Making Collaboration Work for Climate and Nature

Youth Climate Justice Fund – Winner, 2025 GAEA Award for Intergenerational Climate and Nature ChampionBOX 3 The Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) was founded in 2023 to strengthen youth-led climate action through participatory grant-making, peer- to-peer capacity development and donor advisory services. Although youth organizations account for less than 1% of climate grants, YCJF recognizes their essential role in advancing climate and environmental justice. At the core of YCJF’s work is a commitment to fostering network-driven intergenerational collaborations. The partnership connects grantees with ecosystem supporters – including more than 20 philanthropies and private sector funders – who provide trust-based funding and resources. Trust-based funding is YCJF’s way of empowering grantees to create meaningful impact through grants that support the grantees’ own approach, without micromanagement by the philanthropy providing the grant. This form of funding disrupts typical grant-making power dynamics and is particularly suitable for youth- and Indigenous-led initiatives that may take different approaches. YCFJ funds more than 100 youth-led projects globally, helping young leaders implement local solutions and fostering a global network for collaboration and replication of successful initiatives. Source: see endnote.27 Making Collaboration Work for Climate and Nature: Practical Insights from GAEA Award Winners 25