VA
Insights

I. Ecological Landscape of Climate Issues in the nonprofit sector

China’s nonprofit sector is in a window of opportunity to build a more vibrant climate change ecosystem. This ecological map of the sector visualizes the positions and roles of different players in the ecosystem.

The first cluster consists of strategy-driven, resource-rich platform builders and issue-solvers, mainly international funders, commercial funders, and well-funded domestic pivotal funders.

The second cluster is made up of specialized hubs and topic experts seeking funding and solutions to grow themselves and their networks, primarily domestic hub funders with medium volumes of funding.

The third cluster is made up of funders focused on solving social problems.

In recent years there has been some interaction between and within the three clusters, and three trends have emerged.

The first trend is the transition from the third to the first cluster. The topic of climate change, which encompasses rural development, health, disaster relief, employment transition and the prevention of extreme weather-induced poverty, is consistent with foundations’ objective of solving social problems.

The second trend is the emergence of linkages between the first cluster and the second cluster. Domestic hub organizations are looking to attract more funding from international donors to support the growth of grass-root partners.

The third trend is the development of interactions within the first cluster and the second cluster, with more opportunities for knowledge sharing and resource exchange between funders and implementers.

The emergence of these trends reinforces the value of synergy and the power of collaboration.

II. Strategic Framework for Entry Paths to Climate Issues

VA would provide four guiding questions aimed at exploring how to lay the groundwork for an integrated framework for action that will have a positive impact on climate change.

What is the role and impact of the institution?

In responding to climate change action, foundations should balance their existing mission with new challenges, transforming/upgrading while continuing to provide value to their beneficiaries and remaining relevant.

What are the organization’s resources and strengths?

Transformation toward climate issues is predicated on effectively integrating internal and external resources to advance the goals of climate issues.

How do organizations design and implement strategic actions?

When designing an action plan to address climate change, we need to be clear about the definition of the problem, the setting of goals, the development of action strategies, and the framework for measuring program success.

How can organizations foster collaboration and increase impact?

Given that climate change is a cross-cutting and complex issue, it is important to collaborate with governments, businesses, other public interest organizations and communities to address the challenge.

III. Perspectives on Entry Paths and Action Paths

In VA’s view, there are two driving forces in the nonprofit sector for climate issues.

The first driving force is that organizations outside the climate change community are entering the circle and taking on the role of facilitators in promoting climate issues from a human-centered perspective.

The second driving force is the increasing awareness within the climate change community of the urgency and necessity of strategic communication in addressing the climate crisis.

We will provide two perspectives and strategies to move forward.

First, adopting a human perspective: Incorporating a human element into climate change response involves not only focusing on scientific data and environmental models, but also prioritizing vulnerable groups mostly impacted by climate change and those affected by climate policy changes. Support can be extended to these groups by informing and advocating for climate action with the public.

Second, access from a strategic communication perspective: Increasing public awareness and promoting action through education, advocacy and communication. The challenge of climate change requires us to take action not only at the individual and organizational levels, but also at the societal level through broad-based dialogue and cooperation.

We are excited about the prospect of collaborating with additional like-minded partners in the future to further our efforts in tackling climate change. We believe that by brainstorming together, we can explore and implement effective and innovative response strategies that address this pressing global issue.