Climate Emergency Fund’s Controversial Donations
A nonprofit organization based in West Hollywood, co-founded by members of two prominent families in America and featuring board member Adam McKay, director of “The Big Short,” is reportedly contributing significant funds to a social justice movement currently gaining momentum across the country.
The Climate Emergency Fund (CEF) has financial connections to anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, which included a recent incident where demonstrators interrupted a church service attended by former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Since its inception in 2019, CEF has backed groups that engage in civil disobedience and vandalism. One particular group is even said to have developed a “toolbox” intended for disrupting law enforcement operations.
Founded by Rory Kennedy, the daughter of Senator Robert Kennedy, and philanthropist Eileen Getty, granddaughter of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, CEF also includes investor Trevor Nielson as a co-founder. The organization is officially registered in Delaware.
In 2022, McKay joined the board and donated $4 million to CEF. Acknowledged for his environmental activism, he has directed films like “Vice,” “Don’t Look Up,” and produced HBO’s “Succession.” In a 2024 interview, McKay noted that the group is supportive of “subversive activities.”
The group’s mission statement suggests that by disrupting conventional operations, both media and politicians would be compelled to pay attention, thereby prompting the public to take sides.
Recently, actor Jeremy Strong from “Succession” was added to CEF’s board, as indicated in their latest federal tax filings for 2024.
CEF has allocated $45,000 to the New York City and West Hollywood branches of Beautiful Trouble, a nonprofit that is developing a civil disobedience toolkit in multiple languages. Their website offers guidance on leveraging social media for tactics like “flash mobs.”
In a striking incident, anti-ICE activists linked to Beautiful Trouble disrupted church attendees, shouting “ICE out!” while Lemon live-streamed the event on January 18.
Lemon shared videos documenting the protest, where he discussed being involved in activists’ “Operation Raise.” He later faced arrest but was released without bail.
One protester directed aggressive questions at the church’s pastor, inquiring about protections for Somali and Latino communities.
According to documents from 2024, CEF donated nearly $500,000 to the radical activist group Climate Defiance. Most recently, anti-climate change activists targeted Congress member Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) at a Long Island synagogue, confronting him over his support for a significant funding strategy for the Department of Homeland Security.
Protesters even brought gifts, reportedly joking about knee pads in a seemingly hostile manner.
Between 2019 and 2022, CEF also gave over $520,000 to Extinction Rebellion, a UK-based activist group known for its radical approach. Earlier this year, Extinction Rebellion protesters spray-painted the Wall Street Bull statue with the phrase “Greed=Death.”
CEF’s funding has also enabled Extinction Rebellion to organize protests specifically aimed at Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, demonstrating against his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency.
In 2024, CEF contributed $100,000 to McKay’s nonprofit Yellow Dot Studio for a nonpartisan Get Out the Vote campaign, as confirmed by public records.
McKay, who identifies with the Democratic Socialists of America—whose mentors include figures like New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani—has made various donations to Democratic candidates. Still, there isn’t clear evidence of CEF taking a political stance.
A CEF spokesperson emphasized that the organization is 501c(3) regulated, indicating their grant to Beautiful Trouble was aimed at their initiatives in the Global South. The spokesperson added that Yellow Dot Studios produced issue-based videos that maintain a nonpartisan focus.
McKay’s mission with Yellow Dot is to generate impactful advertisements against the oil industry, intending to evoke public indignation.
The 2021 film “Don’t Look Up,” featuring actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, serves as a metaphorical critique of societal indifference toward climate change.
While McKay did not respond to requests for comment, CEF’s board now also comprises Stephen Donziger, an environmental lawyer who faced controversy over his previous work against Chevron. Though Donziger achieved an $8.6 billion settlement for environmental damages, he was disbarred in New York following charges of criminal contempt related to the case.
It appears that Getty and Kennedy are no longer active members of CEF’s board, as noted on their official website.
