Funding criteria

Do you have a climate project that is committed to reducing emissions or deals with innovative solutions for adapting to climate change or dealing with loss and damage? Is the project small, participatory and directly shaped by and with those affected? Then we at Umverteilen's Climate Working Group would like to support you.

Read through our criteria and the formalities for applying and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!

The Climate Working Group will support your project if:

• it aims to promote climate protection, adaptation to climate change or dealing with the consequences of the climate crisis (“loss and damage”).
• it is small, grassroots and independent of governments.
• it is managed locally by a body legitimized by grassroots democracy and supports participatory structures.
• you have a vision for overcoming systemic barriers to more effective climate protection.
• your financial and human resources are manageable.

What the Climate Working Group supports:

• We support individual, self-contained projects. You can apply for material resources or project-related personnel resources. We can fund projects fully or partly.
• The activities of your project can include publications, films, events, seminars, exhibitions in line with the purpose of the working group.
• If you identify as belonging to one of the following marginalized groups (BIPOC, LGBTIQ+, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, etc.), we will prioritize your project!

What the Climate Working Group does not support:

• Initiatives with which actors want to “greenwash” themselves.
• Technical approaches to geoengineering, CO₂ sequestration (CCS) or green growth projects.
• Projects that rely on voluntary self-regulation by polluters.
• Projects that contribute to maintaining or even reinforcing racism or any other form of discrimination in society.
• Political parties or projects with a church or scientific background, as they have privileged access to funding from their institutions.
• Projects that are so far beyond our means in terms of the financial volume applied for that not even partial funding seems sensible.
• Projects with the primary aim of making a profit.
• Projects that serve to fulfill statutory duties.
• Institutional permanent funding is as impossible as the granting of individual aid (scholarships, individual emergencies, etc.).

How to submit your application:

The funding criteria of the Climate Working Group are based on the general guidelines of the foundation Umverteilen!: You can find the guidelines here.

You can submit your project to us informally in German, English, French, Portuguese or Spanish. Remember to include the following information:

• Name, address, e-mail address of applicant
• Self-description of the organization (type of group, association, activities, objectives, etc.)
• Project description (objectives, target groups, approach, timetable)
• Budget (all planned expenditure)
• Financial plan (all planned income) with details of own contributions, income and potential grants from other funding institutions
• Applications may be submitted by e-mail to stiftung@umverteilen.de.

Nota bene:

• Please submit your application before the start of the project.
• The processing time for applications is 2 to 8 weeks, in exceptional cases even longer.
• The application amount of your project should not exceed € 5,000.