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Windward Fund

Annual Giving
$152.4M
Grant Range
Up to $10.0M00
Decision Time
1mo
0

Windward Fund

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $152,424,070 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $211.8 million (2023)
  • Annual Revenue: $212.4 million (2023)
  • Decision Time: 30 days or less (complete grantmaking cycle)
  • Grant Range: Varies by program
  • Geographic Focus: National (US) and International
  • Structure: Fiscal sponsor hosting environmental projects

Contact Details

Address: 1828 L Street NW, Suite 400-C, Washington, DC 20036

Email:

Website: https://www.windwardfund.org

Note: No public phone number listed; contact via email or online form

Overview

Windward Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor established in February 2015, dedicated to building an impactful and inclusive environmental movement. The organization provides comprehensive fiscal sponsorship to environmental projects and initiatives that lack tax-exempt status, enabling them to scale quickly and focus on programmatic work rather than administrative tasks. Administered in partnership with Arabella Advisors, Windward has experienced dramatic growth, expanding from $44.4 million in revenue in 2019 to $212.4 million by 2023. To date, Windward has awarded $535.6 million across 914 grantees through 65 total projects, with impact in 34 countries. The organization prioritizes projects benefiting communities disproportionately harmed by climate change and environmental issues, particularly Black, brown, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Windward Fund operates through a fiscal sponsorship model, hosting multiple environmental projects that each run their own grant programs:

Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice

  • Focus: Clean energy transition in the US South
  • Priority: Organizations led by people from historically marginalized communities (nearly 75% of grantee leaders)
  • Approach: Rolling grantmaking to grassroots climate justice organizations

The Fund to Build Grassroots Power

  • Focus: Multiyear general operating support for grassroots networks
  • Priority: Organizations led by historically suppressed constituencies
  • Areas: Environmental and climate justice, farmworker rights, economic security

The Heartland Fund

  • Focus: Rural areas and small cities
  • Grant Types: Civic engagement, issue advocacy, community organizing infrastructure
  • Approach: First funding collaborative dedicated to rural and small-city organizing

Safer Chemistry Impact Fund

  • Focus: Eliminating hazardous chemicals and deploying safer alternatives
  • Scope: Cross-industry solutions

Environmental Justice Data Fund

  • Format: One-time grants through open Request for Proposals (RFP)
  • Scale: Typically 8-12 organizations or coalitions per funding cycle

Priority Areas

Windward Fund focuses on five core impact areas:

  1. Energy & Climate - Clean energy transition and climate crisis mitigation
  2. Water - Water access, conservation, and management
  3. Land & Biodiversity - Habitat protection and ecosystem preservation
  4. Food & Agriculture - Sustainable food systems and food security
  5. Environmental Justice - Equity-centered climate action for frontline communities

The organization emphasizes:

  • Grassroots leadership and community-driven solutions
  • Participatory grantmaking processes
  • Multiyear general operating support (not just project funding)
  • Rapid fund deployment to on-the-ground initiatives
  • International as well as domestic environmental work

What They Fund

  • Organizations pursuing bold solutions to the climate crisis
  • Projects lacking 501(c)(3) status but needing tax-exempt sponsorship
  • Policy and advocacy initiatives (including limited lobbying activities)
  • Collaborative donor initiatives around shared environmental goals
  • Projects connecting diverse stakeholders across geographies, sectors, and communities

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

C. Lynn McNair, President - Appointed in April 2023 as Windward's inaugural president. McNair brings over 25 years of nonprofit experience in strategy, fiscal capacity development, partnership building, and collaboration. She holds a master's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, a bachelor's degree from Upsala College, and executive management credentials from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy. Previously served as Chief Advancement Officer at Georgetown Day School. McNair is co-chair of the board of Washington Area Women's Foundation and serves on boards including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Alliance for Early Success.

Valerie Johnson, Executive Assistant to the President - Over 30 years of experience in administrative management and operations.

Francesca Van Doorn, Director of Finance and Operations - Ensures strategic vision while maintaining financial sustainability.

Liuben Chipev, Director of Programs - Advances strategic framework and strengthens service offerings.

Board of Directors

Lee Bodner - Board Member; President of the New Venture Fund with over 20 years in nonprofit partnerships

Harry Drucker - Board Member; Co-managing director of Driftless Valley Farm; founding director of Windward Fund

Bruce Boyd - Board Member; Executive Director of Morrison Family Foundation with 30 years in social sector leadership

Rachel Leon - Board Member; Executive Director of Park Foundation with 25+ years in philanthropy

David D. Fukuzawa - Board Member; Retired grantmaker with 30+ years in philanthropy; former senior advisor at The Kresge Foundation

Jasmine N. Hall Ratliff - Board Member; Inaugural executive director of Build Missouri Health focused on health equity

Patrick Gonzales-Rogers - Board Member; Distinguished Practitioner at Yale Center for Environmental Justice; supervises Bears Ears Monument land management

