Our grant-making approach is community-driven, and focuses on scalable, local solutions that promote resilience and sustainability. We work with community leaders to understand and identify where communities need more capacity and what specific interventions can help create the enabling conditions for change in place. While we deeply appreciate the passion and commitment of those working to make a difference, we do not accept unsolicited proposals. This approach allows us to focus our resources on solutions that are most aligned with our identified priorities.
Our Values
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Imagination
We believe in the power of big ideas and creative thinking. By encouraging imaginative solutions and celebrating innovation we help catalyze new breakthroughs and shape new narratives. Our goal is to push the boundaries of what is possible and to support a future that is sustainable and fair for everyone.
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Collaboration
We welcome diverse perspectives in our mission to tackle climate change. We’re committed to finding solutions for all communities, knowing we can’t succeed without including those previously left out of the conversation and connecting with key stakeholders.
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Joy
Joy is at the heart of our fight for a positive climate future. By celebrating nature, food, conversation, art, movement, and music, we connect with what makes us human and bring people together to protect what we love. We believe that a joyful approach to climate action can inspire and motivate lasting changes in our lives and communities.
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Inspiration
Inspiration comes naturally when we connect with communities and individuals, cultivating a culture of action, optimism, and trust. Every interaction deepens our understanding and helps us create better solutions. We aim to inspire others by sharing our successes and learning from our challenges.
For us, it’s really about helping people see themselves in the solutions and see that they actually benefit from them.
Jared Blumenfeld
Meet the Waverley Team
27
Team Members
11
Board members
Frequently Asked Questions
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We invest strategically in renewable energy and regenerative agriculture through community-centered projects around the world. We also set aside a portion of our annual grant-making budget to explore new opportunities that amplify our core values of innovation and Joy.
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Energy and agriculture are forces that can drive significant, positive change in communities, and by focusing our resources on these areas we can maximize our impact and affect real change in the short period of time we have. These sectors are foundational to the economies and livelihoods of many communities, and improvements can lead to widespread benefits.
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Communities across the globe are fighting for climate solutions, and we recognize that every place is part of this fight. We want to be able to work in deep partnerships with community leaders on the ground, which requires articulating a specific geographic focus. Our near-term focus is on creating regenerative agriculture and renewable energy momentum in California, while we build our understanding and local capacity in countries critical to the climate challenge.
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We focus on building local skills and fostering community ownership — that way the benefits of our work are sustainable and continue to grow over time. We help communities achieve global climate goals that are aligned with the Paris Agreement, greater community wellbeing and resilience, and overall systemic equity. For more information about our impact, take a look at our Stories or Grants pages.
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You can find information about the work our grantees are doing and our grantmaking approach on the Stories page of this website.
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We’re a spend-down foundation, which means we plan to use all of our resources within a specific period of time, instead of operating forever. This focused approach helps us create meaningful change as we address the planet’s most urgent problems, and ensures our projects get the support they need to thrive. We believe that by concentrating our efforts, we can achieve more impactful and lasting results, while also addressing problems in the near-term in ways that directly benefit communities.