128 Collective Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $9.9 million (2022)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $3,800 - $1,000,000
• Average Grant: $112,000
• Geographic Focus: Primarily U.S., with some international work

Contact Details

Address: 314 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301-1430
Phone: (650) 804-7100
Website: https://128collective.org
Email: Not publicly available

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and does not provide a public contact method for grant inquiries.

Overview

The 128 Collective Foundation was established in 2018 by Thomas Preston-Werner (co-founder of GitHub) and his wife Theresa Preston-Werner as a private grantmaking foundation. The foundation is driven by what the founders describe as "the moral imperatives posed by climate change and inequity," and seeks to "create a society that redirects capital to build healthier ecosystems and flourishing human communities." In 2022, the foundation distributed $9.9 million in grants across 38 awards. The foundation holds assets of approximately $67 million. In 2023, Tom and Theresa Preston-Werner signed the Giving Pledge, committing to redistribute most of their wealth through philanthropic ventures. Inside Philanthropy named them "Newcomer of the Year" in 2023, recognizing their embrace of youth organizing and progressive politics as key pathways for climate change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The 128 Collective does not operate traditional open grant programs. All grants are made through trustee discretion to pre-selected organizations. The foundation's giving targets "high-leverage, upstream, and under-resourced strategies" across six strategic areas:

1. Climate Transition Campaigns and Policy Advocacy

• Focus on policy and movement-building for equitable clean energy transition
• Notable example: Early funder of Public Power New York, which successfully advocated for New York's Build Public Renewables Act (passed 2023)
• Grant range: Varies widely by project scope

2. Labor-Climate Organizing

• Support for leveraging organized labor's influence in "climate-critical industries"
• Grantees include: Green Workers Alliance, Labor Network for Sustainability
• Focus on connecting worker rights with climate action

3. State and Local Politics

• Advocacy for local candidates and policies supporting climate agenda
• Emphasis on public sector control and oversight of industries with climate impact
• Grantees include: Lead Locally, Climate Cabinet, Southern Workers Assembly, Public Power NY, Port Arthur Community Action Network (Texas)

4. Youth-Led Organizing

• Support for youth-led or youth-centered climate groups
• Aim: Empower young people to "confront entrenched interests, drive clean energy at speed and scale, and build the just transition"
• Grantees include: African Climate Alliance, Treeage, Alliance for Youth Organizing

5. Federal Politics

• Grassroots and community organizing for large-scale systemic change
• Emphasis on economic equity and democratization of climate assets and decision-making
• Grantees include: People's Action, Working Families Party, Social Good Fund

6. Global Political Economy

• International climate work focused on "increasing the power of internationalist climate demands"
• Addresses systemic issues of global inequality and energy markets
• Grantees include: Justice Is Global, McMaster University, Global Fund for Women

Priority Areas

The foundation conducts all of its grantmaking through a climate lens and prioritizes:

• Democratic public control of the clean energy transition
• Policy, advocacy, organizing, and political work (versus direct service or technology development)
• Government-owned renewable energy projects and public utilities
• Intersection of climate justice with economic equity and workers' rights
• Organizations of all sizes, particularly those pursuing under-resourced strategies

Additional Focus Areas Beyond Climate:

• Reproductive rights (groups providing or advocating for abortion access)
• LGBTQ+ advocacy
• Progressive social justice causes

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, based on their approach:

• Organizations without an explicit climate or progressive social justice focus
• Market-based or private sector climate solutions (the foundation questions the ability of market solutions to achieve Paris Climate Agreement goals)
• Direct service organizations without policy/advocacy components
• Technology development or research without organizing/advocacy elements
• Unsolicited applications from organizations they have not identified

Governance and Leadership

Theresa Preston-Werner - Board Chair and Co-Founder
Theresa directs Preston-Werner Ventures and has described herself as a "Marxist academic." From 2016 to 2018, she worked as an affiliate director for the Bixby Center for Population, Health, and Sustainability at UC Berkeley's Global Family Planning Project, and served as director of evaluations for Women Work Together. She is a board member of the Global Fund for Women.

Thomas (Tom) Preston-Werner - Co-Founder
Tom is the co-founder of GitHub and a technology entrepreneur. He and Theresa signed the Giving Pledge in 2023, with their commitment letter stating they feel an "urgency to redistribute" their wealth and condemning capitalism for allowing their fortune while recognizing the imperative to use it for social good.

