The Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA)

Meridian has been instrumental in the creation and ongoing success of the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), a collaborative of philanthropic foundations mitigating climate change, benefiting people, and protecting the environment through forest preservation and land use policy.

In 2006, a group of four U.S. funders saw an opportunity to increase their impact on tropical forest preservation through coordinated strategy development and grantmaking. They hired Meridian to support the development of a global grantmaking strategy, focused on climate and land use, and scope the most effective ways for them to coordinate funding. This process ultimately resulted in a formal Memorandum of Understanding, which created CLUA. 

We used our skills as a strategic advisor, process expert, and organizational incubator to help design and launch CLUA. We continue to facilitate board retreats and provide strategic support. Today, the Climate and Land Use Alliance disperses over $35 million in grants annually. It works in three priority geographies, serving as a powerful global advocate to combat tropical deforestation and degradation. It also elevates land use as a key part of addressing the climate crisis.