The Climate Center accepts contributions and sponsorships from individuals, organizations, corporations, and other funders. The Climate Center demonstrates its belief in the role of business in the effort to solve the climate emergency through its business membership program, The Climate Center Business Network. It is a growing association of over 70 businesses paying annual dues and, in many cases, sponsoring our events. Our Business Network, like our individual donors and private institutional funders, seeks opportunities to build a climate-safe California. Members include a broad array of companies in a variety of sectors, including banking, finance, energy, food, wine, healthcare, and more.
Our Business Network members share the vision of The Climate Center that business helps drive innovation and must play a crucial role in addressing the climate crisis and avoiding devastating impacts to our communities, the environment, and the economy.
The Climate Center recognizes that potential, real, or perceived conflicts exist by accepting contributions from companies with goals, practices, and priorities that are not fully aligned with The Climate Center and its Climate-Safe California campaign. To avoid such real or perceived conflicts, The Climate Center will vet prospective donors or sponsors taking the following considerations into account before accepting any corporate gift:
- All financial support is welcome, with the understanding that such contributions will in no way influence The Climate Center’s commitment to its mission and strategic objectives;
- The Climate Center may consider accepting donations or sponsorships from businesses that are engaged in technologies or practices that The Climate Center sees as counter to achieving its mission and goals only when the business can substantiate that it is on a trajectory to phase out the counterproductive technology or practice and replace it with climate-friendly alternatives;
- The Climate Center does not accept donations from any corporation, individual, or other entity:
- With a clear and demonstrated disregard or disrespect for The Climate Center’s mission;
- When the gift is intended to help a corporation or entity falsely promote itself as a steward of the planet and/or environmentally friendly;
- When there is a significant risk that accepting the gift could undermine The Climate Center’s credibility with critical allies and partners or the general public.
- The CEO of The Climate Center shall make final decisions about the application of this policy.
Adopted September 2022.