Jeremy And Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $29,896,964 (Trust, 2022); $61,346,003 (Foundation, 2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only)
Decision Time: Not publicly available
Grant Range: $5,000 - $12,000,000+
Geographic Focus: International, with emphasis on developing world
Application Type: Invitation only

Contact Details

The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment 53 State Street, 33rd Floor Boston, MA 02109

Email: info@granthamfoundation.org Phone: 617-346-7500 Website: www.granthamfoundation.org

Note: The foundation reviews proposals by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust was established in 1997 by British investor Jeremy Grantham (co-founder and Chairman of GMO, LLC) and his wife Hannelore. Operating as a 509(a)(3) supporting organization alongside the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, these entities focus on reducing and reversing global environmental degradation. In 2019, the Granthams publicly committed 98% of their approximately $1 billion fortune to fighting climate change, demonstrating extraordinary dedication to environmental causes. The Trust operates with a unique governance structure—its independent majority trustees are the CEOs of Rare, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund US, and Rocky Mountain Institute. The foundation has received significant recognition, including the Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy (2017) and has established major climate research institutes at Imperial College London, LSE, University of Sheffield, and the Indian Institute of Science.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Long-Standing Partner Organizations ($3-12 million grants) The Trust maintains deep relationships with major environmental organizations:

Savanna Institute: $12 million (recent major grant)
Rare: $9.5 million
The Nature Conservancy: $3+ million annually
World Wildlife Fund: $3+ million annually
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): $3+ million annually
Environmental Defense Fund: $3+ million annually
Global Witness: $6.9 million
Spark Climate Solutions: $6 million
Client Earth: $5 million

University Research Institutes ($1-12 million)

Grantham Institute at Imperial College London (established 2007): £12 million founding grant
Grantham Research Institute at LSE (established 2008)
Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at University of Sheffield
Divecha Centre for Climate Change at Indian Institute of Science: $1.2+ million

Intermediary Organizations ($5 million+)

European Climate Foundation: ~$5 million
Energy Foundation: ~$5 million
Foundation for International Law for the Environment: ~$5 million

Environmental Journalism ($1.5-2.5 million)

InsideClimate News: $1.5 million (four-year grant, 2016)
Carbon Brief and Yale Project on Climate Change Communication (amounts not disclosed)
Society of Environmental Journalists' Fund for Environmental Journalism: $100,000+
Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting (2005-2012): $75,000 annual award

Smaller Organizations (varied amounts) 30+ additional grantees addressing topics including climate policy, sustainable agriculture, ocean conservation, Indigenous land protection, and grassroots advocacy.

Recent recipients include: Acadia Center, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Azuero Earth Project, Carbon Tracker Initiative, Center for Public Integrity, Climate Foundation, Conservation Law Foundation, Conservation X Labs, Earth Innovation Institute, Greenpeace Fund, Health in Harmony, Linden Trust for Conservation, New England Forestry Foundation, Oxfam America, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, and Soil Health Institute.

Priority Areas

Core Focus: Climate change mitigation and environmental restoration with emphasis on:

Climate policy and carbon emissions tracking
Sustainable agriculture and rewilding
Ocean conservation
Indigenous land protection
Grassroots campaigns to stop fossil fuel development
Revealing fossil fuel industry influence
Environmental journalism and communications
Basic research to map environmental issues and find solutions
Public advocacy to drive structural changes

Strategic Approach: Jeremy Grantham describes their strategy: "We try to make bigger, longer grants and look for leverage—emerging or overlooked areas with high potential." The foundation emphasizes flexibility, with Hanne Grantham noting they ask "almost once a month, 'What is really crucial right now?'"

Geographic Emphasis: While headquartered in Boston, the Trust focuses particularly on the developing world for environmental protection initiatives.

What They Don't Fund

Hard Restrictions:

Proposals with indirect costs above 10%
Unsolicited applications (invitation-only model)
Projects outside environmental and climate change focus

Governance and Leadership

Jeremy Grantham - Co-founder and Chairman of GMO, LLC; Co-founder of the Grantham Foundation. Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2015), appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2016).

Hannelore (Hanne) Grantham - Co-founder of the Grantham Foundation.

Grantham Family: The Grantham Foundation's board consists of five trustees, all members of the Grantham family, including their three children: Isabel, Oliver, and Rupert Grantham, as well as Ravenel.

