25 Youth-Led Climate Groups Win $25 Million Global Award to Expand Environmental Solutions

LAPost/Chicago, IL (October 21, 2026) — By Richard Ren/LAPost

Twenty-five youth-led organizations working to address climate change across 33 countries will each receive $1 million in multiyear funding through a new $25 million global initiative aimed at accelerating community-driven environmental solutions.

The recipients of the Emerging Climate Champions Award were announced Wednesday by the Enlight Foundation, The Patchwork Collective and Lever for Change, the nonprofit organization managing the international funding competition. The grants are designed to give young climate leaders flexible, long-term support to expand programs that have already demonstrated measurable results.

The selected organizations work across a wide range of issues, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, renewable energy, climate advocacy and grassroots movement building. The group also includes initiatives led by Indigenous peoples and women, communities that have historically faced barriers to traditional funding opportunities.

Rather than focusing exclusively on large-scale institutional programs, the award emphasizes locally developed solutions shaped by the people most directly affected by environmental challenges. The recipients have demonstrated environmental, economic and social benefits through partnerships with the communities they serve.

“Real, lasting climate solutions happen when we don’t just give young people a seat at the table, but hand them the mic as leaders and innovators,” said Xin Liu, founder and president of the Enlight Foundation. “These awardees are showing us what is possible, and we are honored to celebrate the meaningful impact they are creating in communities around the world.”

Cedric Dageville, a principal at The Patchwork Collective, said many promising responses to climate change are already emerging at the community level.

“Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, but these awardees remind us that some of the most promising solutions are already taking shape in local communities,” Dageville said. “Their energy, creativity, and commitment to action are deeply inspiring.”

He added that the organization looks forward to seeing how the recipients’ leadership advances climate progress in the years ahead.

A global competition centered on young leaders

The awardees represent organizations working in 33 countries and across all global regions. Their selection followed a multistage review process that began with applications from youth-led organizations based in 108 countries.

Applicants underwent an initial administrative screening, followed by a participatory review in which applicants assessed one another’s proposals. An independent panel of experts in climate-related fields, philanthropy and related disciplines then evaluated submissions using established criteria. The organizers conducted additional due diligence before selecting the final 25 recipients.

To qualify, organizations had to meet at least two of three youth-leadership criteria involving people ages 15 to 35. The program sought organizations with at least two years of operation, a community-led approach and a record of advancing practical, durable climate solutions.

The initiative was launched in June 2025 to address a persistent gap in climate philanthropy: the limited funding available to young people and the organizations they lead.

According to background information provided by the award organizers, global philanthropic giving for climate-related work amounts to less than 2% of total philanthropic contributions, or approximately $16 billion annually. Grants supporting youth-led climate initiatives are more limited, totaling an estimated $14.2 million a year.

The funding initiative was developed in response to feedback from young climate leaders around the world, with an emphasis on solutions that account for local cultures, community priorities and regional conditions.

Kristen J. Molyneaux, president and co-founder of Lever for Change, said the awards recognize the potential of young leaders when they have the resources and trust to develop solutions suited to their communities.

“The organizations recognized through the Emerging Climate Champions Award demonstrate what is possible when young, local leaders have the resources and trust to drive solutions tailored to their communities,” Molyneaux said.

She said the organizers hope the recognition will encourage additional funders to invest in the next generation of climate leadership.

Beyond the initial $25 million

The financial awards are part of a broader effort to connect promising climate organizations with future funding opportunities.

All 25 recipients, along with additional top-ranking applicants, have joined Lever for Change’s Bold Solutions Network, a curated group of vetted organizations seeking opportunities to secure further support and expand their impact.

The $1 million grants are flexible, multiyear gifts intended to allow recipients to direct resources toward their priorities and strengthen programs that have already demonstrated results. The award program provides for funding to be disbursed over one to five years.

For funders interested in supporting climate action, the network offers another avenue to identify organizations with established community relationships and demonstrated potential for growth.

The award organizers say the initiative is intended not only to recognize existing achievements but also to broaden access to philanthropic resources for leaders whose work may otherwise struggle to attract traditional institutional funding.

As governments, businesses and communities confront the consequences of a changing climate, the program places a particular emphasis on a generation that will live with many of those consequences — and on giving young people a greater role in developing solutions.

More information about the Emerging Climate Champions Award is available at Lever for Change.