THE EARTH FUNDING LAB

Helping philanthropy work together to put life at the centre of our economies.

A vital experiment into shifting the model of funding to support life

The Earth Funding Lab was a four-year experiment, developed in collaboration with the Environmental Funders Network and TealCo, to help environmental funders and philanthropists work more effectively towards economies that serve life.

We brought together people and organisations who shared a sense that, despite much good work, the parts of progressive philanthropy were not adding up to the deeper change our world needs.

Our starting point was simple: if we want to transform our economic systems, we need to change not just what we fund, but how we work together.

Creating the conditions for systemic change

We designed the Lab as a living system, creating the conditions for funders to connect, learn, experiment and act together.

This brought three elements into an interconnected whole:

• Spaces to unlearn and learn together, exploring the deeper patterns, power structures and assumptions shaping our economies and philanthropy.

• Real-world experimentation, turning shared learning into collaborative funding initiatives, including pooled funds supporting work on tax reform and the rights of nature.

• Connection and community, building the trust, relationships and shared purpose needed to work beyond organisational silos.

Drawing on living systems, systems thinking and collaborative practice, we developed structures and tools to help participants see the bigger picture, find their place within it, and discover where working together could unlock new possibilities.

Over four years, the Lab helped shift conversations and funding practices, enabled genuinely collaborative funding, and deepened connections across the sector.

Composting the Lab, growing what comes next

In 2025, we decided to compost the Lab in its current form. While the model was no longer sustainable, the need for its work remains.

We continue to share its learning, tend to the relationships it nurtured, and support fertile ground for new initiatives to grow. This intention led to a practical guide bringing together the Lab’s tools, innovations and insights for others to adapt and carry forward.

For us, the Earth Funding Lab is a powerful example of what becomes possible when we design projects to work like living systems — connecting people, creating the conditions for collective learning and action, and continually evolving in service of life.