Youth Climate Justice Fund 2026 (up to USD 20,000 in Grants)

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Applications are open for Youth Climate Justice Fund 2026. The Youth Climate Justice Fund provides funding to emerging youth-led climate justice and socio-environmental groups through a participatory decision-making process.

Youth-led climate justice initiatives are essential to achieving climate and environmental justice. Their intersectional actions hold a unique and critical moral authority that drives ambitious, fair, and sustainable transitions worldwide.

The Youth Climate Justice Fund aims to support climate justice young leaders with trust-based funding, resources, and capacity strenghtening, enabling them to amplify their voices and to keep their vision and influence alive.

Youth Climate Justice Fund Benefits

Eligible groups working at local or national levels are invited to apply for grants of up to USD 20,000 for local groups and USD 40,000 for national groups.

Eligibility Criteria

You should consider applying if:

Your group or collective is led by young people aged 35 years and below. In order to be eligible for a YCJF grant, the majority of your leadership must be young people or the individuals with decision making power should be aged 35 years and below.
Your group, network or collective is based in East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia, and North America.*
Applicants from high-income countries should belong to underrepresented communities to be considered for funding.
Groups that focus solely on international engagements without any community-based work are ineligible to apply.
You believe in and exhibit inclusive organizing, collective action and intersectional movement building.
Your group, network or collective is based in North America or Western Europe but is led by young people who are discriminated against and/or marginalized based on class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, background, etc.
Non-partisan, non-violent, and legal movements.

They specifically look for groups who are:

Cultivating diverse leadership rooted in fair and equitable climate action with community power.
Raising ambitions and commitments on climate & socio-environmental justice.
Holding policymakers accountable to their promises and strengthening community power.

Youth Climate Justice Fund Program Process

Call for Applications Open
- The call is open for 4 weeks. Youth-led climate and environmental justice groups around the globe can apply. Non-English speaking groups are welcome to apply in Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish or Swahili.
Initial screening by the Regional Committees, with support from staff
- Check that groups meet basic eligibility criteria and are aligned with YCJF core objectives, values and principles.
Regional Committee review
- Review proposals per regional priorities, engage selected groups in follow-up conversations to better understand their needs, and develop a shortlist of aligned organizations.
Grants Committee and Regional Committee decision making
- Regional Committees share their shortlists with the Grants Committee for joint review, ensuring alignment with regional priorities and YCJF values. Final grant decisions are made collectively by both committees.
Due diligence process
- YCJF staff and Regional Committees reach out to the selected groups and support them to receive the funding.
Grants are awarded!
- YCJF staff and Regional Committees work with partners to speed the process for groups to receive funding.
Join the YCJF community
- Groups are invited to join the YCJF welcome call and to co-develop capacity strengthening resources.