Climate news organization has raised $750,000

Covering Climate Now, the global nonprofit news collaboration started by former Columbia Journalism Review editor Kyle Pope, has raised more than $750,000 in funding to continue its work helping journalists to tell the defining story of our time.

The funding has come in the fourth quarter from a range of donors, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Woka Foundation, Park Foundation, Green South Foundation and others.

In addition, Covering Climate Now this year began soliciting individual donations, raising tens of thousands of dollars in a sign of broad public support for its work. For funding queries or other questions, email us at editors@coveringclimatenow.org. (Individuals can donate here.)

“We are humbled and honored by this support from our funding partners,” said Mark Hertsgaard, a co-founder of Covering Climate Now and its executive director, in a statement. “We’ll use this money to help newsrooms on every continent connect with their audiences on the urgency of the climate crisis and the abundance of solutions.”

Founded five years ago, Covering Climate Now has grown to encompass hundreds of newsroom partners from around the world, from the biggest media companies to grass-roots local outlets. The organization offers — free of charge — newsroom training, fosters collaboration, and models best practices, particularly through its annual Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards.

In 2024, Covering Climate Now trained hundreds of local television journalists around the U.S. as part of its Climate Station program, which will continue in 2025. The organization in the first quarter of next year will roll out a new program, making clear the connections between climate action and democracy and economic prosperity.

“The need for more and better climate journalism is more urgent than ever,” said Pope, Covering Climate Now’s co-founder and the organization’s executive director for strategic initiatives, in a statement. “We approach 2025 with a new sense of focus and purpose, and are grateful to all of our funders for their help in making that possible.”