CRF’s tactical approach is to garner philanthropic investments into leveraged pooled funds as well as to initiate and support efforts to align priorities. CRF then creates greater leverage by using private philanthropic dollars to influence the distribution of federal resources. Our approach also builds connections between private organizations and local actions to federal resources and programs. This strategy enables federal agencies to better understand, and in some cases, as with the CCRE, directly support services and programs that will build our nation’s collective adaptive capacity over time.
This approach can also shape federal programs and ultimately budgets. By starting small and partnering with the federal agencies willing to work with us we can influence their priorities by steering them towards gaps and opportunities that they otherwise may not see. In this way we can shape federal investments in adaptation and resilience services so that they are more responsive to emergent needs. This strategy effectively creates a proof of concept that an agency can use as a framework to grow and scale resources and services when the political will to act is eventually realized.
CRF operates with a small leadership team with long experience working at the intersection of climate change, conservation, urban sustainability, and with the federal government agencies tasked with addressing the climate crisis. CRF is guided by an advisory board comprised of partner and investor representatives and experts in the fields of climate adaptation, resilience, and philanthropy. CRF is housed at Multiplier, Inc., a 501(c)(3) that provides back-office administrative, financial management, and legal support for operations.