ICONIQ Impact

To kick off #ClimateWeek, we hosted a Climate Equity Celebration in honor of the grantees of our Climate Equity Co-Lab—a $50 million collaborative philanthropy fund that supports 13 organizations working at the intersection of climate change, Indigenous land rights, gender equity, and poverty. We had the privilege of hearing from some of the leading voices in the fight for climate equity, including the Honorable Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, environmental activist Bill McKibben, and two Climate Equity Co-Lab grantee leaders, Maanda Ngoitiko, co-founder and executive director of Pastoral Women's Council, and Kaushik Kappagantulu, co-founder and CEO of Kheyti. We were also joined by members of the musical group #ThisIsOurHome, a climate justice campaign of indigenous artists, musicians, and storytellers who are advocating for a fossil fuel-free future for the Pacific. It was great to see our community come together to celebrate and support organizations on the frontlines of the climate justice movement 🌍 👏

We’re thrilled to see this article by Marie Dageville, co-founder of The Patchwork Collective (TPC), who is helping inspire fellow philanthropists to give with urgency and trust.   TPC funds locally-led, underfunded initiatives around the world through trust-based giving.   This means: 💡 Providing grantee organizations with unrestricted (and typically multi-year) funding to allow for flexibility, innovation, and long-term planning ✍ Not requiring grantee organizations to jump through hoops or fill out onerous proposals to receive funding 🎯 Keeping reporting simple by having ongoing conversations about impact rather than demanding costly and time-consuming reports   “Throughout these few years I’ve been continually blown away by the groups we’ve funded. These people who are doing the hard work to make the world better on so many fronts are incredibly inspiring…I feel it’s my duty to support them with the means I have at my disposal, because they are literally working for the good of us all.” - Marie Dageville   Read more about Marie’s philosophy and TPC’s approach to giving below 👇

We’re thrilled to have worked alongside our partners at Lever for Change to host this webinar in honor of #WorldRefugeeDay!   Since receiving a collective $24.25 million in funding three years ago, the five finalists of the Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award have scaled their programs to improve the lives of millions of refugees across the world. Here are just some of the many things these visionary organizations have achieved:   Global Refuge has expanded their mental health programming to include a more holistic, trauma-informed approach so that refugees receive sustainable support beyond the initial welcome. Village Enterprise has provided technical assistance to community-based organizations so localized groups can adapt their model according to the unique needs of each community. Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI) has centered refugee leadership in their organization and programs so they can better represent the true needs of the refugee community.

ICONIQ founding partner Michael Anders spoke at yesterday’s #ForbesIconoclast Summit about why philanthropy is not reaching its full potential: silos, bureaucracy, a lack of understanding on where and how to start, and more.   At ICONIQ Impact, we aim to quickly, diligently, and effectively mobilize capital towards the world's most complex challenges, focusing on areas where philanthropy has the potential to be catalytic. This can look like supporting overlooked and underfunded groups, funding a new project or approach that we believe has huge potential but needs support to get off the ground, or partnering to support hyper-local initiatives.   

Divesh Makan, founding partner of ICONIQ Capital, spoke with Bloomberg Wealth's David Rubenstein about AI, ICONIQ's community, and why #CollaborativePhilanthropy is a core part of ICONIQ's DNA. Listen to the full interview below 👇

Earlier this week, head of ICONIQ Impact, Matti Navellou, joined Samantha Fenwick on BBC News Business Matters to discuss the unique role philanthropy can play in catalyzing government funding.   In a time where governments across the world are cutting their aid budgets, philanthropy is more important than ever. But it’s neither a stopgap measure nor a replacement. Rather, philanthropic dollars can fund bold ideas that have the potential to be transformative and can serve as proof points for other funders—including governments—to follow.   Unlike governments, philanthropists are not bound by political constraints or annual budgets, and unlike the private sector, they are not beholden to shareholders or an economic bottom line. Philanthropists are in a unique position where they can be flexible, innovative, and risk tolerant with their giving, ultimately helping to prove out solutions and crowd in other funders.   Listen below 👇

Last week, Matti Navellou, head of ICONIQ Impact, joined the Women Moving Millions Summit to discuss the power of collaborative philanthropy with thought leaders, activists, and donors leading the charge on critical issues that intersect with gender.   “The world’s challenges are growing more complex and becoming too urgent to tackle alone. The traditionally siloed philanthropic model hinders progress. We must pivot to a collaborative approach where resources are pooled, expertise is leveraged, impacted communities are centered, and learnings are shared.” -Matti Navellou, head of ICONIQ Impact   #WMMSummit2024 #collaborativephilanthropy #impact #genderequity  

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that extraordinary ocean temperatures had triggered a historic coral bleaching event—one that is being called the “widest-ever global coral crisis.”   Coral reefs provide coastal protection against storms, reduce beach erosion, and support more species per unit than any other marine environment. But climate change has had disastrous effects on these critical ecosystems.   Rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, human pollution, and more have placed extreme stress on corals. When they become too stressed, the symbiotic algae they need to survive dies. This process is called bleaching, and while bleached coral can recover, if the water surrounding them stays too hot for too long, they die.   This #EarthDay, we’re celebrating the vibrant and steadfast climate leaders of our Ocean Co-Lab community who work tirelessly to protect our coral reefs:   Global Fund for Coral Reefs, The Nature Conservancy, and Coral Gardeners are restoring critical reef sites, innovating new technologies to increase coral production, and supporting the coastal communities whose lives and livelihoods depend on coral reefs.   Photos courtesy of Coral Gardeners and The Nature Conservancy, which are developing the tools needed to scale up reef restoration. 

We’re thrilled that CodePath, a grantee of our Education & Economic Mobility Co-Lab, has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in the education sector! CodePath partners with over 110 universities and 70 tech employers to provide students from underrepresented backgrounds with the technical training, mentorship, and interview preparation needed to break into the tech sector. They’re diversifying the industry and making tech education more equitable.   Please join us in congratulating them! 👏 👏 👏

Turn Forward, a grantee of our Ocean Co-Lab, is looking for a new Executive Director. Learn more about this great opportunity below 👇