Advancing Climate Justice Through Collaboration
This September, GNOFN participated in the 2025 Louisiana Climate Donors Group (LCDG) Convening, a gathering of philanthropic leaders, nonprofit partners, and advocates dedicated to advancing climate justice and environmental equity in Louisiana.
Since our founding in 2015, GNOFN has believed that philanthropy is at its best when it is collaborative, community-centered, and equity-driven. Our involvement in LCDG is a direct extension of that mission. Many of our GNOFN Climate Justice Action Table members are also part of LCDG, and many first connected with the group through their GNOFN membership. This overlap strengthens our collective impact and helps advance systems-level change in our region more effectively than any single funder could accomplish alone.
The convening was a clear example of this vision. Participation gave our Climate Justice Action Table the chance to connect with both funders and dynamic nonprofit leaders who are shaping Louisiana’s climate and environmental future. One powerful example of the value of this cross-pollination is Step Up Louisiana. They first presented at an LCDG meeting, and later, thanks to encouragement from our Action Table co-chairs, shared their work with the entire Climate Justice Action Table. Inspired by their vision and grassroots leadership, the Action Table awarded its largest grant of the fiscal year to Step Up Louisiana in November 2024. That story underscores how relationships and shared learning open doors to deeper collaboration and greater community investment.
At the September 2025 convening, two Climate Justice Action Table members also had the opportunity to facilitate breakout groups focused on gathering feedback around an important case study on climate and environmental funding in Louisiana. These and other conversations during the convening reinforced a few key lessons:
Place matters. Understanding Louisiana’s history and culture is essential to building support and driving change, especially when balancing financial and economic concerns with the long-term vitality of communities.
Sustained collaboration is key. Strategic, coordinated, and long-term efforts are needed to ensure community voices truly shape policy decisions.
Equity must be centered. Funders have a responsibility to direct philanthropic resources to organizations that are not only serving but also reflective of the communities most affected by climate and environmental challenges.
The experience also highlighted the urgency of this moment. With federal and other government funding shrinking, philanthropy has a critical role to play in supporting communities on the frontlines of climate change. And as Louisiana’s industries have outsized impacts on both the state and the nation, continued philanthropic investment here is vital to progress across the country.
As we look back on a decade of GNOFN’s work and forward to the next 10 years, our engagement with LCDG and convenings like this one are reminders of what is possible when funders come together around shared values of equity, justice, and collaboration. By continuing to build bridges across networks, we can ensure resources flow to the leaders and communities best positioned to create lasting change.
