The Russell Family Foundation Announces $19.5M in Catalytic Climate Finance Grants and Investments

Funding supports clean energy, climate infrastructure, ocean sustainability, and more

February 12, 2025 (Gig Harbor, Wash.) – The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF) today announced $19.5 million in grants and investments to support organizations fighting climate change in 2025. This includes $275,000 in grants, and $19.25 million in investments to three organizations focused on low-carbon and net zero solutions, through its Catalytic Climate Finance (CCF) program.

Ten organizations serving Western Washington are the recipients of the $275,000 CCF grants, supporting their general operating efforts. The program is exploring all the ways in which philanthropy can empower equitable climate solutions across four core pillars: accelerating efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through investments; providing early-stage funding for grassroots movements through grants; collaborating on climate action through working with others; and promoting equity in the transition to a sustainable future.

“In addition to accelerating our goal of reaching Net Zero by 2030, we are deeply committed to promoting a Just Transition that both uplifts and includes all communities,” said Kathleen Simpson, CEO of TRFF. “The CCF program emphasizes the importance of collaboration in bridging the investment gap for climate solutions, driving an equitable and sustainable transformation for our planet.”

The Foundation further approved a $19.25 million dollar investment in three organizations—Breckinridge, Terra Alpha, and Xponance—each contributing to sustainable and impact-driven investments. Breckinridge, a high-quality US fixed-income manager, focuses on low-carbon investment strategies and has developed a robust reporting framework for financed emissions in corporate debt investments. Terra Alpha, a global equity manager, leads in net zero investments, taking a rigorous approach to climate risk management as the first US investment manager to have a portfolio aligned with the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTI). Xponance, a diverse-owned and managed investment firm, allocates capital through a “Systematic Equities” platform while advancing diversity and a low-carbon portfolio across all asset classes. Together, these organizations align with the Foundation’s commitment to advancing both environmental sustainability and diverse leadership in the investment space.

“By investing in sustainable strategies, including low-carbon portfolios, climate risk management, and diverse leadership, these investments are not only aligned with our 2025 Interim Emissions goals but also pave the way for meaningful, long-term impact that will drive the transition to a more sustainable and equitable future,” said Simpson.

Catalytic Climate Finance grants include:

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), $25,000

Founded in 1953, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. It represents 57 Northwest tribal governments across multiple states. ATNI operates 27 committees and subcommittees focused on areas like economic development, energy, natural resources, land, and climate resilience. These committees meet during three annual in-person conventions to share issues, resources, and policy positions. Funding will support ATNI’s strategic planning efforts and general operations essential for delivering value to tribes and furthering their collective efforts in climate resilience, renewable energy and climate pollution reduction.

As You Sow, $25,000

As You Sow is committed to promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies. Their vision is a safe, just, and sustainable world in which protecting the environment and human rights is central to corporate decision-making. Funding will support shareholder advocacy to hasten global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions toward Net Zero by 2030.

Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI), $25,000

CETI’s mission is to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest by advancing technical and economic deep decarbonization strategies. Their vision is to equitably decarbonize the Northwest economy at the speed and scale that climate science requires. Funding will support CETI’s independent, nonpartisan research and analysis, and communications to address barriers, drive actionable solutions, and expand its impact.

Climate Interactive, $25,000

Climate Interactive envisions a thriving world where greenhouse gas emissions are falling rapidly. Their mission is to create and share tools that drive effective and equitable climate action. To that end, they create system dynamics-based tools and resources that are policy-relevant and decision-useful for motivating climate action. They engage decision-makers who can take effective action on climate change, share their tools and resources – and support people to use them – to inspire others to take action on climate change. Funds will support their programs that galvanize policymakers across international governments, institutional investing and finance, corporates, and foundations to take effective action towards rapidly reducing GHG emissions.

Confluence Philanthropy, $25,000

Confluence Philanthropy’s mission is to transform the practice of investing by aligning capital with its members’ values of sustainability, equity, and justice. It supports and catalyzes a membership network of over 255 private, public, and community foundations, family offices, individual donors, and their values-aligned investment advisors. Funding will support events and educational offerings through the Climate Solutions Collaborative (C2C) to deepen members’ understanding of net-zero strategies, expand their commitment, and strengthen community leadership in climate justice investing.

Emerald Cities Collaborative, $25,000

Emerald Cities Collaborative pursues a high-road approach for greening our cities, building resilient regional economies, and strengthening democracy. They prioritize low-income and BIPOC communities in their quest for Net Zero emissions by 2030, enhancing the Weatherization Plus Health program to address indoor air quality and energy efficiency, protecting renters from displacement, and streamlining access to clean energy services. They champion workforce diversity through training programs in HVAC, solar, and electrical fields, support Women and Minority Business Enterprises with contractor training and grants and build cross-sector collaborations to create sustainable economies. Funding will support the general operations of the organization, ensuring their programs are aligned with the communities’ needs to create a lasting impact.

Shift Zero, $25,000

Shift Zero is an alliance of over 60 green building, energy efficiency, and climate action organizations working together to catalyze a just transition to zero-carbon buildings for all in Washington State. Shift Zero advances policy and programs that accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels in our homes and buildings while prioritizing benefits for overburdened and vulnerable communities. Funding will support stakeholder collaboration and coordinated action to maximize the impact of public investments and protect Washington’s nation-leading policy framework.

Spark Northwest, $25,000

Spark Northwest accelerates the shift to clean energy by making affordable, locally controlled clean energy accessible to all. They believe in creating communities powered by locally controlled clean energy is central to promoting an environmentally just society. Through distributed energy projects that allow for community-level participation and equitable ownership, they are working to reduce the energy burden while building wealth for disadvantaged communities. Funding will support local energy transitions that maximize benefits for frontline communities, and advance clean energy programs that build capability and capacity, reduce energy burdens, and strive toward energy democracy.

VC Include – Climate Justice Initiative, $50,000

With a focus on social and environmental impact, VC Include, a Black woman-founded organization, supports diverse, women-led emerging managers in venture capital and private equity from underrepresented and impacted communities. Through their education programs, national events, and partnerships, they provide critical resources such as access to asset owners, fund administration support, and ecosystem development to help managers scale impact. They aim to grow 200 successful firms by 2030, investing in approximately 10,000 diverse-founded companies addressing climate justice and wealth inequality. Funding will support their general operations and research to advance equitable climate and social impact investing.

Washington Maritime Blue, $25,000

Founded in 2018 as a non-profit “Innovation Cluster Organization” in response to Washington State’s Blue Economy Strategy, Maritime Blue unites over 135 members from industry, public institutions, research, and community organizations to advance innovation, sustainability, and equity in the maritime and ocean industry. They focus on fostering collaboration through core programs like Blue Ventures, Joint Innovation, Equity Engagement, and growing the Blue Ecosystem. Funding will support the organization in scaling its impact for ocean-based technology solutions and enable a long-term, sustainable business model for programming and operations.

For more information about CCF, please visit here, and you can also browse our grants here and our investments here.