Notable Board Chair Quote

Lee Bodner, serving as Board Chair at the time of McNair's appointment, emphasized the organization's commitment to connecting diverse stakeholders and building an inclusive environmental movement through collaborative action.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Windward Fund operates through two distinct pathways:

1. For Organizations Seeking Fiscal Sponsorship:

  • Email inquiries to: newprojects@windwardfund.org
  • Submit information through online contact form at windwardfund.org/contact
  • No public RFP process for becoming a fiscally sponsored project
  • Evaluation based on alignment with environmental mission and capacity to scale
  • Projects must focus on climate crisis solutions and environmental challenges

2. For Organizations Seeking Grants:

  • Apply directly to individual sponsored projects (not to Windward Fund itself)
  • Each hosted project runs its own application process
  • Some projects use open RFPs (like Environmental Justice Data Fund)
  • Others use participatory grantmaking or rolling applications
  • Visit specific project websites for application details

Decision Timeline

  • Complete grantmaking cycle: 30 days or less (industry-leading speed)
  • Web-based grants administration: 24/7 access for applicants globally
  • Rapid fund deployment: Sophisticated technical infrastructure enables quick fund movement to on-the-ground initiatives

Success Rates

2023 Grantmaking Activity:

  • 329 awards made
  • $152.4 million distributed

Historical Growth:

  • 2022: 333 awards
  • 2021: 262 awards
  • 2020: 242 awards
  • 2019: 90 awards

The organization has shown consistent year-over-year growth in grantmaking capacity and reach.

Reapplication Policy

Windward emphasizes multiyear general operating support through its hosted projects, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-time grants. The Fund to Build Grassroots Power specifically provides "multiyear general operating support," indicating a commitment to sustained funding relationships. Specific reapplication policies vary by individual hosted project.

Application Success Factors

Windward Fund's Stated Priorities

Based on Windward's own communications and approach:

  1. Equity and Inclusion Focus - Windward explicitly prioritizes "projects that benefit communities disproportionately harmed by climate change and environmental issues." The Hive Fund exemplifies this with nearly 75% of grantee leaders from historically marginalized communities.

  2. Participatory Grantmaking - Windward has supported participatory grant-making processes that deliver multiyear general operating support to grassroots organizations. As stated in their materials, they "listened to what the stakeholders of those networks needed" when building collaborative programs.

  3. Flexible, Trust-Based Funding - The organization provides "flexible support to strengthen and grow the capacity and power" of organizations, emphasizing general operating support rather than restricted project funding.

  4. Grassroots Leadership - Projects like the Fund to Build Grassroots Power specifically target "organizations that are led by constituencies who have been historically suppressed."

  5. Rapid Deployment - With a 30-day grantmaking cycle, Windward values efficiency and understands the urgency of climate action.

  6. Collaborative Approach - Windward excels at "connecting people across diverse geographies, sectors, and communities" and building governance structures for collective decision-making.

Examples of Funded Work

Recent grant recipients from Windward Fund's hosted projects include:

  • League of Conservation Voters ($1.4 million, 2021)
  • Blueprint North Carolina ($725,000, 2021) - voter mobilization network
  • Carbon Mapper ($10 million, 2021) - climate science project
  • Potential Energy Coalition ($4.5 million, 2021) - creators of Science Moms advocacy campaign

These examples demonstrate support for a mix of advocacy, scientific research, community organizing, and public education.

What Makes Applications Stand Out

  • Bold solutions - Windward seeks projects "pursuing bold solutions to the climate crisis," not incremental approaches
  • Community leadership - Projects led by and accountable to frontline communities have strong alignment
  • Readiness to scale - Windward provides infrastructure to help projects "scale quickly and cost-effectively"
  • Systems change orientation - Focus on "systemic reductions" and transformative impact (as seen in the Methane Hub's approach)
  • Collaborative capacity - Ability to work across sectors and build coalitions

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Apply to hosted projects, not Windward directly - Unless seeking fiscal sponsorship, your application goes to individual programs like the Hive Fund or Heartland Fund, not to Windward Fund itself

  • Speed is possible - Windward's 30-day grantmaking cycle is exceptionally fast; don't assume foundation timelines of 6-12 months apply here

  • Equity credentials matter significantly - Leadership from marginalized communities and focus on environmental justice are explicit priorities, not just nice-to-haves

  • General operating support is available - Unlike many funders, Windward-hosted projects emphasize unrestricted, multiyear funding; don't feel pressured to create a special project

  • Collaboration and network building - Projects that connect diverse stakeholders and build collective power align strongly with Windward's theory of change

  • For fiscal sponsorship seekers - Email newprojects@windwardfund.org with a clear environmental mission, demonstrated need for administrative infrastructure, and alignment with climate justice values

  • Scale and ambition are valued - With over $200 million in annual revenue, Windward can support substantial initiatives; don't self-select out due to budget size

References

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