Sunrise Project

About Sunrise Project

The Sunrise Project Inc regrants roughly two-thirds of the funds it raises, directing money to other NGOs and community groups that work to speed the transition away from fossil fuels. That strategic model is a defining feature of the funder: it operates as a public charity and a regular funder, but much of its grantmaking is coordinated through programmatic partnerships rather than an open application process. Recent support shows a strong blend of climate movement work and finance-sector pressure. The largest grant in the recent list went to Potential Energy Coalition Inc for general support, and Democracy Forward Foundation also received a large general-support grant. The portfolio includes repeated support for organizations such as Sierra Club Foundation, Ceres Inc, Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, and Public Citizen Foundation Inc, which points to ongoing backing for groups working on climate advocacy, financial regulation, and related policy work. The foundation’s active programs also show a split between global regranting and Australia-specific work, including an open small-grants program for community groups in Australia. Across the recent grants, the common thread is general operating support for organizations positioned to shift finance, build movements, and accelerate the fossil-fuel phaseout.

What Sunrise Project Funds

A major part of The Sunrise Project Inc’s giving supports finance-sector change. In that area, it gave $800,000 to Ceres Inc for general support and $400,000 to Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis Inc for general support, both aligned with work on investors, banks, and financial institutions. The foundation also funds policy and accountability groups: Public Citizen Foundation Inc received $580,000 in 2025 and $550,000 in 2024 for general support, while Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund received $600,000 in 2024 and $500,000 in 2025. Movement-building is another clear strand. It gave $1,000,000 to Majority Action for general support and $470,000 to New York Communities for Change Inc for general support. The grant list also includes climate advocacy and research-oriented organizations such as As You Sow, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and Global 2050 Inc, all funded at the general-support level.

How Sunrise Project Gives