The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust Board (unique structure): The Trust's independent majority trustees are the current CEOs/leaders of:

Rare
The Nature Conservancy
World Wildlife Fund US
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

This governance structure ensures that leaders of major conservation organizations directly guide the Trust's grantmaking strategy.

Leadership Philosophy: Jeremy Grantham emphasizes urgency and independence: "We answer to nobody" and "We know this is an urgent topic, and I don't have that long to do it." The foundation combines traditional grantmaking with impact investing, with Grantham noting: "Our foundation invests capital in ways that drive our mission forward. We have built a team to make terrific green investments, as well as grants."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust review proposals by invitation only and do not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding.

Grants are awarded through:

Long-standing relationships with major environmental organizations (Nature Conservancy, WWF, Rare, RMI, EDF)
Trustee discretion - The Trust's board includes CEOs of major conservation organizations who identify and approve beneficiaries
Proactive identification of emerging or overlooked areas with high potential for environmental impact
Strategic partnerships with intermediary organizations that align with foundation priorities

Interested organizations can contact the foundation at info@granthamfoundation.org, but should understand that unsolicited funding requests are not accepted.

Key Grant Requirements

Indirect costs must not exceed 10% - This is a firm policy requirement
Organizations must align with the foundation's exclusive focus on climate change and environmental protection
Preference for projects offering leverage in emerging or overlooked areas

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available due to invitation-only process. Decisions are made at the discretion of trustees based on strategic priorities assessed monthly.

Grant Duration

The foundation emphasizes making "bigger, longer grants" to provide sustained support for major initiatives. Examples include:

Multi-year institutional support (e.g., four-year grant to InsideClimate News)
Founding grants for research institutes with ongoing support
Large multi-million dollar grants suggesting long-term partnerships

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Strategic Priorities: The foundation actively reassesses priorities monthly, asking "What is really crucial right now?" Organizations working on timely, urgent environmental issues are prioritized.

Leverage Potential: Jeremy Grantham explicitly seeks "emerging or overlooked areas with high potential." Projects demonstrating significant multiplier effects or addressing gaps in current environmental work are favored.

Established Track Record: The foundation maintains "long-standing relationships" with major organizations. Proven effectiveness and organizational capacity to deploy large grants ($3-12 million) are essential.

Focus on Developing World: The Trust particularly emphasizes environmental protection in developing countries, distinguishing it from many Western-focused environmental funders.

Low Overhead Requirements: Organizations must be able to operate with indirect costs at or below 10%, indicating the foundation values efficiency and direct programmatic spending.

Combination of Research and Advocacy: The foundation values organizations that integrate "basic research to map out the issues and find solutions" with "public advocacy to drive the structural changes needed."

Journalism and Communications: The foundation has demonstrated sustained commitment to environmental journalism, recognizing its role in raising public awareness. Media organizations with strong climate reporting track records have received substantial multi-year support.

Innovation in Agriculture: Recent major grants (e.g., $12 million to Savanna Institute) suggest strong interest in sustainable agriculture solutions, reflecting Grantham's public statements that "Agriculture is in fact the real underlying problem produced by climate change."

Impact Investing Alignment: Organizations should note that the foundation also makes program-related investments and has "half its money in early-stage green tech," suggesting interest in ventures that can combine financial returns with environmental impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Invitation-only model means relationship building is essential - Focus on connecting through the foundation's existing network of major environmental organizations whose CEOs serve as Trust trustees
The 10% indirect cost cap is non-negotiable - Organizations with higher overhead structures cannot be considered
Scale matters - The foundation makes large grants ($3-12 million typical for major partners) and seeks organizations that can effectively deploy significant funding
Monthly strategic reassessment creates opportunities - The foundation's flexible, responsive approach means priorities can shift based on urgent environmental needs
Geographic focus on developing world - Projects with international scope, particularly in developing countries, align with the Trust's mission
Integration of research, advocacy, and communications - Multi-faceted approaches that combine scientific research with public engagement and policy advocacy are valued
Long-term partnerships preferred - The foundation emphasizes sustained relationships rather than one-off grants
Leverage and innovation are key selection criteria - Grantham explicitly seeks "overlooked areas with high potential" rather than funding well-trodden ground

References

Accessed: December 24, 2025