Double Your Impact: The 2026 Central Texas Climate Action Fund is Live!

Summers in Central Texas are getting hotter, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and local families are increasingly feeling the squeeze of rising energy costs. Climate change isn’t a far-off problem—it’s affecting our day-to-day lives, our health, and our pocketbooks right now.

But here is the good news: you don’t have to navigate these massive challenges alone, and your efforts to help just got a major boost.

In a recent Solar Austin video, program coordinator David Levesque sat down with Jenny Everett, co-founder of the Central Texas Climate Philanthropy Collaborative, to break down an incredible matching gift opportunity happening right now in June 2026.

If you want to support local climate initiatives but aren’t sure where your dollars will do the most good, the Central Texas Climate Action Fund is the perfect one-stop shop.

What is the Central Texas Climate Action Fund?

Jenny and a group of local citizens started the Collaborative a few years ago after noticing a gap: Austin is known for being innovative and environmentally friendly, yet there wasn’t a centralized space for climate philanthropy.

They launched the Climate Action Fund to simplify giving. Instead of spending hours researching where to invest your money, you can make a single donation that is pooled and distributed to highly vetted local organizations.

The momentum is real:

• The 2024 Campaign: Raised and granted out approximately $290,000 to the community.
• The June 2026 Campaign: Features $100,000 in matching funds backed by a group of dedicated individual donors. Every single dollar you donate will be doubled, whether you give $20 or $2,000.

To select this year’s beneficiaries, the Collaborative hosted a rigorous community review process, narrowing down 47 letters of intent to 10 incredible local organizations across three critical areas:

1. Energy & Built Environment

Focusing on energy policy, clean energy access, and technological footprints.

• Solar Austin: Expanding solar access and gifting free solar arrays to local nonprofits (like Keep Austin Fed and KOOP Radio).
• Powerhouse Texas: Working on vital energy policy initiatives.
• Measure: Examining the growing environmental impact of data centers and AI.

2. Natural Systems & Land Use

Protecting the physical environment and natural resources that keep Central Texas livable.

• Austin Youth Riverwatch: Protecting waterways while educating local youth.
• Fruitful Commons: Expanding urban tree canopies and community spaces.
• A Rocha USA: Mobilizing faith-based communities around environmental stewardship.
• LandJust Community School: Advancing Indigenous land sovereignty.

3. Community Resilience, Equity, & Education

Addressing the intersection of climate change, public health, and social equity.

• Keep Austin Fed: Reducing food waste and connecting climate care to food security.
• Our Children’s Trust: Driving legal accountability for climate protections.
• Public Health Watch: Providing critical investigative public health journalism.

Why Local Action Matters Right Now

The economic and social realities of a warming climate are already hitting home. As David points out, more than 89,000 families currently require customer assistance from Austin Energy because their utility bills are simply too high. With Austin Energy shifting from a traditional 2% annual rate increase to a 5% increase, energy equity has become an urgent crisis.

“We have families here in Austin every day that are making a decision between turning on the air conditioning and putting food on the table.”

— Jenny Everett

By supporting groups like Solar Austin, you help bring free solar power to community organizations. This slashes their operational costs, builds local climate resilience, and leverages existing federal incentives (which still cover 30% to 40% of project costs) to maximize every dollar.

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming June Events

Want to get involved, meet the organizers, and see local climate action in person? There are two great community events happening next week:

• Climate Action Breakfast Panel
  • When: Wednesday, June 17th at 8:30 AM
  • Where: Austin Community Foundation 4315 Guadalupe St suite 300 Austin, TX
  • What: A discussion moderated by David Leeler (Public Health Watch), featuring Jenny Everett, David Levc, Mimi Styles (Measure), and Veronica (A Rocha USA) exploring local climate intersections.
• Solar Austin’s Annual Summer Solstice Celebration
  • When: Saturday, June 20th 6-9 pm
  • Where: 900 Springdale Road Food Park
  • What: Live music, food, drinks, and a chance to see a 20-kilowatt solar array providing shade and clean energy to the food park in real-time.
  • RSVP here

How to Give

Ready to double your impact? The Central Texas Climate Action Fund is securely housed as a field of interest fund at the Austin Community Foundation.

Head over to ctxclimate.org to learn more about the 10 chosen non-profits, donate to the matching pool, and join the collaborative movement for a resilient Central Texas.