Case Studies - The Solutions Project

Grassroots groups and alliances have been building power, shaping public opinion, and winning policy change in environmental and climate justice for decades. One big reason their success is not well resourced or celebrated is that philanthropy and the media don’t often understand how change happens from the ground-up. Without resources to tell the stories let alone measure the impact of their success, grassroots leadership in some of the climate movement’s greatest victories is too often dismissed. This collection of impact research and case studies provides a closer look at how frontline organizations are uniquely positioned and highly effective at implementing their ideas to create the future we all want.

The U.S. Narrative Landscape for Climate Justice Communications

Climate Justice: The Narrative Shift

This report from The Solutions Project examines the current U.S. climate communications landscape, identifying key challenges like fragmented media, alienating jargon, and audience despair, while highlighting opportunities in authentic community storytelling, digital creator ecosystems, and intersectional messaging. The central takeaway is that building a broad climate constituency requires meeting diverse audiences through issues they already care about, messengers they trust, and platforms they already use — rather than relying on a single universal message or frame.

Analysis of Innovative Environmental & Climate Policy Achievements

Just Solutions, in partnership with The Solutions Project, released a new report that showcases nine community-driven policy wins that are advancing solutions to the climate crisis at the local, state, and federal levels.

Innovative Policy Achievements at Local, State, and Federal Levels

Just Solutions Collective Impact Analysis

The Solutions Project enlisted the Just Solutions Collective, to assess a subset of our grantees’ policy achievements and how people’s lives are improved by our grantees’ approach to policy change.

Impacts of Solution Project's Accelerated Investments

Frontline Solutions Impact Assessment

Partnering with Frontline Solutions, The Solutions Project conducted a comprehensive analysis of our grantee partners’ achievements with the scaled support of our ecosystem approach in 2021-2023.

CO2 Emissions Reductions Achieved by Frontline Organizations

PSE For Healthy Energy CO2 Emissions Impact Analysis

The Solutions Project commissioned Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy to assess the climate benefits of three grantee partner campaign wins in New York.

How 100% Renewable Energy Became Popular and Codified in Law

100% for 100%: Climate Narrative & Movement Building

The Solutions Project x Climate Access: Determining bold, yet achievable, narratives that center frontline organizations in the fight for better climate policies and healthier communities.

Group of happy people with fist raised in the air

Innovations in Policy and Community Infrastructure

Scaling Up Community Resilience to Climate Disasters

The Solutions Project x Unbound Philanthropy: Reimagining environmental justice through solidarity-building across California’s Asian-American migrant communities.

Several people around the truck of a large tree.

Setting an Inclusive and Solidarity Vision

Transforming Narratives About Climate Migration

The Solutions Project x Unbound Philanthropy: Rebuilding Gulf Coast communities impacted by climate disasters through a Green New Deal for the Gulf South.

Cover image of case study with people in masks staring at the camera

Defending Justice in a "Climate Refuge City"

Building a Safe Haven for Migrants and Thriving Community for All

The Solutions Project x Unbound Philanthropy: Investing in Buffalo’s climate refugee communities to build green infrastructure and a regenerative economy.

Migrant Workers Innovate in Labor Protections in the Context of the Climate Crisis

Inspiration at the Intersection of Climate Change and Migration

The Solutions Project x Unbound Philanthropy: Mobilizing frontline agricultural workers across the country for systemic change and labor protections in the face of climate change.