I've been rumbling with an idea for ages now. How do we bring everyday people together around climate action? How do we give them the power to make a difference? How do we move beyond feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of climate change to feeling inspired and empowered to act?
The more I sat with these questions, the more I kept coming back to community and collective giving.
The power of together
There's something powerful about pooling our resources - not just our money, but our voices, networks, and collective hope. When we come together, we can fund the kind of ambitious, systems-changing work that feels impossible when we're acting alone.
Proof in practice
Meeting Pip and starting to work together has been proof of this concept in action. What felt like an overwhelming challenge when I was thinking about it alone suddenly became an exciting possibility when we started collaborating. It’s hugely energising to work with someone who shares your vision and complements your skills.
Why now feels right
Collective giving models exist around the world, supporting everything from local community projects to global justice movements. But surprisingly few focus specifically on climate action. Our friends across the Tasman are doing incredible work in this space and seeing their success gave us confidence that this approach could work here in Aotearoa too.
Right now feels like exactly the right time for this approach. As one recent piece put it: "nonprofit organisations around the world are facing urgent challenges: funding freezes, escalating service demands, and political and legal threats to civil society. At the same time, individuals are experiencing layoffs, economic strain, and growing feelings of isolation and loneliness."
Collective giving is designed for times like this. When everything feels uncertain, we need community. We need solidarity. We need to amplify our voices together.
Testing the model
That's why we're running this pilot round with The Climatics - not just to raise $100,000, but to test whether we can build the kind of community that makes people feel genuinely empowered around climate action. When this works, we want to keep growing, keep learning, keep bringing more people into the fold.
Learning as we go
I'm still figuring this out as I go - I'm not a climate expert, and I'm certainly no expert on collective giving either. But I'm super curious to learn more about both. I reckon that's what we need right now - people willing to start before they feel ready and to learn by doing, together.
If any of this resonates, we’d love to hear from you. Are you curious too? What questions are you rumbling with? Drop us a line at hello@theclimatics.org.
With curiosity and courage,
