TOTAL FUND (PHASE 1)
USD $50,000
RAPID RESPONSE GRANTS DISTRIBUTED WITHIN
24 - 48 hours
COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR PHASE 1
🇻🇺 Vanuatu
🇰🇮 Kiribati
🇸🇧 Solomon Islands
🇹🇻 Tuvalu
— ABOUT THE FUND
Finance that reaches the last mile
The PICAN Climate Justice Fund is a community-driven re-granting model designed to move climate and disaster finance directly to Pacific frontline communities — cutting through bureaucracy without cutting corners on accountability.
Pacific communities are experiencing the compounding realities of the climate crisis — cyclones, flooding, king tides, drought, and disrupted food systems — while remaining largely excluded from the formal climate finance architecture that exists in their name.
The PICAN Climate Justice Fund is our answer. Operating through PICAN's trusted network of national nodes and community partners across five countries, this fund pre-positions life-saving resources before disasters strike and moves ultra-fast cash in their aftermath.
This is Phase 1 of an evolving model. Everything we learn here will shape a larger, community-owned ecosystem of Pacific climate finance.
"The people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution. This fund trusts that."
Community-Centred
Pacific communities and civil society organisations are the primary decision-makers.
Radical Speed
Rapid response grants approved and disbursed within 24–48 hours. No lengthy proposals. No bureaucratic delay.
Trust-based Accountability
Vouching by trusted PICAN networks form the basis of this process. Reputation becomes the safeguard.
Feminist Climate Justice
Prioritises women, girls, people with disabilities, youth, and marginalised communities in all disbursements and design decisions.
Iterative & Evolving
Phase 1 is a learning process. Lessons directly shape Phase 2 and the long-term model.
— FUND TRACKS
Three pathways for funding
Each track addresses a different dimension of the climate crisis — from preparedness before a storm to advocacy
01
Preparedness
USD $2,000 - $5,000
Small, fast grants to pre-position life-saving supplies before forecast events. Distributed across all five nodes ahead of cyclone season (Nov–Apr) and king tide periods (Jan–Mar).
WASH kits
Water storage
Shelter materials
Solar lighting
etc
02
Rapid Response (30-day window)
USD $3,000
Ultra-fast micro-grants immediately following a disaster. Activated through trusted network vouching with funds disbursed by mobile money, cash, remittance, or bank transfer.
Medical supplies
Clean water
Food
Hygiene kits
etc
03
Advocacy & Awareness (Vanuatu)
USD $7,000
Ultra-fast micro-grants immediately following a disaster. Activated through trusted network vouching with funds disbursed by mobile money, cash, remittance, or bank transfer.
Medical supplies
Clean water
etc
— HOW IT WORKS
Simple by design. Accountable by Trust
Our process is built for Pacific realities — phone-based, multilingual, and grounded in relationships rather than paperwork and bureaucracy.
01
Community Identifies Need
A community or grassroots group identifies a preparedness need or disaster impact and contacts their trusted PICAN network partner.
No formal proposal required
02
Node Vouches & Verifies
PICANs trusted network partner endorses the request. A quick phone or social media verification replaces paperwork.
Available in local languages
03
Rapid Approval
PICAN's coordination team reviews and approves grants within 1–2 days for preparedness grants; 24–48 hours for disaster response. Pre-authorised parameters allow swift decision-making.
24-48 hour turnaround
04
Funds Distributed
Money reaches communities via whatever channel works best — mobile money, bank transfer, remittance service, cash delivery, or fiscal sponsor. We adapt to what's fastest and safest.
Multiple payout rails
— WHO CAN APPLY
Built for frontline communities
This fund deliberately lowers barriers. You do not need to be a formally registered organisation to benefit — but you do need to be based in one of our four active node countries and connected to a PICAN node partner.
PICAN nodes are the primary channel for vetting and disbursement. All applications are facilitated through our nodes. So who is eligible to apply?
Community Organisations
Local groups, village committees, and community-based organisations responding to climate impacts or preparing for hazards.
Village councils & community groups
Women's collectives
Youth-led organisations
Disability-led groups
Faith & Civil Society Networks
Faith organisations, national NGOs, and civil society networks with strong community ties and a role in disaster preparedness or response.
Church networks & dioceses
National CSO networks
Youth networks
— TRUSTED NETWORKS - PHASE 1
Where the fund operates
Phase 1 operates across five countries in which PICAN or its national nodes are present and have established networks — with Phase 2 expanding to the broader network across the Pacific.
— REPORTING
High-trust. Community-led.
We reject the idea that accountability requires bureaucracy. Our approach is context-sensitive, community-centred, and built on relationships.
Traditional "Western-centric" compliance demands (i.e. lengthy reports, receipts for every item, formal logframes) are counterproductive in Pacific disaster contexts. After a cyclone, communities lack electricity or internet. Demanding paperwork delays help when lives are on the line.
Instead, the Pacific Climate Justice Fund centres community knowledge. Local partners who vouch for requests stake their reputation on proper use of funds. Grant sizes are capped. Monitoring is participatory and builds an evidence base for the future.
Accountability for us means that communities own their story, share their evidence in their own way, and feed back into a learning loop that strengthens the whole model.
📸
Photos & Stories
Communities share short visual or narrative accounts of how funds were used — in their own words and languages.
📞
Follow-Up Check-Ins
Conversational follow-ups within weeks of disbursement. Feedback informs future responses.
✊🏽
Node-Vouching System
Every node that endorses a request puts their organisational credibility on the line. Reputation is the primary safeguard.
📊
Participatory MEL
A light-touch, community-driven monitoring and learning process co-developed with local partners to build evidence over time.
— LOOKING AHEAD
Phase 2: Going big, going Pacific-wide
Phase 1 is a learning sprint. Phase 2 builds on those lessons to create a fully community-owned Pacific climate finance ecosystem, powered by PICAN's entire network of nodes and members.
🌏
Pan-Pacific Reach
Open up all funding streams to all PICAN nodes and members across the Pacific — with the network as the primary vehicle for vetting and disbursement.
🔁
Community Regranters
Members with capacity become regranters themselves, adopting the model and expanding the ecosystem from within.
⚖️
Legal Action Funding
Long-term litigation funding for PISFCC chapters; evidence gathered feeds into the PICAN Knowledge Hub, owned by communities.
✈️
Diaspora & Replenishment
Pursues replenishment through grant funding and broader diasporic engagement — including remittance-based community giving.
— GET INVOLVED
Ready to apply or learn more?
Applications are facilitated through PICAN's national nodes. Get in touch with out team and we'll connect you with the right node partner in your country
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In partnership with
