California Funder Briefing – Climate Resilience Under Attack

The Trump Administration has already had a significant impact on climate adaptation & disaster resilience priorities and funding availability in California. The Federal Administration has completely frozen or outright cancelled large funding programs like the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, and the Community Change Grants Program, and we have recently seen the criminalization of awarded applicants for these programs. The President has also signaled that he will dismantle the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which capitalizes community development projects across the country in communities not well served by large banks. This comes at a time when communities are facing repetitive climate-driven disasters and are fighting for the resources they need to develop, plan, and implement community-led strategies for resilience.

The wildfires in LA are a stark reminder that if funders (both public and philanthropic) do not significantly invest in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation, we will continue to see devastating loss of life and billions of dollars in disaster impacts over the next several years.

At the same time, voters in California approved Prop 4, a $10 billion climate bond that will fund climate projects and priorities that saw cuts in recent state budget cycles. 2025 will also see the beginning negotiations as California works to reauthorize its State Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This will provide urgently needed funding to communities working to stave off the work impacts of the climate crisis.

The split reality of communities needing to both defend progress at the federal level and also remain ready to access state funding resources complicates an already challenging landscape for nonprofits, rural regions, and tribes working on resilience efforts.

Join Philanthropy California for a deep dive on:

• What resilience investments continue to be at risk under this Administration
• How to balance defensive posturing alongside long-term investments in resilience
• Opportunities for Philanthropy to forge ahead on climate & disaster strategies while prioritizing frontline communities

Target Audience

This program is open to members of Catalyst, Northern California Grantmakers, and Southern California Grantmakers.

Speakers

Nuin-Tara Key | Executive Director of Programs, CA FWD

Nuin-Tara Key is Executive Director of Programs at California Forward. In this role, she supports the overall strategy and development of programs across the organization. She has nearly 20 years of experience in climate adaptation and mitigation policy, climate finance, urban and regional planning, and social and environmental equity. Prior to joining CA FWD, Nuin-Tara served as a Senior Advisor and Consultant, including working with Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) to stand up the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP) and support implementation of the California Resilience Partnership (CRP). She served as Director of the North America Public Sector Practice in the Climate and Resilience Hub (CRH) at WTW, a global risk and insurance firm, working with public sector clients to better manage climate risks and guide the transition to a net zero economy. From 2016-2022, Nuin-Tara worked in the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) as an appointee under Governors Brown and Newson, including as Deputy Director for Climate Resilience. As part of the executive team, Nuin-Tara built the State’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program and oversaw development of state adaptation planning and implementation grant programs, the Fifth California Climate Change Assessment – including building the first of its kind Tribal Climate Research Grant Program – and coordinated the state’s climate risk disclosure agenda, including integration of physical climate risk into state asset investments.

Jillian Blanchard | Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice, Lawyers for Good Government

Jillian Blanchard is L4GG’s Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice and a nationally recognized attorney in energy and natural resources law. Ms. Blanchard has worked in all levels of government, nonprofit, and the private sector on environmental, infrastructure, and climate change issues for over 20 years. In 2018, she helped craft Governor Gavin Newsom’s climate change platform as part of his reelection campaign and regularly advises cities and public agencies on infrastructure, environmental, and energy issues. As VP of the Climate Change and Climate Justice Program at L4GG, she has managed over 400 lawyers to help provide critical guidance to cities, states, and nonprofit partners to help expedite the country’s shift to a clean and equitable green economy and to address environmental justice.

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