Closing the Ocean's $150B Funding Gap through Donor Advised Funds: Laura Francis, Sea Forward

Less than 1% of philanthropic capital goes to ocean causes, and the funding gap for a healthy ocean runs at least $150 billion. Laura Francis, Founder of Sea Forward Fund, is closing that gap with a collaborative multi donor fund now invested in 12 ocean health funds that span roughly 200 companies across 53 countries. After 27 years at NOAA and a career as a kelp forest ecologist, she built a model where a $250 donation and a $2 million donation both matter, returns cycle back through a donor advised fund, and everyday people learn how ocean impact investing works.

Chapters:

00:03 Welcome to Green Shoots and Big Shifts

00:53 Falling in love with the ocean at 11 years olf

02:26 From UC Santa Barbara to 27 years at NOAA

03:53 Move into impact investing

06:12 The ocean funding gap and SDG 14

08:41 Inside Sea Forward Fund: 12 funds, 200 companies, 53 countries

09:26 Choosing science based fund managers and measuring impact

11:40 Why a $250 donation matters as much as $2 million

13:12 Impact Investing without a donor advised fund through CataCap

14:46 The living laboratory and the Ever Blue model