Frequently Asked Questions

The Volgenau Climate Initiative (VCI) is a ten-year initiative funded by The Volgenau Foundation, a family foundation dedicated to supporting conservation, education, and classical music.

VCI convenings have produced a diverse array of successful results. VCI drives outcomes by building trust-based networks  and providing seed funding to projects that emerge when leaders have the time to strategize together.  The projects range from on-the-ground to field-level efforts across the country. Our seed funding has leveraged significant additional funding to the field. VCI has also sparked and strengthened networks in several areas of the Natural Climate Solutions field to enhance collaboration. Learn more on our Projects and Networks pages (coming soon). 

VCI convenings are not typical conferences. They are expertly facilitated, three-and-a-half-day sessions that are designed to allow participants a chance to strategically slow down and build deep relationships with a network of exceptional peers. Expect time for reflection and connection in a beautiful natural space and to engage in collaborative problem-solving and design for actionable strategies for natural climate solutions.

 VCI participants are invited by referral. We look for leaders with strong reputations for collaboration and a track record of results. We aim to foster new relationships by bringing together diverse groups to collaborate for innovative solutions. 

VCI does not accept unsolicited funding proposals. Our limited seed funding solely aims to support projects and collaborations that emerge from our convenings. We do, however, always appreciate learning about the needs and challenges in the natural climate solutions field.

We highlight topics that are ripe for cross-sector collaboration, that are scalable and transferable, and that have high prospects for momentum and tangible progress. Our priority as an organization is to support climate mitigation by addressing natural climate solutions that focus on forests and working lands. We look for topics that are focused enough to direct action but broad enough to form relationships and allow for creative problem solving.