund that supports locally rooted, community-led solutions. Contributed $5 million to this climate grant, grounded in trust-based philanthropy.
Lever for Change: A nonprofit affiliated with the MacArthur Foundation. Facilitates open call grants and has channeled more than $2.5 billion through such mechanisms.
Youth4Climate (UNDP + Italy): Funds youth-led climate projects with $30K grants; has supported 100 initiatives across 52 countries.
Global Youth Climate Action Fund: Micro-grants and climate finance capacity building for youth-led adaptation projects.
African Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge (YouthADAPT): Provides $100K awards to youth-led climate adaptation entrepreneurs in Africa.
