The Youth Climate Justice Fund (YCJF) has announced that its 2026 application round is now open, offering funding to emerging youth-led climate justice and socio-environmental groups worldwide. The fund provides support through a participatory decision-making process that allows young people to shape solutions this year.
Eligible groups working at local or national levels are invited to apply for financial support. Local groups can apply for grants of up to USD 20,000, while national-level groups may request funding of up to USD 40,000. The fund is supported by individuals and philanthropies rather than private or listed companies, a structure it said helps maintain independence.
The Youth Climate Justice Fund criteria for interested applicants includes that groups or collectives must be led by young people aged 35 years and below. In order to be eligible for a YCJF grant, the majority of your leadership must be young people or the individuals with decision making power should be aged 35 years and below. Eligible groups must be based in East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Europe and Central Asia, or North America.
Applicants from high-income countries should belong to underrepresented communities to be considered for funding. Groups focusing solely on international engagements without community-based work are ineligible to apply. Applicants are expected to believe in and demonstrate inclusive organizing, collective action, and intersectional movement building.
In addition, groups based in North America or Western Europe may apply if they are led by young people who are discriminated against or marginalized based on class, gender, ethnicity, background, or similar factors.
The Youth Climate Justice Fund said is looking for groups that are cultivating diverse leadership rooted in fair and equitable climate action with community power, raising ambitions and commitments on climate and socio-environmental justice, and holding policymakers accountable to their promises and strengthening community power.
The call for applications will remain open for four weeks. Youth-led climate and environmental justice groups the globe can apply.
Submission is available in Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili. The application portal will remain open until March 1st, 2026.
To apply interested applicants should submit applications via https://youthclimatejusticefund.submittable.com/submit.
