Climate change disproportionately impacts historically marginalized communities, intensifying existing inequities in housing, health, and infrastructure. Yet these same communities are often sidelined by government policies and corporate decision-making in the very conversations meant to build climate resilience. Community-based organizations (CBOs) offer a vital bridge, grounded in local trust, cultural fluency, and practical know-how. As corporations expand their investments in climate adaptation, they have a unique opportunity and responsibility to collaborate with CBOs not as recipients but as architects of change. Rooted in on-the-ground experience, CBO-led initiatives can help corporations channel their sustainability and social impact efforts into solutions that are more responsive, lasting, and just.
Grassroots movements have long been catalysts for change, mobilizing individuals across backgrounds and geographies to demand better. The phrase “people-powered” captures the spirit of collective action and reminds us of what communities can achieve when organized. CBOs embody that grassroots ethos. Whether they are running disaster response clinics, planting neighborhood food gardens, or facilitating climate preparedness workshops, CBOs equip and empower the communities they serve.
A recent report from Redstone Strategy Group, Changing the Game, quantifies the carbon mitigation potential of community-based climate work. Drawing on insights from over 40 experts, organizers, funders, and practitioners, the report finds that CBO-led strategies yield measurable impact and meaningful returns on investment. As the authors note: “Community-based strategies are essential to making progress on climate. They create state and local level wins that add up to national progress,” leveraging local authority in areas like permitting, transportation, and land use where federal momentum often lags. One such example is Bridgette Murray and ACTS (Achieving Community Tasks Successfully), a Houston-based CBO that began community air monitoring in Pleasantville, a historically Black neighborhood facing disproportionate environmental harm. Her leadership underscores why local expertise must guide where and how climate investments are made: communities on the frontlines are already developing solutions rooted in lived experience, and they deserve lasting partnership and support.
For companies evaluating where to direct their climate investments, this makes a strong case for prioritizing local, community-rooted initiatives where progress is already being made and where funding can accelerate tangible outcomes.
Crucially, CBOs succeed where large institutions frequently fall short: they build trust. By engaging directly with lived realities and adapting to specific community needs, CBOs offer not just services but relationships. The strength of CBOs lies in community trust, adaptive problem-solving, and mission-driven support – positioning them as indispensable actors in a resilient climate future.
A national telecommunications company offers a strong example of how corporations can build meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations. In 2021, the company engaged qb. consulting to design an inclusive research study focused on stakeholders most exposed to the immediate and downstream effects of climate change across five US markets: Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Cleveland. The objectives of this project were to:
Over the course of the 17-month project, qb. led nine stakeholder engagement report-backs to share learnings and insights across each market with key client representatives, actively informing ongoing and future decisions. These insights were synthesized in a final report, which was also presented back to all participating community members during concluding sessions in each market. These sessions, attended by the client, provided an opportunity to share findings, distribute resources, and reinforce our commitment to two-way engagement.
Upon completion of this project, the client asked qb. to continue its multi-year relationship by developing a resilience strategy and pilot program to incorporate our learnings and leverage new community partnerships built across the engagement in Houston, Texas.
The insights qb. uncovered led to hands-on, community-led resilience programming in Houston. These efforts equipped residents of all ages with practical skills, trusted information, and tools to support both immediate preparedness and long-term recovery, while also informing the client’s broader resilience strategy.
This case study further emphasizes the importance of corporations partnering with CBOs, not only listening but also resourcing local organizations to build resilience and preparedness. By spending over a year in these communities, the client and qb. found that when you meet people where they are and allow them to highlight the lived realities of their communities, then you’re better suited to help them mitigate, adapt, and respond to the disproportionate impacts of climate change their communities are facing.
This client is an example of when corporations recognize that their social license to operate in communities is directly tied to their ability to proactively engage with these communities from the top down and bottom up. The client is now in year 3 of programming in Houston and is using their funds to provide CBOs with grants to implement educational programming and host community workshops across Houston.
To truly empower community-led solutions, companies should prioritize equitable governance structures, offer unrestricted multi-year funding, and co-create programs that reflect local priorities rather than impose external agendas. While there is no perfect way to invest in resilience for marginalized communities, there is a clear path that corporate funders can follow to strengthen climate resilience, and it starts by moving beyond short-term grants and investing in long-term, trust-based partnerships with CBOs. This approach is not just philanthropic; it is both strategic and impactful when corporations engage in this way.
The future of sustainable impact lies in empowering the people already leading solutions on the ground. If we want to see true resilience, then local communities and marginalized communities need to be seen, listened to, and empowered at all levels – and CBOs are already several steps ahead in leading that charge. Now is the time for corporations to lean in by supporting CBOs. When companies shift from transactional philanthropy to sustained, trust-based partnerships, they unlock solutions that are more equitable, more adaptive, and more impactful. Through this approach, corporations can deepen ties to communities and strengthen their corporate impact.