Lever for Change, sponsored by the Enlight Foundation and The Patchwork Collective, has officially just announced the Emerging Climate Champions Award 2025, a time-sensitive, once-in-a-generation opportunity offering 25 youth-led climate organizations a life-changing $1 million flexible, multi‑year grant each. This groundbreaking initiative addresses the massive funding disparity faced by young climate leaders, who historically receive only a tiny fraction (~$14 million annually) of climate philanthropy, despite representing the frontline solutions to our planet’s crises.
This transformational, unrestricted grant supports community-rooted efforts across a wide spectrum of climate action — including climate justice, environmental education, movement-building, scientific innovation, community resilience, conservation, sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, advocacy, and more. The Award is designed to empower youth leadership (ages 15–35) by trusting decision‑making in the hands of communities most affected and best positioned to drive change.
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The selection process is uniquely youth-centered and transparent, featuring a participatory peer-review stage (Nov–Dec 2025), where applicant organizations evaluate each other’s work, followed by expert panel review in early 2026, with winners announced by Fall 2026.
Act fast—to apply, organizations must register by 5 p.m. U.S. ET on Friday, August 15, 2025, and submit full applications by 5 p.m. U.S. ET on Monday, September 22, 2025 . Winners will receive flexible $1 million grants over two to five years, plus mentorship and global visibility, enabling them to scale durable, scalable climate solutions that address the immediate and future needs of their communities . This opportunity is ideal for community-led, youth-run initiatives—from Indigenous, women-led, grassroots groups, to organizations working on science/tech, economic empowerment, or conservation .
This explosive, high-impact funding is a visualized breakthrough in climate philanthropy — youth organizations usually receive only ~$14 million yearly but this $25 million initiative levels the playing field with 25 $1 million grants .It comes with no cost, no repayment, and no restrictions, offering maximum flexibility so leaders can allocate resources where needed — a truly risk-free, transformational opportunity .
The participatory review process is unprecedented and empowering: youth-led organizations evaluate each other, building trust, accountability, and peer-learning — a revolutionary, transparent mechanism rarely seen in major awards .
Lever for Change, a nonprofit arm of the MacArthur Foundation, has already unlocked over $2.5 billion across 16 global open calls — making them a proven, trusted convenor . Dawned through collaborations with Enlight Foundation’s youth empowerment mission and The Patchwork Collective’s grassroots-first approach, this award is backed by serious intent and investment .
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For applicants, this is the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to scale work rooted in community resilience, climate justice, or sustainable economies — all while gaining access to mentorship, global visibility, and peer networks. Instant credibility arrives with the title of Emerging Climate Champion, alongside relationships that foster next-level growth and impact.
Name of Organizer
Lever for Change, in partnership with Enlight Foundation & The Patchwork Collective
Requirement/Eligibility
1. Must be a youth-led organization, with leadership (executive or board) aged 15–35 .
2. Must have been operational for at least two years by August 15, 2025 .
3. Must demonstrate measurable impact and potential through a strategy for durable, scalable climate solutions .
4. Must be community‑led and accountable to the populations served.
5. Open globally, with priority for Indigenous, women-led, grassroots, and under-resourced communities.
6. Must work in eligible climate action areas: education, justice, resilience, conservation, sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, science/tech, advocacy, among others.
7. Must register and complete the Organization Readiness Tool by the registration deadline.
8. Must register by 5 p.m. U.S. ET, August 15, 2025 to qualify.
9. Must submit full applications by 5 p.m. U.S. ET, September 22, 2025.
10. Applications are submitted online in English via Submittable, but with language supports available (French, Spanish, Bahasa Indonesia, and ASL).
Prize
25 grants of $1 million each from a $25 million global fund, disbursed flexibly over 2–5 years, providing no-strings-attached, unrestricted funding.
Mentorship, networking, and visibility, via Lever for Change, Enlight Foundation, and The Patchwork Collective, empowering winners to scale their impact.
Global recognition as an Emerging Climate Champion, amplifying credibility and outreach in the international climate sphere.
Deadline
August 15th, 2025
Apply Now
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