Cover photo from Canva
By Louise Driver, Executive Director, IPASA & Fia van Rensburg, Knowledge Manager, IPASA
Philanthropy does not allocate sufficient funding to respond to the scale and wide-ranging impact of the climate crisis. This crisis is mounting, and the progress made with climate mitigation, adaptation and adjustment of investment strategies remains too small and slow.
Philanthropy support organisations (PSOs) such as the Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa (IPASA) are perfectly positioned to play a pivotal role in educating and supporting funders to fund climate change and to incorporate climate change considerations in their funding strategies.
PSOs, as non-grant making entities, perform a unique role in bringing funders together to network, and gain and share knowledge that can inform and improve their giving. PSOs can educate their members by creating awareness of how climate change affects the work of philanthropic foundations and the communities they serve; and by giving them the tools and knowledge as to how best to respond. PSOs can also support their members in starting, shaping, and improving their climate journeys incrementally at a pace which is feasible for each unique foundation.
The work of PSOs reaches beyond its membership base. IPASA members who are adopting climate change strategies become ambassadors that provide positive examples of what can be done, not only for other IPASA members but for all of independent philanthropy in South Africa. There is thus a fast-tracking and multiplier effect when PSOs get involved.
Climate change is complex and challenging and for many traditional philanthropy organisations it presents a huge change in how they are used to conducting their business. Climate philanthropy is also relatively new and specialised knowledge and resources are needed to fully understand how best a funder can address the climate crisis in their work. Support is needed for foundations along their climate change journey.
Given the disproportionate impact of climate change on the Global South, and the limited available funding to address the issue, it is important for PSOs like IPASA to assist their members to develop fit-for-purpose context-sensitive climate responses.
IPASA has thus been leading and guiding South African philanthropy on climate responses over the past 18 months, starting with a three-part workshop series “Futureproofing Philanthropy Against Climate Change – How the Climate Crisis Intersects with Your Giving” in 2021. The workshop series covered why climate change is important and what risks it poses for South African funders; how funders can operationalise a climate lens with urgency; and what commitments and collective action are needed, specifically in terms of supporting and implementing philanthropic climate pledges. Concurrently, the Climate Crisis Toolkit and Resource Pack for funders was developed, and IPASA hosted a climate youth activist panel discussion at its 2021 Symposium. IPASA also became an ambassador for the WINGS Commitment on Climate Change.
We learned that knowledge, awareness, and interest in starting a climate journey are not enough to make “from awareness to action” a reality. Multiple and varied challenges stand in the way, and intensive, bespoke support is required to develop a cadre of confident and focused climate funders. IPASA’s 2022 climate change initiative kicked off with a mini-baseline study to assess IPASA’s climate journey progress and support needs.
Currently, IPASA uses the IPASA Toolkit and Resource Pack and the WINGS Implementation Guide to provide one-on-one consultations for interested members. IPASA is also developing case studies on our members’ climate initiatives, incorporating a range of climate journeys in different sector focus areas, and at different stages of development. The case studies will demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, that there are multiple entry points, and that just starting, no matter how small, is important. The case studies will be published by the end of 2022, and IPASA will again feature a climate session at its 2022 Symposium. IPASA will also be attending COP27 in Egypt in November as part of the WINGS group of International Climate Change ambassadors where we are aiming to attract further funder interest for our climate change work.
Through these initiatives, IPASA is learning and gaining a better understanding of the numerous and varied barriers that exist in the climate funding space, but we are also learning that they can be overcome by innovative thinking and dedication. Apart from encountering the well-known common barriers, we have learned that interested funders need advice and accompaniment. The skills set for this work is scarce – it requires a combination of climate knowledge, a deep understanding of philanthropy, and the local context.
IPASA’s own climate journey of convening philanthropy stakeholders and providing thought leadership and support has been made possible by seed funding received from two IPASA members, The Lewis Foundation and the Hans Hoheisen Charitable Trust, and collaboration with the African Climate Foundation (ACF) and WINGS. There is scope for more in-depth and ongoing work with individual IPASA members and other funders to fast-track, improve and multiply their climate responses, and to build the skills and knowledge required to assist funders to respond to climate, but more funding is required to allow IPASA to offer comprehensive support.
PSOs, like IPASA, can play an ongoing, unique, and vital role in the climate change funder space by providing dedicated, ongoing support to funders; building a strong local climate philanthropy knowledge repository, and strengthening thought leadership amongst Global South funder and academic networks. The decolonisation debate further reminds us to play an active role in finding appropriate solutions for the climate crisis in the Global South and to ensure that those solutions are funded. PSOs’ positioning in the philanthropy and climate funding ecosystem is ideal to do this work, but more long-term funding and support from key stakeholders in this space is needed to achieve impact at scale.
Louise Driver is IPASA’s Executive Director. Before taking on this role, she held the position of CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust for 9 years. Louise has a Business Science Honours degree in Social Marketing from UCT and over 25 years of development and corporate experience.
Fia has over 20 years’ experience in the development sector, which includes work in project and programme design, implementation, monitoring, reporting and knowledge management. Earlier experience in the development sector includes working on various donor-funded projects in provincial and national government, and programme management in a regional UN Agency.
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