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Non-profit

Catalytic Finance Foundation

Website:

www.catalyticfinance.org/
Location:

Santa Monica, CA
Tax ID:

27-4084623
Budget (2017):

Revenue: $200
Expenses: $120
Assets: $7,592
Type:

Environmental Financing Group
Formation:

2011
Executive Director:

David Albertan
Location:

Geneva, Switzerland

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Catalytic Finance Foundation (formerly R20 Regions of Climate Action or R20) is a Geneva-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that finances and offers technical assistance for regional-level green energy infrastructure projects around the world. 1 Founded by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in 2011, R20 was a coalition of regional governmental leaders, such as governors of states or provinces, along with foundations, private companies, financial institutions, and other advocacy groups that seeds and facilitates regional projects that are deemed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 2 It rebranded as Catalytic Finance Foundation in 2023 to change its focus toward environmentalist project financing. 3

Catalytic Finance works to secure financing for projects through various climate and environmentalist funds, most notably the Subnational Climate Fund and the Global Fund for Coral Reef. 4 The group has served in an advisory capacity to support environmentalist projects, 5 with the group involved in environmentalist infrastructure projects in Algeria, Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, China, and Romania. 2

Founding and History

Catalytic Finance Foundation, previously known as R20 Regions of Climate Action, was the brainchild of actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). Reportedly frustrated at the lack of international action to cut carbon emissions, Schwarzenegger created a coalition of subnational leaders of regions of different countries in 2009 with the goal of combatting climate change. Founding members of this coalition included then-Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Nigeria; then-Quebec Premier Jean Charest; and Jean-Paul Huchon, then-President of Region Ile-de-France. 2

By 2011, the organization was officially founded in as the R20, in cooperation with the United Nations, 6 as a consortium of regional heads, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, private companies, and financial institutions with the stated goal to facilitate “the identification, structuring, development, and financing of sub-national green infrastructure projects.” 2

Projects

The then-R20 Regions of Climate Action initially collaborated with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a left-of-center environmentalist  activists and grantmaking organization chaired by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. 2 Along with the DiCaprio Foundation, R20 began supporting a zero-waste infrastructure project in Oran, Algeria 7 and promoted the production and use of LED lights in Brazil.  8

In late 2022, then-R20 announced a billion-euro finance initiative to fund green initiatives in the meditation named the PAMEX Local Invest Finance Facility (PLIFF). 9 This followed a €100,000 contribution from French President Emanuel Macron earlier that year directly to the R20 Foundation. 10

Other initiatives started by the group include plans to build “smart green villages” in Rwanda 11 and a project to build a green power plant in Kita, Mali. 2

People

Catalytic Finance Foundation, then founded as R20 Regions of Climate Action, was formally founded by actor and then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). 2 Immediately after the group formed, Schwarzenegger was named the honorary founding chair and Linda Adam, the California Environmental Protection Agency State Secretary, was elected president of the board. 2

The executive director of Catalytic Finance Foundation is David Albertani, former CEO of the Waste Project Facilitator and the Energy Project Facilitator, two joint-venture environmentalist projects between Catalytic Finance Foundation/R20 and other environmentalist organizations. 12

Subsidiaries and Partnerships

Catalytic Finance Foundation had several national-level subsidiaries as R20 focused on outreach to local authorities and investors as well as acquisitions of green technology. These local partners were in the United States, France, Mexico, and Brazil. 2

The group also worked with other climate related state and local networks, including C40 Cities, Assembly of European Regions (AER), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, CC35 Secretariado, ORU Fogar, Resilient Cities Network, and City Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. 13

References

  1. “R20 Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/r20-foundation/.
  2. “About Us.” R20 Regions of Climate Action. Archived from the original August 19, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819080607/https://regions20.org/about-us-2/
  3. “Our Impact.” Catalytic Finance. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.catalyticfinance.org/impact.
  4. “Blended Finance Incubator.” Catalytic Finance. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.catalyticfinance.org/blended-finance-incubator.
  5. “Climate Infrastructure Advisor.” R20 Regions of Climate Action. Archived from the original November 30, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20221130135639/https://regions20.org/climate-infrastructure-advisor/
  6. “Regions of Climate Action – R20.” Genéve Internationale. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.geneve-int.ch/regions-climate-action-r20-0.
  7. “Oran, Algeria.” R20 Regions of Climate Action.” Archived from the original August 19, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819090421mp_/https://regions20.org/oran-algeria/.
  8. “Rio de Janeiro (State), Brazil.” R20 Regions of Climate Action. Archived from the original August 19, 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://web.archive.org/web/20220819090201mp_/https://regions20.org/brazil/.
  9. “New Billion Euro Finance Initiative Launched in Marselle.” Catalytic Finance Foundation. 6 December 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.catalyticfinance.org/news/new-billion-euro-finance-initiative-launched-in-marseille.
  10. “France Supports the R20 Foundation with a contribution of €100,000 to Fight Climate Change in the Mediterranean.” Catalytic Finance Foundation. 8 June 2022. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.catalyticfinance.org/news/france-supports-the-r20-foundation-with-a-contribution-of-%E2%82%AC100%2C000-to-fight-climate-change-in-the-mediterranean.
  11. “Deal Signed to Develop Smart Green Villages in Rwanda.” Catalytic Finance Foundation. 14 October 2019. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.catalyticfinance.org/news/deal-signed-to-develop-smart-green-villages-in-rwanda.
  12. “David Albertani.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalbertani/
  13. “Climate Infrastructure Advisor.” R20 Regions of Climate Action. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://regions20.org/climate-infrastructure-advisor/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: July 1, 2011

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 Dec Form 990EZ $200 $120 $7,592 $11,093 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $850,000 $705,846 $7,512 $11,093 N $850,000 $0 $0 $0
    2015 Dec Form 990 $251,183 $266,269 $34,009 $181,744 N $56,700 $194,483 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $976,764 $1,173,188 $408,671 $560,985 N $567,189 $402,139 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,063,799 $945,859 $378,392 $334,282 N $698,228 $365,571 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $737,000 $831,876 $8,509 $82,339 N $737,000 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $319,993 $298,948 $46,726 $25,681 N $319,665 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Catalytic Finance Foundation

    1223 WILSHIRE BLVD 776
    Santa Monica, CA 90403-5406