Roadmap for
Climate Finance

A Toolkit for Community Foundations

Prepared for the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative (CFCC) by Community Sustainability Partners (CSP)

Roadmap for Climate Finance

A first-of-its-kind resource, this Roadmap is a comprehensive toolkit that empowers community foundations (CFs) to confidently navigate the climate finance space and establish effective strategies for action. Developed through extensive research and informed by CFs, the Roadmap offers a clear, adaptable framework, with tools that support everything from high-level organizational strategy to hands-on practical lending, tailored to your capacity, mission and community needs.

Introduction Webinar

Watch our recorded webinar covering everything you need to know about the Roadmap for Climate Finance.

Included in the Toolkit:

Climate and Climate Finance Definitions

The Climate and Climate Finance Definitions tool provides important terms and definitions related to climate projects and real estate finance. This tool is applicable to all roles in climate finance and helps foundations develop an understanding of climate terminology and prepare for more technical discussions with stakeholders.

Organizational Self-Assessment Tool

Completing the Organizational Self-Assessment is the first step for a CF entering the climate finance space. By benchmarking current strengths and weaknesses, the tool serves to evaluate individual organizational capacity for establishing a climate financing program.

Capitalization Strategy Guide

The Capitalization Strategy Guide walks through the key elements to consider, step by step, when developing a capitalization strategy for a climate finance program.

Financing Ask Template

The Financing Ask Template helps CFs communicate about potential climate projects in need of financing and provides an overview of the capital stack to aid fundraising efforts.

Market Analysis Template

The Market Analysis Template provides a high-level, step-by-step guide for considering gaps and opportunities for developing or enhancing a climate finance program in your community.

Climate Project Overview

The Climate Project Overview explains how to identify project opportunities, with short- and long-term examples and a brief introduction to types of climate projects—building decarbonization, renewable energy, and climate resilience.

Climate Finance Sources Overview

The Climate Finance Sources Overview provides a brief introduction to the public, private, and philanthropic sources of climate project financing. The overview presents a quick definition of climate lending and a sample project capital stack.

Impact Investing Process Map

The Impact Investing Process Map helps CFs understand the process and documentation required to take a potential climate project from predevelopment to loan closing.