New $5 Million Initiative will Accelerate Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) in the Pacific Northwest

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is tapping into the Pacific Northwest’s (PNW) strength in conservation innovation with a new, open call for proposals to invest up to $5 million in climate change mitigation projects in the PNW. The Environment RFP: Natural Climate Solutions in the PNW initiative will fund three to five rigorous, place-based Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) efforts in the region.

This initiative will invest solely in NCS projects, adding to the foundation’s legacy of backing science and technology-rooted conservation across the region and around the world. Defined as deliberate, nature-based “human actions that protect, restore, and improve management of forests, wetlands, grasslands, oceans, and agricultural lands to mitigate climate change,” NCS projects can provide up to 37% of the cost-effective global CO2 mitigation needed through 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2°C. In the United States, NCS have the potential to mitigate up to 21% of net annual emissions.

“Natural Climate Solutions have immense potential for conserving our region’s biodiversity and accelerating climate change mitigation in this critical window,” said Yuta Masuda, Director of Science for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and co-author of a recently published study on the five principles of NCS. “This initiative fosters NCS work among those who have expert knowledge of the PNW – home to some of the world’s most transformative science and technology-based conservation efforts.”

The foundation’s open RFP process encourages representation from nonprofits of various sizes and scopes around the region. Recognizing the longstanding, regional leadership, ecological stewardship, and knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in local conservation efforts, projects that are led by, or work in direct partnership with, IPLCs are of particular interest to the foundation.

“Today’s environmental challenges require innovation combined with new approaches to funding that meet the unique needs of each challenge,” said Lara Littlefield, Executive Director of Partnerships & Programs for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. “As we invest in cutting-edge solutions for conservation in the PNW, we must take a community-based approach, and look to the scientists, conservationists, and organizations who are deeply connected to the ecosystems we aim to protect.”

The RFP is open to eligible nonprofit organizations focused on conservation efforts within Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Interested parties will submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) for their NCS project by April 12. After vetting by the foundation team, selected organizations will be invited to submit a formal proposal by May 15. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent panel of science advisors, with grantees announced in summer 2024.