Groundswell, tackling the climate crises.

Non-profit climate advocacy funder, Groundswell Giving, works with a different kind of hope – one that’s determined to turn a desire for environmental change into a reality. 

One word that gets used a lot in the climate space is ‘hope’, but to Arielle Gamble, director and co-founder of Groundswell Giving, hope is not a desire: it’s an action.

“‘Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky’,” says Gamble, reciting the words of famed writer and activist, Rebecca Solnit. “‘It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency’.  

“This is the understanding of the word ‘hope’ that guides us at Groundswell. Hope is a commitment each day to show up for community, the environment and future of the planet.” 

Since its inception two years ago, Groundswell has connected donors and grant-givers that want to see greater climate action. The non-profit has raised and distributed over $1 million to community groups and emerging grassroots organisations tackling the climate crisis. It’s also supported a broad variety of voices from farmers for climate action to youth Indigenous groups. 

“Many of the grassroots groups we support don't have fundraising arms. In the past they’ve been restricted by a lack of funding. We help them raise the money they need so they can get on with doing the necessary work they do.” 

More recently, Groundswell ran a Melbourne-based event, sponsored by Equity Trustees, to help members network, collaborate and strengthen their commitment on climate action.

“We had been planning that event for two years through all of the lockdowns. So it was really lovely to connect with our members in person and celebrate the wins of the last couple of years.” 

One of the biggest wins, Gamble explains, happened in June, when the non-profit funder received funding of its own from a number of trusts. The new funding relationships were facilitated by Equity Trustees. 

“The funding we’ve received recently will be transformational. It will enable us to hire an events lead. It will also significantly boost our internal capacity to deliver an entirely new arm of work.”  

Importantly, the funding will generate a cumulative effect of collective action and advocacy work across Australia.

“Groundswell is an impact magnifier for the climate movement. So the more we can be resourced to do our job better, the more impacts we can have at scale to grow the capacity of the entire climate movement. 

“We've seen what collective action can achieve. We know that the challenge ahead of us is significant. We believe that now is a time of possibility. We are working with the tide, not against it.”