Honnold Foundation

Philanthropy’s role is to fill the cracks - but those cracks feel like they’re becoming canyons. There’s work to do. Now’s the moment for us to come together and support grassroots, community-level solutions. Act now – between now and Giving Tuesday, the Honnold Foundation's partners at Sol Systems are matching all donations, up to $12,000. Join us - tap the link to give the gift of solar energy access, today. https://lnkd.in/gQnBneff

To our Honnold Foundation community: As we emerge from the fog of election week, for many of us, the path ahead toward a brighter, more equitable future feels more uncertain than ever. The truth is, we were already living through unprecedented existential threats. Before the election, our collective goal – making this world a brighter, more equitable place – was facing acute challenges across the globe. In spite of this, we maintain our longstanding commitment to our partners and pledge to carry on the Honnold Foundation’s essential work. As the US reinstates an administration that’s vowed to ignore science, political forces will conspire to extract even more from our natural world, drilling for oil when they should be building renewable energy capacity. Marginalized communities will continue to disproportionately face environmental degradation, energy inequity, climate disasters, and the destruction of the places they call home. We think of philanthropy’s role as the system that should serve those left out of policy and market-based solutions – an essential tool that fills gaps. Right now, those cracks are at risk of becoming canyons. HF’s investments in advancing community self-determination through renewable energy will be needed more than ever in the coming years. We are already using solar power to build social power alongside visionary grassroots leaders and communities, and we’ll continue to help our partners strengthen local economies, combat climate change, and work toward a more sustainable future. At the Honnold Foundation, we know that climate action and community action are intertwined. Visionary local leaders were already the best hope we have to protect and restore people and the planet, and we see that power in action every day. Solar energy has enabled girls to access education and stand up for their rights for the first time. Indigenous leaders are harnessing the power of the sun to protect the integrity and biodiversity of their homelands. We've witnessed communities on the brink of collapse use solar to build sustainable local economies and safeguard clean water and healthy ecosystems. That’s why, since 2020, HF has invested $10 million in grassroots solar energy projects around the world. With over $50 million - and counting - in transformational ideas still waiting for the resources to become reality, we will need all of our supporters to stand with HF, and our global network of visionary leaders, today, tomorrow, and for future generations. At the Honnold Foundation, we think it’s pretty simple: we must listen to their voices and support their solutions. Now, let’s get back to work. - Emily Teitsworth and the HF Team

Sovereign Energy was honored to convene some of New Mexico’s Native farmers for a focus group this month as part of the New Mexico Tribal Agrivoltaics Education Initiative. In partnership with the Honnold Foundation, this project fosters vital dialogue on integrating solar energy with Native farming practices. This gathering emphasized the importance of hearing directly from Indigenous voices, reflecting their diverse perspectives and expertise. In these times, uniting our knowledge and building on our shared values for sustainability is critical. The insights shared by our farmers are invaluable and will guide the next phase of this initiative, which includes developing resources and identifying funding opportunities for Indigenous farmers. We’re excited to explore the potential for a Tribal solar greenhouse pilot project, one step further toward creating resilient, self-sustaining communities. A special thank you to Tesuque Farms, Three Sisters Kitchen for hosting us, and all who joined the discussion. Together, we’re paving the way for a future where renewable energy and Native agricultural practices thrive side by side.

Announcing our Fall grantee Partners! At the Honnold Foundation, we fund bold, innovative projects designed by and for the communities we serve. Around the world, again and again, we’ve seen visionary leaders harness the power of the sun to help their communities thrive. Towns on the brink of extinction have brought people home with the promise of new economic and educational opportunities. Women have become the first high school graduates in their families, and the first renewable energy technicians in their regions. Entire rainforests are now protected thanks to Indigenous guardians who just needed the resources to make their dreams a reality. These six partners represent our latest commitment to community-led solutions, powered by solar energy. The truth is, many of the best solutions to existential climate threats are already out there. At the Honnold Foundation, our work is simple: we just have to find them, fund them, and elevate them.? Join us: invest in community-led solutions, for people, and the planet. Tap the link to learn more about this latest cohort and make your commitment to action, today. https://bit.ly/4hmEqlc

The other week, Honnold Foundation Founder Alex Honnold took the #Oktane stage with Erin Baudo Felter to share stories from our collective impact across South America, India, and the Philippines. Of course, Alex couldn't help but recount a few of his ropeless ascents, too. The partnership between Okta and the Honnold Foundation is already expanding our ability to support marginalized communities around the world: In Hidalgo, Mexico, we're advancing education and digital inclusion for Indigenous women through solar powered internet & digital resource centers. In Sumatra, Indonesia, we're conserving mangrove forests by replacing wood burning stoves with solar systems for 50 fishing family homes. And in Tamil Nadu, India, we’re supporting better education for rural Dalit girls. Around the world, communities are using solar to build resilience, on their terms. A huge thanks to the entire #oktaforgood team, who understand that the key to building stronger, more sustainable communities is rooted in trust.

