C3 Solutions (Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions) is a right-of-center environmentalist organization that advocates right-leaning responses to issues including climate change, energy policy, and economic development. ¹

In 2024, C3 Solutions published a report titled the Candidate Briefing Book, which claimed to provide policy solutions for right-of-center political candidates to address climate change including the promotion of weather-dependent energy. ² The report also pushed for political candidates to “acknowledge that climate change is real and that human beings are contributing to climate change.” ³

History and Leadership

C3 Solutions was co-founded in 2019 by Dennis “Drew” Bond and John Hart. ⁴

Prior to C3 Solutions, Bond served in the office of former U.S. Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) and was previously the chief of staff for the Heritage Foundation. Hart also worked for former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). ⁴

Nick Loris is the co-founder and Vice President of Public Policy for C3. Prior to the group, he worked as a fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Loris also sits on the boards for ConservAmerica and the American Conservation Coalition. ⁵

C3 Solutions’s board of directors and advisory board includes former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), ⁶ Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute (TEPRI) founder Rebecca Klein, ⁷ Emerson Collective and George W. Bush administration advisor Michael Bruce, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) board member and White House Domestic Policy Council official in the George W. Bush administration Yuval Levin, ^{8 9} and former policy director for U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Mike Franc. ¹⁰

Activities

C3 Solutions claims to advocate for “evidence-based discussion[s] about climate change” while supporting additional investment in weather-dependent energy technologies and alleged sustainable agriculture and forestry policies. ¹¹ The group also claims to support “free market solutions” by creating policies to address climate change through promoting innovation, property rights, fiscal responsibility, and global climate leadership. ¹²

In 2024, C3 Solutions published a report titled the Candidate Briefing Book, which claimed to provide policy solutions for right-of-center political candidates to address climate change including the promotion of weather-dependent energy. ² The report also pushed for political candidates to “acknowledge that climate change is real and that human beings are contributing to climate change.” ³

Financials

In 2022, the organization spent $535,679 on public policy activism; $461,909 on communications efforts; and $204,153 on climate change, environmentalist, and energy-related advocacy. In 2020, it provided a $12,500 grant to the R Street Institute. ^{13 14}

C3 Solutions receives its funding from individual contributions and grants. ¹⁵ In 2022, C3 Solutions reported revenue of $1,046,431 and expenses of $1,242,053. C3 Solutions reported revenue of $1,183,398 and expenses of $1,073,590 in 2021. ¹⁶

In 2024, C3 Solutions received a $100,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for special projects. ¹⁷ The organization received a $125,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation ¹⁸ and an additional $60,000 from the John William Pope Foundation in 2023. ¹⁹

In 2022, C3 Solutions received $450,000 from Breakthrough Energy, $300,000 from National Philanthropic Trust, $125,000 from Clean Future Forum, ¹⁴ and $25,000 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. ²⁰

1. “C3 Solutions.” Vimeo Video. Uploaded September 17, 2020. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://vimeo.com/458993126.
2. Josh Siegel and Kelsey Tamborrino. “The race for Romney’s seat is a fight about climate.” Politico. January 7, 2024. Accessed November 16, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/07/john-curtis-climate-action-utah-senate-00134166.
3. “2024 Candidate Briefing Book.” Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions. November 2023. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Candidate-Briefing-Book-Nov-7-V9.pdf.
4. “About.” The Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/about/.
5. “Nick Loris.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/nick-loris/.
6. “Rick Santorum.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/the-honorable-rick-santorum/.
7. “Rebecca Klein.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/rebecca-klein/.
8. “Michael Bruce.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/michael-bruce/.
9. “Yuval Levin.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/yuval-levin/.
10.  “Mike Franc.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/profile/mike-franc/.
11. “The Issues.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/the-issues/.
12. “Home.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 15, 2024. https://www.c3solutions.org/about/.
13. “The Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). Part III. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/844573440/202323199349311842/full.
14. “The Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions (C3 Solutions).” Cause IQ. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/conservative-coalition-for-climate-solutions,844573440/.
15.  “Donate.” C3 Solutions. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://c3-solutions.revv.co/donate-today.
16. “The Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/844573440/202323199349311842/full.
17. “General Purposes.” Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.mott.org/grants/2024-12776/.
18. “General Purposes.” Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.mott.org/grants/2022-11187/.
19. “Recent Giving.” John William Pope Foundation. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://jwpf.org/grant-priorities/.
20. “Grants Catalog.” Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Accessed November 14, 2024. https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/impact/grants-catalog/p351.