Nonprofit financial intermediary mobilising catalytic philanthropic capital for early-stage climate technology ventures through open-access impact tools and impact-first funds.
Prime Coalition is a nonprofit financial intermediary that mobilizes catalytic philanthropic capital from donors, family offices and donor-advised funds towards early-stage climate technology ventures. Founded in 2014 and led by its founder, Sarah Kearney, the organisation was created to break down barriers that prevent philanthropists from deploying catalytic capital at the scale and urgency demanded by climate change. It works primarily in the United States, with its open-access resources used globally.
The firm applies evidence-based assessment of impact and additionality when allocating capital. Its work spans climate finance, impact-first investing and additionality analysis across climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience, clean energy and impact investing. Products include CRANE and Project Frame, open-access tools for evaluating the climate impact and additionality of early-stage innovations and ventures, which together reach more than 19,000 users worldwide. Impact-first funds, which deploy catalytic capital alongside traditional grantmaking, have supported 58 companies.
Since founding, Prime Coalition reports having mobilised more than $315 million in catalytic capital, working with 247 capital partners and backing 38 early-stage ventures. The organisation reports that $2.8 billion in external capital has been crowded in alongside that funding.
Operating as a mission-driven nonprofit, the organisation works on a collaborative partner model with mission-aligned donors, family offices and donor-advised funds. It states a commitment to transparency and open access, with tools and knowledge-sharing resources made freely available.
