Connective Impact

🌍 In our year-end webinar, Fundraising in Focus, we explored some of the biggest trends shaping sector-specific funding in 2024 and beyond. 👇 Here are four key highlights: ▪️ Climate Action: Historically underfunded, climate-focused projects have seen a significant surge in funding, particularly for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. At Connective Impact, we shared over 350 funding opportunities in 2024, and nearly 40% were dedicated to climate-focused initiatives. Foundations are evolving their investment strategies, and new climate funding programs launched in 2024 to reflect a growing commitment to addressing the global climate crisis. ▪️ Gender Equality: There’s a rising focus on funding for gender equity initiatives. A standout example is Melinda French Gates’ bold leadership, committing $250 million to global women’s health and $150 million to initiatives empowering women in the workplace. These investments are a powerful call to action for funders worldwide to prioritize gender equality and use a gender-lens in their grantmaking processes. ▪️ Humanitarian Relief: 2024 highlighted the shift from pure crisis response to funding focused on adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Increased philanthropy was directed toward humanitarian crises in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as development efforts in countries facing economic instability and civil unrest. However, regions like Haiti remain challenging due to escalating crises, stressing the need for flexible, locally-driven approaches to humanitarian funding. ▪️ Regional Diversification: A notable trend in 2024 was the diversification of regions receiving philanthropic investments. Funders are shifting their focus to historically underfunded areas, including Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Chad, Sudan, and the DRC. Many are also building strategies for Western Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, moving beyond the regions traditionally prioritized by philanthropy. These trends reflect the shifting priorities of funders worldwide. While advancing climate resilience, promoting gender equity, and fostering inclusive humanitarian aid are meaningful steps forward, there’s still much work to be done to achieve lasting global impact. What other sector-specific funding trends did you notice in 2024? Please, share your thoughts in the comments! The full webinar replay, slides, and transcript are still available, here: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj #GlobalFundingTrends #ClimateAction #GenderEquality #HumanitarianRelief #PhilanthropyInnovation #SocialImpact

At our year-end webinar, "Fundraising in Focus," we explored one of the most transformative trends of 2024: Innovation Funding. We saw funders across sectors embrace venture philanthropists' role, investing in untested ideas and groundbreaking technologies, particularly AI, to address global challenges. These funders are eager to back projects with the potential to revolutionize fields, prioritizing innovations that drive equity and serve marginalized communities. While the promise of AI is undeniable, ethical considerations and responsible use remain at the forefront. Sustainability is another key focus. Funders are increasingly prioritizing models that can thrive without long-term philanthropic reliance. Even traditional grantmakers are seeking projects that scale and operate independently after initial support, signaling a broader shift toward funding to empower, not sustain. A few recent RFPs we shared with our members in 2024 include: ▪️ The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)- Open Call for Funding Humanitarian Action and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI)  ▪️ The UNICEF Venture Fund Open Call | Unlocking the Power of AI and Blockchain for Data Integrity and Trust [called for Open Source frontier technology solutions to combat misinformation, innovative methods for data collection and validation, and technologies that enhance digital trust and mitigate digital risks for children. ▪️ The Water Research Foundation (WRF) called for Case Studies for Successful Watershed and Sewershed Monitoring and Decision, on management, economic, policy, and regulatory approaches showcasing an understanding of methods (including artificial intelligence [AI]) ▪️ Call for Proposals: Climate Change AI Innovation Grants 2024 | Quadrature Climate Foundation, Google DeepMind, and Global Methane Hub announced funding for projects at the intersection of AI and climate change. 💛 What’s the most promising innovation or sustainability-focused project you’ve seen funded in 2024? Or any RFPs not shared above you found interesting, share them below! The full webinar replay, slides, and transcript are still available, here: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj

🎯 The next trend we shared during our year-end webinar, "Fundraising in Focus" is Big Bet Philanthropy, a transformative model reshaping how major gifts are distributed to drive large-scale impact. In 2024, Mackenzie Scott channeled the majority of her philanthropy through Yield Giving, Melinda Gates through her organization Pivotal Ventures, MacArthur’s 100&Change, and Reid Hoffman (recent large grant opportunity) all led the charge in creating more transparent and inclusive processes to identify and fund high-potential initiatives. A couple of takeaways from the webinar include: ▪️ Shifting Expectations: Both funders and grantees are evolving in how they perceive Big Bet funding. Large gifts should be seen as one-time injections of resources, not as a long-term increase in an organization’s operating budget. This distinction is key to maintaining financial sustainability and avoiding unrealistic growth projections. ▪️ Relevance for Fundraising Strategy: For nonprofits, understanding these dynamics is essential when setting fundraising strategies, and financial projections, and communicating with stakeholders such as boards and partners. Mismanaging expectations can lead to challenges in sustainability, trust, and long-term planning. This article by Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, is especially helpful in providing context around this trend: How Big Bet Philanthropy is Transforming the Sector: https://lnkd.in/gqGkn4XK 💡 How do you see Big Bet funding shaping the future of philanthropy? What strategies can strengthen collaboration to maximize its potential? Share your thoughts below! The full webinar replay, slides, and transcript are still available, here: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj #bigBetFunding #GlobalFundingTrends #EquityInPhilanthropy #CollaborativeImpact #SocialImpactFunding

🌍 During our Year End Webinar: Fundraising in Focus in December, Shelly Helgeson and Lara Berry shared various trends shaping the landscape of Global Funding. One of the most significant trends in 2024 was the shift toward "Trust-based Philanthropy." More funders across government, private, and corporate sectors are rethinking traditional grantmaking practices to: - Examine power dynamics and create greater transparency. - Share the burden of due diligence and reporting. - Encourage shared risk-taking between donors and implementers. What does this look like in action? Multi-year, unrestricted grants that allow grantees to lead with their expertise. Funders are also stepping up as partners, offering fundraising support, leadership training, and organizational development resources. Thanks to everyone who participated in our poll last month, where we asked: What was the biggest trend that impacted your work this year (2024)? Almost 50% of results reflected that trust-based philanthropy had an impact on their work. While there’s still progress to be made, these shifts signal a meaningful step toward equity in philanthropy. 💡How are you seeing trust-based practices shape your funding strategies? The webinar replay is still available, here: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj #TrustBasedPhilanthropy #GlobalFundingTrends #EquityInPhilanthropy #CollaborativeImpact #GrantmakingInnovation #SocialImpactFunding

Happy New Year! ❤️ A huge thank you to Shoshana Grossman-Crist for sharing such an insightful takeaway from our recent session! We’re excited to dive deeper into some key trends right here on LinkedIn—so stay tuned! 🎥 Missed the session? Don’t worry, you can catch the replay anytime: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, connection, and continued impact -together!

🩵 Exciting Opportunity Alert!

What an incredible and dynamic year! Cheers to more opportunities for collaboration in 2025! 🎉

💛 Thank you, Kelsi for sharing your thoughtful reflections on our annual webinar at Connective Impact, diving into #FundingTrends across the social impact space. Your takeaways on localization, #BigBetPhilanthropy, and the evolving focus on DEI resonate deeply! We’re so glad the session left you feeling reflective and energized (even if a bit anxious—it’s a big conversation to unpack!). 2025 indeed holds exciting challenges and opportunities ahead. Here’s to continuing the dialogue and pushing for impactful, equitable funding practices across sectors. To anyone who missed the webinar, the recording is now available— check it out here: https://lnkd.in/ekVHbPHj . Also, engage in the comments if Kelsi's reflections resonate with you! #diversityEquityInclusion #locallyfunded #democracy #philanthropy