Clean Air Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £110 million total deployed (2019-2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (proactive grant-making only)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no open applications)
• Grant Range: £300,000 - £3,000,000+ (typically)
• Geographic Focus: EU, Ghana, India, Indonesia, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Global

Contact Details

Website: http://www.cleanairfund.org

Email: info@cleanairfund.org

Phone: 020 8075 6200

Note: Clean Air Fund does not accept unsolicited grant applications. They identify and approach potential grantees directly.

Overview

Clean Air Fund was founded in 2019, launching at the UN Climate Summit with $50 million from six founding funders including Bloomberg Philanthropies, IKEA Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Bernard van Leer Foundation, Oak Foundation, Guy's and St Thomas' Charity, and FIA Foundation. Since then, they have raised an additional $130 million. Registered as UK charity 1183697, Clean Air Fund is the world's largest philanthropically-funded organisation dedicated to tackling air pollution globally. They have funded over 400 projects across multiple continents, deploying £110 million towards clean air initiatives. In 2022, they were identified as the largest philanthropic funder dedicated specifically to addressing air pollution. Their strategic approach focuses on three pillars: putting compelling evidence in the right hands (Data), growing public awareness and political will (Demand), and influencing decision-makers to commit to ambitious clean air measures (Drive). In 2024, their grantee Green Africa Youth Organisation won the Earthshot Prize, receiving £1 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Clean Air Fund operates through proactive grant-making only - they do not accept unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded to organizations identified by their team whose work aligns with their regional and policy focus areas.

Grant Approval Process:

• Grants £300,000 - £3,000,000: Approved by Grant and Charitable Activities Committee (GCAC)
• Grants over £3,000,000: Approved by full Board of Trustees

Grant Recipients: NGOs, charities, research organisations, campaigners, and community-led organizations working on air quality issues

Priority Areas

Clean Air Fund supports work that aligns with at least one of their four strategic drivers:

1. Data: Air quality monitoring networks, low-cost sensor deployment, data visualization tools, and evidence-based research. Example: Supporting OpenAQ platform to provide open access to air quality data from 43,000+ monitors globally.

1. Demand: Public awareness campaigns, community advocacy, health sector mobilization, and building political will. Example: Supporting the Our Common Air commission.

1. Drive: Policy influence, city-level action plans, corporate engagement, and governmental commitments. Example: Working with C40 Cities to secure 55+ city governments to implement Air Quality Management Plans.

1. Reinforce: Supporting implementation and scaling successful approaches.

Geographic Priorities:

• European Union
• Ghana
• India
• Indonesia
• South Africa
• United Kingdom
• Global programmes (health, data, campaigns, private sector)

Thematic Priorities:

• Climate & air quality co-benefits (projects must reduce both carbon and air pollution)
• Health impacts and prevention of air pollution-related deaths
• Environmental justice and communities disproportionately affected
• Urban air quality (cities, low emissions zones, school streets)
• Children's health and development
• Economic impacts and sustainable growth
• Private sector engagement and corporate responsibility

What They Don't Fund

• Litigation - explicitly excluded from funding
• Projects focused solely on lowering air pollution exposure - without addressing source reduction
• Unsolicited grant applications from organizations not identified by their team
• Projects that don't demonstrate reduction of both carbon and air pollution

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Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Jane Burston, CEO and Founder

Jane founded Clean Air Fund in 2019. Previously, she managed a team of 150 scientists working in air quality, greenhouse gas measurement, and renewable energy as Head of Energy and Environment at the National Physical Laboratory. Jane describes the organization's approach: “By working together, we have a golden opportunity to make action on air pollution a catalyst for fairer, cleaner growth and prosperity around the world.”

On their grant-making philosophy, Burston stated: "We are really a pooled fund or what might be called a 're-granter.' We don't lobby ourselves. We work through our grantees... We are always careful not to take a position ourselves, or to indeed to have very much of a public profile. We don't want to steal the thunder of our grantees."

Board of Trustees

Katherine Garrett-Cox - Chair

CEO of GIB Asset Management

Gunjan Shah - Independent Trustee

Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

Milena Nikolova - Independent Trustee

Partner at Antares Ventures

Sellah Nyabika Bogonko - Independent Trustee

CEO of Jacob's Ladder Africa

Stylianos Kyriakakis - Funder Trustee

Chief Operating Officer, IKEA Foundation

Governance Structure

The Board meets quarterly and oversees two sub-committees:

• Grant and Charitable Activities Committee (GCAC): Evaluates and approves grants between £300k-£3m, composed of funders and technical air pollution experts
• Finance, Audit and Risk Committee: Meets twice annually, includes technical finance and risk specialists

No trustees receive remuneration from the charity.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Clean Air Fund does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Their grant-making model is entirely proactive:

• Clean Air Fund identifies potential grantees whose work aligns with their regional and policy focus areas
• They approach organizations directly to develop partnerships
• They take a “hands-on approach” to understanding the landscape and developing projects in partnership with grantees

For Organizations Working in Air Quality

While you cannot apply directly, organizations working in their priority areas may come to the attention of Clean Air Fund through:

• Demonstrating impact in air quality improvement in their geographic focus areas
• Participating in air quality networks and conferences
• Publishing compelling evidence and data
• Building public demand and advocacy for clean air
• Engagement with their existing grantee network

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - decisions are made through ongoing strategic partnership development rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - as they operate through proactive identification rather than competitive applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no open application process exists.

