Non-dilutive funding isn’t just about landing the grant; it’s about delivering on it with excellence. In the third episode of our Deep Dive Series with Climate Finance Solutions, we go beyond the application and explore what happens after the award. Our guest host Joel Armin-Hoiland, Founder & CEO of Climate Finance Solutions, is joined by two experts who live and breathe this work: Susan Perri, Director of Grants at Climate Finance Solutions, and Jeff Haydock, CEO of ecoCFO.

Together, they unpack the essential strategies behind post-award grant management from navigating audits to implementing smart financial systems, crafting efficient technical reports, and making strategic choices long before the application is even submitted. The episode offers real-world insights into federal grant reporting, shifting expectations with the new administration, and how startups can build internal or external capacity to manage complexity without losing focus.

If you’re building a climate company and want to stay ahead of the curve on grants, this episode is for you.

• [02:00] Introductions of Jeff and Susan
• [04:00] Susan’s background
• [05:29] Jeff's background
• [09:38] Susan’s role at Climate Finance Solutions
• [11:18] Post-award management best practices
• [14:10] Strategic elements of grant applications
• [16:26] Financial preparation for grant reporting
• [20:31] Insights on grant audits
• [24:14] Overview of technical reporting
• [27:34] Strategies for making post-award reporting easier
• [34:18] When to hire consultants for grant management
• [39:11] How to ensure smooth collaboration with consultants
• [41:13] Changes in federal grants under the new Administration
• [45:22] Alternative grant funding sources
• [48:24] Closing thoughts and sources of hope

• Climate Finance Solutions
• ecoCFO

• Joel Armin-Hoiland
• Susan Perri
• Jeff Haydock
• Jason Rissman

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It’s not yet clear exactly how devasting the loss of federal funding for climate nonprofits and climate tech companies will be, but we know the toll will be high. Beyond the funding freeze, there have also been rumors of other federal action targeting nonprofits in this space.

No one knows exactly what will happen, but it’s clear that philanthropy is more important than ever. Philanthropy alone can’t fill the gap left by the government, but it can make a real difference.

This episode is the first in a series of conversations we’ll have this year focused on climate philanthropy.

We’re starting with not only one of the biggest climate foundations in the U.S., but also one that combines philanthropy with investments designed to catalyze more capital flows to climate. The MacArthur Foundation has long been a leader in using this impact investing approach to improve the ROI for investors seeking market-rate returns.

In today’s conversation, we’re joined by MacArthur Foundation’s Director of Impact Investments John Balbach and Program Officer Deborah Philbrick. We spoke about the Foundation's holistic, problem-first approach to climate, what that means for both their philanthropic funding and impact investing, how they’re stepping up to what they see as a civil society crisis, and much more.

Lots to learn and think about in this one. Let me know if you have ideas about other foundations to feature in this series. Here we go.

• [02:36] Introductions of John and Deborah
• [04:21] Overview of MacArthur Foundation's Climate Work
• [05:52] Climate Solutions Big Bet Details
• [07:02] Philanthropic Strategy and Theory of Change
• [08:15] Grantee Examples
• [10:37] Impact of Federal Funding Freeze
• [12:55] Strategic Shifts and Foundation's Role
• [15:57] Climate Philanthropy Landscape
• [17:04] Sub-national Climate Priorities
• [18:19] MacArthur's Impact Investing History
• [20:36] Risk and Return Approach
• [22:45] Impact Assessment Methodology
• [25:11] Catalytic Capital Strategies
• [28:01] Investment Thesis
• [31:20] Administration's Impact on Investments
• [33:30] Systemic Transformation Discussion

• MacArthur Foundation
• MacArthur Fellows Program
• MacArthur Foundation: Climate Solutions Big Bet
• Just Transition Fund
• League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
• Azolla Ventures
• Encourage Solar Finance
• Sunwealth
• MacArthur Foundation: How We Leverage the ‘Full Continuum’ of Capital to Address the Climate Crisis
• MacArthur Foundation: Aligning Our...

Non-dilutive funding is a critical part of the capital stack for climate startups. Changes in Washington have made this landscape all the more challenging to navigate. To improve understanding of the opportunities in this space, Invested in Climate is partnering with Climate Finance Solutions on a series of podcast episodes.

As our first deep dive in this series, Climate Finance Solutions Founder & CEO Joel Armin-Hoiland joined as a guest host and interviewed Tinia Pina, CEO of Re-Nuble and Dimitry Gershenson, CEO of Enduring Planet. They’ve both unlocked millions in non-dilutive capital to accelerate climate progress and share insights that’ll help founders, investors, donors, and anyone else interested in understanding the rapidly changing world of non-dilutive climate funding.

• [1:00] Introducing the series on non-dilutive funding
• [4:30] Tania Pina introduces Re-Nuble and her background
• [6:20] Dimitry Gershenson introduces Enduring Planet
• [9:30] Discussion on strategic considerations for grant funding
• [17:10] Challenges of grant funding process
• [22:30] Benefits of working with grant consultants
• [25:45] Discussion on values-driven business
• [31:10] Customer-centered service in climate finance
• [37:15] Impact of federal administration on climate grants
• [42:30] Closing thoughts and sources of hope

• Climate Finance Solutions
• Re-Nuble
• Enduring Planet

• Joel Armin-Hoiland
• Dimitry Gershenson
• Tinia Pina
• Jason Rissman

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