Photo by Maicon Douglas Fotografia
By Ana María Sánchez Rodríguez, Director of Philanthropy, Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía (Cemefi)1
In June, Cemefi, a Mexican membership and philanthropic support organisation (PSO), took part in the F20 Climate Solutions Forum 2024 in Rio de Janeiro as a part of the WINGS delegation. The F20, established in 2017, comprises 80 foundations, mainly from Europe and some from Latin America. The forum focused on five main areas: sustainable financing, food security, climate adaptation, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and climate inequalities. Cemefi participated in two sessions organised by WINGS and Fundación Avina on 3 and 6 June, as well as the parallel event organised by WINGS entitled ‘#PhilanthropyForClimate: A Transformational approach to climate action’. The panel included speakers from GIFE, Fundación Avina, and Asociación de Fundaciones Familiares y Empresariales (AFE-Colombia).
From our engagement at the events and discussions, here are five key takeaways that I believe are particularly relevant to the Mexican context:
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Making an open commitment to the climate agenda is crucial to spark action;
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Mobilising resources for the Global South is the key to achieving systemic solutions;
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Local community solutions focused on racial and climate justice are necessary to address the unequal impacts of climate change on marginalised groups;
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Addressing intersecting agendas such as food security and climate change will allow us to address root causes;
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Collaboration in processes leading up to important political moments like the G20 can increase our sector’s ability for public influence.
These five takeaways are challenges that require different strategies for PSOs such as Cemefi. In 2023, Cemefi initiated discussions with various philanthropic organisations, civil society groups, and consultants to explore the role of philanthropy in addressing climate change. Despite Mexico’s civil society leadership in the climate change agenda through organisations such as the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN) (Cemefi´s member) and Iniciativa Climatica de Mexico, institutional philanthropic donors have not been actively involved in promoting climate solutions. We found that only a handful of donors support climate solutions through grant-making for local and community organisations.
Cemefi has assessed the philanthropic landscape of climate change donors in Mexico, to understand the key players and actions taken in this area. Our discussions with civil society groups, donors, and PSOs have highlighted three major challenges:
1. Engaging philanthropic institutions in discussions requires different approaches and an understanding of both global and local solutions.
2. Not enough philanthropic resources are being mobilised for climate solutions.
3. Some organisations need to build capacity around embracing a climate justice approach to address inequalities, as the threat of the climate crisis varies across communities globally.
To tackle these challenges, Cemefi is collaborating with WINGS, Comunalia, and Alternativas y Capacidades (allies and active WINGS members) on a collaborative climate change agenda to engage Mexican philanthropy. Through WINGS’ #PhilanthropyForClimate, a global network of practitioners is championing 7 pillars of philanthropic climate action, ranging from education and learning to influencing and advocacy. The #PhilanthropyForClimate initiative is gaining traction globally, regionally, and nationally. However, contextual differences and the challenge of translating the commitment into actionable steps for a Mexican audience pose significant hurdles. This collaborative agenda with our partners includes (i) creating forums to initiate discussions with our constituencies, (ii) enhancing the capacity and skills needed for sustainable climate action within the philanthropic and civil society ecosystem, and (iii) creating platforms for collaboration and fostering future alliances beyond PSOs and for donors who have expressed interest in climate justice. Two recent events were hosted under this agenda. The first, a roundtable on 29 April by Cemefi that explored the role of philanthropy in promoting climate solutions by posing the question: “What is and what should philanthropy’s role be in climate change?”, and the second was a dialogue on Strengthening Mexican philanthropy to Accelerate Climate Action, organised by the partners on 22 May, that brought together over 40 PSOs, CSOs, and donors.
PSOs such as Cemefi must actively engage and adapt rapidly to support their members on the path of climate action. I note below seven actions that Cemefi will address, considering the five takeaways from the Climate Solutions Forum:
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Facilitate dialogue between funders and affected communities, a practice fostered by supporting those affected by Otis-Guerrero, a category five hurricane that hit the coast of Guerrero on 25 October 2023. The role of philanthropic institutions in emergency response is crucial, but most importantly, so is intersectoral collaboration.
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Contribute to strengthening philanthropic institutions’ engagement in climate solutions that impact the social agenda.
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Deepen the perspective on environmental justice, involving close relationships with on-ground philanthropy rather than desk-bound philanthropy through grassroots organisations and communities.
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Promote flexible donations, influencing legal and fiscal frameworks that enable the actions of organisations, collectives, and social movements.
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Communicate with various audiences, promoting a holistic perspective that addresses mitigation and adaptation within businesses and a vision of regenerative development for commitment to people.
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Promote scientific philanthropy to support the generation of data and scientific information to understand and address the implications of climate change.
PSOs must forge powerful alliances with global and regional networks. We are now forming a robust collaboration with other WINGS partners in Mexico, including Comunalia and Alternativas y Capacidades, among others. The five key takeaways from the F20 Climate Solutions Forum emphasise the need for PSOs to actively mobilise philanthropic support for climate solutions focusing on climate justice. It is crucial to begin by openly committing to the climate agenda. Mexican philanthropy is ready for a #PhilanthropyForClimate national pact, and we (PSOs, donors, CSOs, grassroots organisations, and activists) must articulate what it should encompass.
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1. Thank you to Ricardo Bucio, Mariana Hoffman, my team members, and WINGS´ team: Erika Miller and María Eugenia Paez.
Ana María Sánchez Rodríguez, is the Director of Philanthropy at the Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía (Cemefi)
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