Application Success Factors

While Clean Air Fund does not accept applications, understanding what they look for in partners is valuable for organizations working in this space:

Alignment Criteria

All grants must align with:

• At least one of four drivers: Data, Demand, Drive, or Reinforce
• Organizational values: Evidence-informed, Collaborative and Inclusive, Dynamic
• Geographic and thematic strategies: Work in EU, Ghana, India, Indonesia, South Africa, UK, or global initiatives
• Dual impact: Must contribute to reducing both carbon emissions and air pollution
• Community needs: Must meet local stakeholder needs and priorities

Examples of Funded Work

Community Advocacy and Environmental Justice:

• Green Africa Youth Organisation (Ghana) - Won Earthshot Prize 2024 for waste diversion project preventing 4,000 tonnes from open burning
• Polish Smog Alert - Earthshot Prize 2023 finalist, contributed to government adoption of anti-smog resolutions and low emission zones in 12 Polish cities

Data and Monitoring:

• HabitatMap - Low-cost wearable sensors for campaigners advocating for environmental justice
• Surface Particulate Matter Network - Global data initiative
• Kintampo birth cohort study (Ghana) - Network of air quality sensors analyzing pollution effects on early life health

Policy and City-Level Action:

• Breathe Cities initiative - 14 cities (including Bangkok, Bogotá, Mexico City, Warsaw, Sofia) committing to 30% reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gases by 2030
• School Streets advocacy in Brussels
• Support for WHO's 2nd Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health

Research and Evidence:

• Building the case for action on tropospheric ozone (global)
• Supporting the State of Global Air 2024 report covering 204 countries/territories

What Makes Partners Stand Out

Based on their funded portfolio and strategic priorities:

1. Evidence-based approach: Strong data collection, monitoring, and research capabilities
2. Community connection: Deep roots in communities disproportionately affected by air pollution
3. Policy influence potential: Ability to drive governmental or corporate action
4. Scalability: Projects with potential to expand impact or be replicated
5. Climate co-benefits: Clear link between air quality improvements and carbon reduction
6. Collaborative approach: Willingness to work in partnership and share learnings
7. Innovation: Novel approaches to air quality monitoring, advocacy, or solutions

Strategic Positioning

Organizations can position themselves strategically by:

• Building credible evidence on air pollution impacts and solutions
• Demonstrating successful local or regional impact in priority geographies
• Engaging with air quality networks and platforms (e.g., Air Quality Management Exchange platform with 536 organizations)
• Publishing findings and contributing to the evidence base
• Participating in international clean air conferences and forums
• Developing partnerships with other organizations in the Clean Air Fund ecosystem

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Critical Understanding:

1. No unsolicited applications - Clean Air Fund operates exclusively through proactive identification and partnership development. Traditional grant applications will not be accepted or reviewed.

1. Focus on visibility and impact - Rather than applying, organizations should focus on demonstrating measurable impact in air quality work within Clean Air Fund's priority geographies (EU, Ghana, India, Indonesia, South Africa, UK) or global initiatives.

1. Dual carbon and air pollution reduction required - All funded work must contribute to reducing both carbon emissions and air pollution. Single-issue environmental projects do not fit their model.

1. Strategic drivers alignment essential - Work must demonstrably align with at least one of their four drivers: Data (evidence), Demand (public awareness and political will), Drive (influencing decision-makers), or Reinforce (scaling solutions).

1. Partnership-based approach - Clean Air Fund takes a hands-on, collaborative approach with grantees, developing projects together rather than funding pre-developed proposals. They seek long-term strategic partners, not transactional relationships.

1. Significant grant sizes - With grants typically ranging from £300,000 to over £3 million, Clean Air Fund targets organizations with substantial capacity and proven track records rather than emerging groups.

1. Build ecosystem connections - Engage with their existing grantee network, participate in platforms like Air Quality Management Exchange (536 organizations), attend relevant conferences, and publish credible research to increase visibility to Clean Air Fund's team.

References

1. Clean Air Fund Official Website - About Clean Air Fund. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-clean-air-fund/

1. Clean Air Fund - Our Grant Making Process. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/our-grant-selection-process/

1. Clean Air Fund - Grants Overview. https://www.cleanairfund.org/what-we-do/our-grants/

1. Clean Air Fund - Our Strategy. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/our-strategy/

1. Clean Air Fund - Our Trustees. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/our-trustees/

1. Clean Air Fund - Our Funders. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/our-funders/

1. Clean Air Fund - Governance. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/governance/

1. Clean Air Fund - Our People. https://www.cleanairfund.org/about-us/our-people/

1. Clean Air Fund Annual Report 2023. https://www.cleanairfund.org/resource/annual-report-2023/

1. Clean Air Fund - The Year in Numbers: Successes in 2024. https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/2024-in-numbers/

1. Charity Commission - CLEAN AIR FUND, Charity Number 1183697. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1183697

1. Clean Air Fund - 5 Years of Clean Air Fund. https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/5-years/

1. Clean Air Fund - Green Africa Youth Organization wins Earthshot Prize 2024. https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/gayo-earthshot-prize/

1. IKEA Foundation - Jane Burston, Clean Air Fund: “Change is absolutely within our grasp”. https://ikeafoundation.org/stories/jane-burston-clean-air-fund/

1. Clean Air Fund - The State of Global Air Quality Funding 2024. https://www.cleanairfund.org/resource/air-quality-funding-2024/