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Larsen-Lam Climate Change Foundation

Annual Giving
$14.2M
Grant Range
$100K - $10.1M

Larsen-Lam Climate Change Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $14.2 million (2021); $0 reported (2023)
  • Total Assets: $49.9 million (2023)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $100,000 - $10,135,000
  • Geographic Focus: Global (US, Canada, and international)
  • Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 1212 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

Email: contactus@llccf.org

Website: https://llccf.org

Overview

The Larsen-Lam Climate Change Foundation (LLCCF) was established by Chris Larsen (executive chairman of Ripple's board and former CEO/co-founder) and Lyna Lam. Since its founding, the foundation has contributed over $120 million to climate action initiatives. With total assets of nearly $50 million as of 2023, LLCCF operates as a private foundation focused on accelerating climate solutions through strategic philanthropy. The foundation's mission centers on three key pillars: accelerating decarbonization, scaling and reducing the cost of equitable and durable carbon dioxide removal, and bridging political divides on climate action. Chris Larsen describes climate change as an "emergency" requiring an "all hands on deck" effort, characterizing their work as a "thousand-front war" where the foundation can contribute across multiple fronts. The foundation takes a distinctly entrepreneurial approach, with Larsen stating, "Entrepreneurship and innovation are key to bringing climate solutions to scale as quickly as possible."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

LLCCF does not operate traditional grant programs with public application processes. Instead, the foundation identifies and supports strategic initiatives through founder-directed giving. Documented initiatives include:

  • Drive Electric Campaign: Multi-million dollar global initiative supporting electric vehicle policy and adoption
  • Cleanup Bitcoin: $5 million global campaign addressing Bitcoin's environmental impact through the "Change the Code not the Climate" effort (with Greenpeace and Sierra Club)
  • Carbon Removal and Technology: Significant investments in direct air capture and carbon removal companies
  • Policy and Advocacy: Support for climate policy organizations working across the political spectrum

Grant amounts have ranged from approximately $100,000 to over $10 million for major initiatives. In 2021, the foundation made three documented awards totaling $14.2 million.

Priority Areas

Climate Technology and Innovation:

  • Carbon dioxide removal technologies (direct air capture)
  • Zero-emission fuels and green hydrogen
  • Electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure

Policy and Advocacy:

  • Carbon dioxide removal policies
  • Electric vehicle policy advancement
  • Bipartisan and conservative climate engagement
  • Fighting climate disinformation in disadvantaged communities

Energy Transition:

  • Transitioning to zero-carbon economy
  • Breakthrough emissions reduction innovations
  • Reimagining the oil and gas industry for a climate-safe future

Specific Organizations Supported (referenced on website):

  • Climeworks (direct air capture technology) - 300 tons CO₂ removal purchase
  • Carbon180 (policy advocacy)
  • World Resources Institute ($1.5M)
  • Heirloom Carbon ($1M)
  • Clearpath ($1M)
  • American Conservation Coalition ($500K)
  • UC Berkeley Law Center for Law, Energy & the Environment ($2M for oil and gas industry transformation project)
  • The Equity Fund ($1M for fighting disinformation in disadvantaged communities)

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. All contributions are made to preselected charitable organizations identified by the foundation's leadership.

Governance and Leadership

Christian A. Larsen - Director and Secretary
Co-founder and former CEO of Ripple, now executive chairman of Ripple's board. Larsen is the driving force behind the foundation's strategy and notes, "It's actually what I spend most of my time on now." He brings an entrepreneurial and innovation-focused approach to climate philanthropy.

Bora (Lyna) Lam - Treasurer
Co-founder of the foundation alongside Chris Larsen.

Key Leadership Quotes:

"It's a thousand-front war, and I think we can contribute to that." - Chris Larsen on the foundation's multi-faceted approach

"It's about how to get innovative teams supported in the beginning and how do you help them scale." - Chris Larsen on the foundation's strategic focus

"This is not about destroying the oil and gas industry, but instead, finding out what kind of transformation is possible." - Chris Larsen on the foundation's pragmatic approach to energy transition

Officers serve without compensation. The foundation operates with minimal overhead, directing the vast majority of resources to grant-making activities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Larsen-Lam Climate Change Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

All grants are awarded through trustee discretion, with funding decisions made by the foundation's leadership based on their strategic priorities and climate action goals. Organizations receive funding by invitation only.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's leadership identifies organizations through their involvement in the climate technology and policy ecosystem. Chris Larsen is actively engaged in climate innovation circles and allocates significant personal time to climate work. Specific pathways observed include:

  • Climate Technology Innovation: The foundation seeks out breakthrough technologies in carbon removal and clean energy. Organizations like Climeworks and Heirloom Carbon received support based on their innovative direct air capture technologies.

  • Policy Leadership: Organizations demonstrating innovative approaches to climate policy, particularly those working across political divides, align with the foundation's stated goal of "bridging the left-right divide on climate."

  • Ripple and Tech Ecosystem Connections: Given Chris Larsen's role as executive chairman of Ripple's board, organizations with connections to the technology and innovation sectors may have pathways to the foundation's attention.

  • Major Climate Initiatives: The foundation has participated in large-scale collaborative efforts like the Drive Electric Campaign and has partnered with established environmental organizations (Greenpeace, Sierra Club) on targeted campaigns.

Application Success Factors

Since LLCCF operates through invitation-only funding, success in securing support depends on alignment with the foundation's strategic vision:

Strategic Priorities that Resonate:

  1. Scaling Innovation: Organizations demonstrating potential to scale breakthrough climate solutions. Larsen emphasizes, "It's about how to get innovative teams supported in the beginning and how do you help them scale."

  2. Measurable Impact: The foundation values "safety, permanence, and measurability" - these criteria influenced Larsen's decision to purchase carbon removal from Climeworks.

  3. Bridging Political Divides: Organizations working to engage conservatives and bridge partisan divides on climate are explicitly prioritized. Examples include support for the American Conservation Coalition and efforts to "find ways to get unstuck" on polarized climate debates.

  4. Carbon Removal Focus: Specific emphasis on technologies and policies that can "remove 500 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere."

  5. Practical Energy Transition: Support for pragmatic approaches that work with existing industries, such as the UC Berkeley Law project exploring transformation of the oil and gas industry rather than its destruction.

  6. Technology-Driven Solutions: The foundation's entrepreneurial approach favors organizations leveraging technology and innovation over traditional advocacy-only models.

Language and Terminology: The foundation uses terms like "decarbonization," "carbon dioxide removal," "direct air capture," "zero-emission fuels," and "equitable and durable" climate solutions. Organizations should frame proposals in terms of scaling solutions, bridging divides, and achieving measurable climate impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - this foundation operates entirely through trustee-directed giving to preselected organizations
  • Innovation and scale are paramount - the foundation seeks breakthrough technologies and approaches that can scale rapidly
  • Bipartisan appeal matters - organizations working across political divides or engaging conservative audiences align with stated priorities
  • Carbon removal is a core focus - technologies and policies addressing carbon dioxide removal receive significant attention
  • Measurability is valued - the foundation emphasizes "safety, permanence, and measurability" in evaluating climate solutions
  • Entrepreneurial approach - the foundation's leadership brings a venture-minded perspective, seeking organizations that can demonstrate both innovation and path to scale
  • Significant funding capacity - with $120 million deployed and substantial assets, the foundation can make grants ranging from hundreds of thousands to over $10 million for strategic initiatives

References

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