"Trust is built on the work."
“The urgency for climate justice has never been more apparent. This moment requires us to be in deep solidarity across communities. It is not a moment to abandon justice; it’s a call to double down. Join us in going all in on community led climate solutions!”
– Gloria Walton
In the last few years, Gloria Walton has more than quadrupled The Solutions Projects’ impact and influence by leading a growing team now funding and amplifying the innovations of more than 350 grassroots grantees across 45 states in our core grantmaking and through the movement ecosystem funds we administer, with a notable 90% going towards people of color-led and 80% to women or nonbinary-led organizations.
Under her compassionate & collaborative leadership, we play a strategic and supporting role in lifting up the stories of everyday heroes, ordinary humans doing extraordinary work in and for their communities. This is an all hands on deck movement but together, we will create the future we all want.
$50M+ dollars distributed by The Solutions Project to invest in and amplify climate justice solutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
$112M in grants made in 2021 to frontline climate justice organizations through The Solutions Project, the Environmental Justice Resourcing Collective of the Kataly Foundation, and two California county grant funds Gloria directly advises.
300 frontline climate justice organizations funded across 45 states and Puerto Rico through The Solutions Project’s direct grantmaking and ecosystem funds. Of these resources, 90% have supported people of color-led groups, and 80% have gone to women- or nonbinary-led organizations.
16+ major climate and social impact keynotes and panels, including Climate Week NYC, TIME Earth Awards Gala, and Web Summit where Gloria brought climate justice to the center stage.
70+ High profile media stories that amplified climate justice solutions and the community values that guide our movements, including features in TIME and CBS This Morning.
Gloria has elevated climate justice on global platforms such as Climate Week NYC, TIME Summits, the Austrian World Summit, Web Summit, and more, amplifying the voices of frontline communities. Black, Indigenous, and communities of color are often underrepresented in climate spaces and underfunded. To address this, Gloria co-created a groundbreaking grassroots climate justice fund and mobilized other funders to also move resources to the frontlines.
Under Gloria’s leadership, The Solutions Project has deepened its relationships across the American South. When climate disasters struck — first with the Ice Storm in Mississippi and Texas, followed by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana — Gloria and the team mobilized swiftly. They provided over $2.25 million in rapid response grants and distributed 450 solar generators to grantee partners throughout the region. Additionally, we collaborated with our partners to amplify their climate solutions, reaching national outlets like USA Today with stories from the communities most impacted by these disasters. Through both our grantmaking and media efforts, Gloria has led with a strategy rooted in solidarity. This approach not only addresses the immediate needs of those facing disaster but also strengthens grassroots power to tackle the root causes of the climate crisis.
Gloria is invested in solutions and solutionaries all around us. As Grace Lee Boggs said, “Solutionaries are today’s Revolutionaries.” Communities have been doing this work for generations and these frontline leaders are who we need to support, because they are already leading the way. Together, we can create the future we want. The people are calling for it. The planet is calling for it. It’s time for us to level up, and rise to the occasion.
Check out Gloria in action.
After 16 years in community organizing at SCOPE in South Central Los Angeles, Gloria entered philanthropy with a purpose of disrupting the status quo and growing the impact and influence of the climate justice movement we serve.
$141M Raised for Climate Justice
When Gloria secured our largest donation, she expanded our grantees from 30 to 100+ and raised the average grant from $30K to $100K. Her efforts brought in $141 million for climate justice across the U.S. and tribal nations, doubling climate philanthropy for equity.
Named 50 Most Powerful Women in Philanthropy
Inside Philanthropy, 2023
Under Walton’s leadership, The Solutions Project has quadrupled its giving, ramped up its fundraising, and forged new alliances. . . “Walton has a rare talent for leveraging narratives and the media to expand the prominence of the grassroots climate justice movement.”
McNulty Prize Winner
This prestigious award recognizes leaders tackling critical global issues, like climate justice and disaster recovery.
Gloria awarded inaugural TIME CO2 Earth Awards
Gloria was on the cover of TIME Magazine in 2023 and awarded the first ever TIME CO2 Earth Award Gala for her ceaseless commitment to climate justice.
For press inquiries, please contact: Ming Liu, Communications Manager at press@thesolutionsproject.org
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