A person wearing a cap, black face mask, and a gray t-shirt with a climate change message stands outdoors with a white car in the background.

Operations

FFSA was legally established as a non-profit organisation in early 2015. Our first budgets were funded by R70,000 raised through crowdfunding, and only in 2017 did we first manage to raise $40,000 from a US-based philanthropy, the Wallace Global Fund. Our coordinator worked part-time until 2019.

Governance

Funding

  • Fossil Free SA’s first-ever budget of approximately R70,000 was funded through a crowd funding campaign that closed on 31 January 2015. We have long received some ongoing contributions and donations from supporters, while some of our professional events have raised money via ticket sales and sponsorships. From 2017 onwards, we have received grants from foundations to fund our core activities.

  • In addition to our primary funding, our Fossil Ad Ban is funded by the Energy Transition Fund. Our sustainable investment analyst is funded by the Global Good Institute x Amani Institute, and our newest Climate Media Lab fellowship is funded by the New Economy Hub.

  • In addition to our primary funding, our Fossil Ad Ban was funded by the Energy Transition Fund. Our new sustainable investment analyst is funded by the Global Good Institute x Amani Institute. Our newest Climate Media Lab fellowship is funded by the New Economy Hub. We also received small project-specific grants from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

  • Our foundational funding was supplemented this year by a small grant from the Rosa Luxemberg Foundation.

  • In 2023, our work was primarily supported by donors in the US and Europe, with some of our climate journalism work being funded by Natural Justice.

  • In 2022, we continued to receive funding from the donors in the US and Europe and some small donations from private donors in South Africa.

    • In 2017, our May divestment workshop was funded by R30,000 from 350.org and R12,000 from Futuregrowth Asset Management. Futuregrowth also part-sponsored our 2019 workshop on Climate-Proofing Retirement Funds. David Le Page’s travel to a 2017 global divestment conference in Amsterdam was sponsored by the Wallace Global Fund.

    • 2017–2021: We received core operational funding from the Wallace Global Fund. We continue to receive small monthly donations from a number of individuals. We also received $3,000 from a private donor in the US in 2018.