E131: The Shark Tank-Style Fix for Climate Philanthropy with 1.5°Climate

Less than 2% of all philanthropic giving goes to climate, and a big reason why is something Greg Rock calls "donor paralysis." People care, but the landscape is so complex that many well-meaning donors don’t take action.

This week on Everybody in the Pool, Molly sits down with Greg Rock, Executive Director of 1.5°Climate, a free national donor collaborative that's borrowing the energy of VC pitch competitions to make climate philanthropy more accessible, more exciting, and more impactful. With 600+ members and $35 million moved to over 100 organizations, 1.5°Climate is proving that you don’t have to be a billionaire, or an expert in climate tech, to make a real difference.

We talk about:

• Why less than 2% of philanthropic giving goes to climate, and what we can do to change that
• How 1.5°Climate's Shark Tank-style virtual pitch events connect donors directly with vetted climate organizations
• The three criteria that define a high-impact climate investment: catalytic potential, leverage, and gap-filling
• Why 1.5°Climate funds nonprofits that aren’t exclusively climate organizations like cattle trade associations and agricultural projects
• How the team shifted from federal to state and local climate action after the 2024 election
• The innovations Greg and 1.5°Climate are most excited about right now: next-gen geothermal, agrivoltaics, and more

Links:

• 1.5°Climate: https://onepointfiveclimate.org/
• All episodes: https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/
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