Fast, Flexible Grants

We deploy our charitable grants to help organizations that are addressing climate change.

Update on Grants

In recognition of the dire threats posed by carbon emissions and climate change, effective January 1, 2022, Open Road will provide charitable grants only to nonprofit organizations addressing climate change through carbon reduction strategies.

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Carbon Reduction

Open Road is committed to supporting you on your journey to address climate change.

Our grants support climate-focused nonprofits overcome unexpected obstacles to impact. We offer grants exclusively to nonprofits that focus on preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change.

From the community solar facility providing clean energy to unelectrified communities in Haiti, to the nonprofit advocating for accelerated carbon reduction targets, our charitable grants ensure critical efforts to address climate change can carry on without interruption.

An Open Road Grant Keeps Impact on Track

Funding Derailments

New regulatory requirements
Changes in personnel
Policy changes
Delayed disbursements
Funder strategy shifts
Third-party partner problems
World events

Open Road Grant

Impact Kept on Track

Reducing carbon emissions
Advocating for carbon-reduction strategies
Key climate-related litigation and policy
Critical research directly related to reaching net-zero carbon
Direct implementation of programs addressing climate change

Our Criteria

In recognition of the dire threats posed by carbon emissions and climate change, Open Road provides grants only to nonprofit organizations addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions. In addition, the projects we fund must meet the following criteria.

Mid-implementation

Unexpected

Discrete

Catalytic

A mid-implementation project is one that is otherwise fully funded, staffed, and designed. If not for this unexpected roadblock or opportunity, there would be no outstanding need.

MEETS CRITERIA

A research study testing the effectiveness of a new “white asphalt” is underway in South Africa. The study is fully funded, and all personnel have been hired and trained. The study is six months into its 12-month cycle. At this moment, something unexpected happens, which threatens the completion of the study.

DOES NOT MEET CRITERIA

An NGO focused on reducing carbon emission through regenerative agricultural practices is planning a new program in South Africa. They have wanted to launch this program for years and now have a grant of $500,000 to make it happen. But they need another $50,000 to fully design and implement the program as originally envisioned.

A project that encounters an unforeseeable roadblock or opportunity. This includes changes in government regulations, laws, or tariffs; a crop-destroying virus; unusual weather conditions, or other events exogenous to program design.

MEETS CRITERIA

A climate NGO budgets $200,000 to build a monitoring and evaluation database to improve access to programs and services. Three months into the project, the host country's government requests to license the software. The required software redesign will cost $75,000 and two months to complete.

DOES NOT MEET CRITERIA

A climate NGO budgets $200,000 to build a monitoring and evaluation database to improve access to programs and services. The project is supposed to take four months to complete. But three months in, the developer and NGO realize that due to the complexity of the work, they need another $75,000 and three more months to complete the project.

A one-time, one project grant to address a specific solvable problem that arose mid-implementation. Once provided, no additional funds should be necessary from Open Road or any other funder to see the project through completion.

MEETS CRITERIA

An NGO focused on building climate issue voter mobilization in communities of color needs to run an unplanned campaign to respond to a last-minute ballot initiative that would prevent citizens from protesting fossil fuel expansion projects in the name of “critical infrastructure.” The nonprofit needs $60,000 to run a three-month campaign to defeat the measure.

DOES NOT MEET CRITERIA

An NGO focused on building climate issue voter mobilization in communities of color wants to expand to 10 more counties in anticipation of future electoral fights. They currently lack funding to cover ongoing salaries for this expansion.

A catalytic project expands impact significantly beyond a one to one relationship, resulting in a multiplier effect. Catalytic implies exponential or leveraged returns.

MEETS CRITERIA

An urban planning NGO is working with a multistakeholder group to create a model solar ordinance for Louisiana designed to encourage expansion of utility-scale solar, centered in an equity approach. Once created, the model ordinance will be adopted and adapted across a dozen parishes in the state as part of the governor’s commitment to transitioning to net-zero emissions.

DOES NOT MEET CRITERIA

An urban planning NGO is working with a land developer to design a “climate-friendly” housing development. The development will feature many carbon-reducing elements such as greenways, living rooftops, and community solar. The development will provide housing for 100 residents.

Application Process

We understand that emergencies can’t wait. We accept applications on a rolling basis. Our full process from inquiry to decision typically takes two to six weeks.

1. Inquiry Submission

The process begins when you submit an inquiry through our Salesforce platform.

2. Initial Review

A member of our social investments team will review the submitted inquiry and determine eligibility.

3. Initial Call

We will schedule an initial conversation to learn more about your situation and will continue our internal review.

4. Submission

Potential partners will be invited to complete a short online application.

5. Review & Revise

A member of our team will work with you to refine your application and prepare for investment committee review.

6. Final Call & Decision

Potential partners will join the Investment Committee for a final interview and a decision will be made within one week.

Need Funding?

We’ll help you through it.

Our grants are designed to keep climate-focused impact on track. If you think that you are eligible for a one-time Open Road grant please submit an initial inquiry.

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Grants Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for a grant? What are your terms?

Open Road provides grants only to nonprofit organizations addressing climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

Charitable grants are designed to address an unexpected roadblock or opportunity.

Roadblocks are scenarios in which a disruptive event, beyond the NGO’s control, has derailed, stalled, or otherwise threatened the success of the on-going project. The disruptive event jeopardizes both the original investment and the anticipated impact.

Opportunities are scenarios in which a mid-implementation project unexpectedly encounters or is offered a chance to catalytically multiply its impact. These opportunities typically arise from sources outside of the program and are not a result of project iteration or natural scale/growth.

In either case the proposed scenario must meet the following criteria:

The project must be mid-implementation.*
The roadblock or opportunity must be unexpected.
The solution to removing the roadblock must be discrete, so that a one-time infusion of funds will allow the NGO to fix the problem. Similarly, capitalizing upon an opportunity must be a discrete action that can be completed within a tangible timeline.
The project carries a significant potential to lead to catalytic results.

Terms:

Non-repayable, one-time, charitable grants
Average size: $80,000 – $120,000

Details:

Charitable grants are almost always given to non-profit organizations where there is a loss of funding instead of a timing issue.
Open Road looks for a multiplier effect where the grant will have outsized impact on a given sector.

Why grants?

Most traditional grant programs are inflexible, restrictive, and slow. Because NGOs cannot access additional capital quickly, even high performing programs are stymied when obstacles are encountered mid-implementation.

To address this issue, Open Road provides grant capital to help NGO’s manage unexpected disruptions. Specifically, we deploy our charitable and recoverable grants when a mid-implementation project encounters an unexpected roadblock or opportunity. We provide the necessary, fast, flexible capital to help organizations meet unanticipated challenges.