The Adaptation and Resilience Fund is a bold philanthropic commitment to accelerate solutions that build resilience to climate change in low- and middle-income countries.
ClimateWorks Foundation, with the support of a coalition of global foundations, including Howden Foundation, Laudes Foundation, Quadrature Climate Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation, has launched the Adaptation and Resilience Fund (A&R Fund) to support locally led efforts that reduce climate risk and strengthen community well-being. From early warning systems to innovative finance tools, the A&R Fund directs capital where it’s most needed: communities on the frontlines of climate impacts.
The Adaptation & Resilience Fund is designed to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of a changing climate. The Fund brings together philanthropic funding and expertise to address multiple climate hazards, and accelerate and catalyze systems transformation to support people facing the greatest climate impacts. In response to the United Nations secretary-general’s urgent July 25 Call to Action on Extreme Heat, the fund’s first wave of grants will focus on helping cities and communities build resilience to extreme heat in urban areas in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, prioritizing cities with high levels of informal labor and housing, inward migration pressure, and exposure to extreme heat. With nearly two-thirds of the global workforce employed in the informal economy – often outdoors and without social safety nets – communities around the world already face health risks, economic hardship, and social inequities, all of which are exacerbated by exposure to extreme heat. The A&R Fund will support locally-driven solutions that protect people, strengthen systems, and create pathways for a more resilient future, focusing on four pillars:
Request for proposals: Solutions for urban resilience to extreme heat
Published: August 14, 2025
The A&R Fund is excited to announce two new Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to confront one of the most urgent climate challenges of our time: extreme heat in urban areas across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Total available funding: up to $9 million
Application deadline: September 19, 2025
Please click the links below to read the full RFPs, view the recording of our recent informational webinar, and submit your application.
RFP 1: Innovative finance for urban resilience
How can we unlock the billions of dollars needed for climate adaptation? This RFP seeks bold financial solutions — from municipal debt swaps and resilience bonds to community-based insurance and microfinance — to catalyze public and private investment to protect the most climate-vulnerable communities.
RFP 2: Strengthening institutions and civil society
Great plans need strong systems. This RFP supports city governments, civil society organizations, and community leaders to embed heat resilience into urban planning, policies, and budgets. Proposals should center local voices — especially women, informal workers, and marginalized groups — while building the capacity of cities to plan and act for long-term resilience.