Quotes from Leadership:

From their Giving Pledge commitment: The couple expressed their "urgency to redistribute our wealth" and commitment to funding climate organizing and progressive causes.

On their approach: The foundation "questions the ability of market solutions to lower carbon emissions in alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement" and focuses on government-owned renewable energy projects.

On democratic control: The foundation prioritizes "democratic public control" of the clean energy transition and supports "democratization of climate assets and decision-making."

Note: The foundation operates as a private family foundation with limited public disclosure of additional board members or staff beyond the founders.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The 128 Collective Foundation only makes contributions to pre-selected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds or proposals.

According to public sources: "The 128 Collective does not accept unsolicited proposals or provide a way to get in touch."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the founders' strategic priorities and their proactive identification of aligned organizations.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, decision timelines are determined on a case-by-case basis for pre-selected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Grant Activity Data:

• 2023: 18 awards
• 2022: 38 awards
• 2021: 23 awards
• 2020: 11 awards

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation operates through pre-selection rather than open applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application strategies do not apply. However, based on their documented funding patterns and priorities, organizations that align with the following are more likely to be on their radar:

Strategic Alignment Indicators:

1. Progressive Climate Lens: Organizations must work on climate through an explicitly progressive political lens that questions market-based solutions and advocates for public/democratic control of energy systems.

2. High-Leverage, Upstream Focus: The foundation specifically seeks "high-leverage, upstream, and under-resourced strategies" - meaning policy change, organizing, and advocacy work rather than direct service or technological solutions.

3. Intersectional Approach: Organizations connecting climate work with labor rights, economic justice, youth empowerment, or reproductive/LGBTQ+ rights align with their multi-issue progressive framework.

4. State/Local and Grassroots Power: Emphasis on state and regional organizing, particularly around public power/public ownership of utilities, and grassroots political organizing.

5. Trust-Based Philosophy: While not explicitly stated, the foundation's approach suggests alignment with trust-based philanthropy values (multi-year, unrestricted funding to build organizational power).

Examples of Recently Funded Work:

• Public Power New York's successful campaign for the Build Public Renewables Act
• Green Workers Alliance organizing renewable energy workers
• Southern Workers Assembly connecting labor organizing with climate justice in the South
• Youth-led groups like African Climate Alliance and Alliance for Youth Organizing
• Federal political organizing through Working Families Party and People's Action

Key Language and Framing:

• "Democratic public control" of clean energy
• "Just transition" to renewable energy
• "Climate-critical industries"
• "Internationalist climate demands"
• Critique of market-based solutions
• Equity and democratization of climate assets

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They proactively identify and select grantees.

• Explicitly Progressive: This is not a mainstream environmental funder - they take clear progressive political stances, question capitalism and market solutions, and advocate for public ownership of energy systems.

• Climate Through Social Justice Lens: Every grant is made through a climate lens, but they specifically prioritize the intersection of climate with labor rights, economic justice, youth power, and progressive politics.

• Policy Over Programs: They fund advocacy, organizing, and political work - not direct services, research, or technology development.

• Range and Flexibility: Grants range from $3,800 to $1 million, showing they support both small grassroots groups and larger policy campaigns.

• Multi-Year Approach: While specific grant terms aren't public, their stated values suggest they likely provide multi-year, unrestricted support aligned with trust-based philanthropy principles.

• Network Connections: Organizations already working with their grantees (like Green Workers Alliance, Climate Cabinet, Working Families Party, etc.) or in similar progressive climate organizing spaces are more likely to come to their attention.

References

• Inside Philanthropy: "128 Collective" profile. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/128-collective (Accessed January 2026)
• InfluenceWatch: "128 Collective Foundation" profile. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/128-collective-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: 128 Collective Foundation Form 990-PF filings. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/832899018 (Accessed January 2026)
• GuideStar Profile: 128 Collective Foundation. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/83-2899018 (Accessed January 2026)
• Charity Navigator: 128 Collective Foundation profile. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/832899018 (Accessed January 2026)
• The Giving Pledge: Tom and Theresa Preston-Werner. https://givingpledge.org/pledger?pledgerId=457 (Accessed January 2026)
• Inside Philanthropy: "Ultra-Wealthy Donors to Watch: Who Took the Giving Pledge in 2023?" (December 2023)
• Inside Philanthropy: "Philanthropy Awards, 2023" (December 2023)