Climate Lead receives $20 million from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving for its work scaling climate philanthropy

MacKenzie Scott’s extraordinary generosity, with gifts for climate action conservatively estimated to exceed well over $1 billion, will have immediate impact and serve as an inspiration for others.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 9, 2025 – Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, through her foundation, Yield Giving, is donating $20 million to the global nonprofit Climate Lead, a philanthropic advisory that empowers philanthropists to take bold climate action. This gift is one of many transformational climate gifts she is making that in total are conservatively estimated to exceed $1 billion and accelerate critical climate efforts around the globe. Her total giving to all causes for 2025, reported on Yield Giving’s website, is over $7.1 billion.

“MacKenzie Scott’s climate giving is bold, generous, and a beacon for what’s possible. We are deeply grateful to Ms. Scott for her generosity to us and, more importantly, inspired by her gifts across the more than 50 global climate organizations she chose for this incredible portfolio. The gift to Climate Lead will help us bring more philanthropists into climate work faster, and its true impact will be felt by the communities, families, and ecosystems her leadership helps protect,” said Jennifer Kitt, President of Climate Lead.

“There is a need for more climate philanthropy to protect what we love: the special places, the people threatened by the real impacts now, the generations beyond us, and our beautiful planet. MacKenzie Scott’s climate giving is among the most significant of our time. Her thoughtful leadership is inspiring, and we hope it encourages others to step forward with the same courage and conviction to meet the urgency of this moment.”

Climate Lead, a philanthropic advisory service founded by experienced philanthropists, helps individuals and families move quickly into climate philanthropy to speed solutions needed for a safe and healthy planet. Its fee-free model prioritizes climate impact above all. 

Since its inception six years ago, it has helped 100+ families give more than $5 billion to over 100 vetted, high-impact climate organizations globally. Focusing on the urgency of the issue, Climate Lead helps philanthropists move fast, with many making significant-sized gifts for climate impact within six months of engagement.

MacKenzie Scott’s generous $20 million philanthropic gift will help Climate Lead continue and expand its core mission: cutting through complexity and equipping interested philanthropists with a trusted network of experts and thoroughly vetted solutions for learning and action, which includes:

• Tailored, one-on-one advising focused on matching the philanthropist’s interest and climate impact.
• Curated portfolios of climate solutions vetted for impact and scalability.
• A global network of experts and peer philanthropists who share insights and accelerate collaboration.
• Learning events worldwide that connect philanthropists directly to cutting-edge ideas.
• Curated resources that keep pace with a rapidly evolving field.
  

“Philanthropists care deeply about the climate crisis, but we often hear from those new to climate giving that it is complex and unclear where or how to start, or they think they need to become experts in climate before they can act. Both can slow someone who wants to make a difference in peoples’ lives, even when the urgency is right in front of us,” Kitt explains. “MacKenzie Scott’s generosity and vision lights the way for other philanthropists to enter the climate space to achieve meaningful results quickly and confidently.”

Media contacts:

Laura Evans Manatos, [email protected]

Jennifer Davis, [email protected]