Founders Pledge, a UK-based environmental group, has announced a $50 million gift from an anonymous donor in support of its climate fund. 

The organization’s largest single gift to date pushes support of its climate fund to more than $100 million in just over a year, including a $40 million anonymous donation in April 2024. Over the past two years, the climate fund has enabled donors to support time-sensitive funding opportunities, including $7.5 million to DEPLOY/US to build the right-of-center climate field and prepare for climate action under Republican leadership; a $3.5 million grant to launch the Innovation Initiative with former Breakthrough Energy staff when the organization unexpectedly closed its policy program in March 2025; and building a globally diversified portfolio through grants to organizations such as Cascade Institute, Future Cleantech Architects, and Tsinghua University. 

In addition to the climate fund, the Founders Pledge portfolio includes funds dedicated to global health and development, global catastrophic risk, and patient philanthropy. 

“At Founders Pledge, we’ve quietly and confidently worked for the last 11 years to try and change the way high-impact philanthropy is done,” said co-founder and CEO David Goldberg. “Over the past five years, we have championed a ‘funds-first’ approach to unlocking impact. This new, meaningful donation to our climate fund underscores the deep trust that Founders Pledge has earned as a pioneering force in this ecosystem. It’s also a testament that even when the world feels like a bleak place, good work can still happen.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images)