Where the Green Grants Went 9 (WTGGW9) provides an overview of environmental giving in the year 2021/22 by UK foundations and lotteries. We analysed grants from 235 foundations and three lottery sources: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund, and the Postcode Trusts (funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery). In total, the report draws on 6,555 grants from foundation and lottery sources combined.
Environmental giving from these sources has never been higher, with foundation grants almost trebling since our last report WTGGW8 in 2021 – a hugely welcome rise in funding. But there is plenty more to be done!
The data suggest that current levels and approaches to funding continue to leave many issue areas and geographies underfunded, and environmental organisations unable to act as effectively, rapidly and strategically as they need to.
As we celebrate the ‘growing pie’ of environmental funding, we have turned our attention towards questions of effectiveness. WTGGW9 includes a new section dedicated to exploring elements of effective environmental philanthropy, citing feedback from environmental leaders and fundraisers to illustrate what the sector thinks is needed from funders, using recent and past survey responses. Based on these reflections, we have laid out ten elements of effective environmental philanthropy, including practical recommendations and next steps that funders can take immediately.