??? ?? Last Tuesday evening, amid the bustle of Climate Week, almost four hundred people traveled from midtown Manhattan to the heart of the Amazon rainforest. With the United Nations General Assembly packing the streets just outside, we hosted a screening of River of Spirits at MoMA with the Honnold Foundation and Tawna Collective. The film transported viewers to Achuar territory, where Nantu, Luciano, Nancy, and the rest of the Kara Solar teamwork to broaden the solar revolution to save their territory, before it’s too late. Inside the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater — the oldest continuously operated movie theater in New York and one of the largest — hundreds of guests packed the house and felt, if just for a passing moment, the power and complexity of the living forest. The evening included conversations with Alex Honnold, Bill McKibben and Nina Gualinga exploring how stories can spark global change, and our shared responsibility towards a just energy transition. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in this celebration of the Amazon and its defenders! ?? ?? Sammer Khan / Fotobuddy

Takeaways & lessons from a whirlwind NYC Climate Week: ??: Amidst an inevitable transition to renewables, there’s a growing network of funders, intermediaries, and grassroots NGOs working with one another to empower an equitable & just transition. Special thanks to Global Greengrants Fund and Thousand Currents for co-hosting a group of 70 aligned climate funders to discuss the need for more investment in this space, and gratitude to IMPACT Kenya, Aman and Nusantara Fund, and Native Renewables Inc for elevating our shared strategies for grassroots impact. Special shoutout to our friends at ReGen Ventures for bringing such a thoughtful community of climate builders together in conversation & collaboration, and Canary Media Inc. for hosting a one of a kind Climate Late Night Show! ??: The philanthropic community has more room to embrace risk. Per our founder, Alex: “For an institution or donor, the “risk” is a little red line on a spreadsheet because your donation didn’t work out the way you envisioned. For the communities we work with and for, it’s a matter of life and death. We should move money towards as many projects as possible. If a few of those fail, we learn and we keep going — there’s simply not enough time to hyper-analyze. The true risk is the risk of doing nothing”. ??: Art has power - and cultivates both inspiration and action. Some of the most moving moments of climate week were those that gave space for creative serendipity. In partnership with Kara Solar, we screened our latest film,?River of the Spirits,?alongside special guests Bill McKibben and Nina Gualinga, to an audience of 300. Later that week, we heard and learned from Nemonte Nenquimo, who released a powerful new memoir,?We Will Be Jaguars, and artist Cannupa Hanska Luger and the Doris Duke Foundation. #philanthropy #climate #sustainability #solar #art #Ecuador #amazon

Our interview with Alex Honnold is live: https://lnkd.in/eAeRdDmm Known for his daring free solo climbs ??, Alex Honnold is channeling that same bold spirit into bringing solar energy to underserved communities around the world. As founder of the Honnold Foundation, he’s helping power remote areas with sustainable solutions, from solar-powered boats in the Amazon to energy projects that provide vital resources like water and refrigeration. By using solar to address basic needs, the foundation is not only improving lives but also protecting the environment. #CleanEnergy #Sustainability #SolarPower #Replus24

The future of the Amazon is solar. Our partners at Kara Solar are proud to announce that the Achuar living along the Kapawi River in Ecuador—a lifeline for over 1,000 Indigenous peoples and home to endangered pink river dolphins—plan to transition from gasoline to solar-powered canoe motors and energy grids. And YOU can help make it happen with them! Right now, gasoline-powered boats pollute these waters, and roads threaten to carve through the rainforest, destroying ecosystems and cultures. But The Solar River initiative will help change that. With solar charging stations and newly designed electric motors, we can revolutionize Amazonian river transport. In the early months of 2025 Kara Solar will launch the first five solar-powered longtail motors on The Solar River. We need your support to get the next five on the water, with the ultimate goal of 50 motors to fully electrify by 2026. ??The people protecting the Amazon need tools to thrive–help give Indigenous communities energy autonomy to promote clean local economies and continue defending the rainforests that sustain us all.?? #solarriver #solarenergy #philanthropy #amazon #indigenousstewardship #autonomy #sustainability https://lnkd.in/gZuAeZQK

Our CEO Joseph A McNeil Jr. joined industry leader Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America and world-renowned climber and solar philanthropist Alex Honnold, Honnold Foundation along with inspiring change makers Mayane Chavez Barudin, Founder and Executive Director of Sovereign Energy , and Tinice Williams, Executive Director of Feed the Second Line today at RE+ where they shared how grassroots nonprofits are creating lasting impact in their communities.