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From The President: A Look Back at 2025

We come to the end of the year with gratitude. For you, for each other, for the natural world that holds us all. As we begin this season of reflection and renewal, we’d like to share with you some thoughts on the challenges and joys of this past year, and how we are grounding in our direction for the year ahead.

Dear Waverley Community,

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re holding deep gratitude for you and the communities we collectively serve. Your work makes a vibrant future feel more possible. In that spirit, we want to share reflections that are helping us orient towards the year ahead.

For many of our partners, this year’s climate impacts were not headlines but lived experience: extreme heat, storms, floods, and wildfires disrupting communities across the globe. These realities continue to amplify the importance of the work you’re doing and the systems we’re trying to build together.

Even in a hard year, there were real signs of progress. The world added more solar capacity in 2025 than in any previous year, battery storage doubled again, and wind power continued its steady global expansion. We’re also seeing a meaningful shift toward healthier, more sustainable food systems: from regenerative farming to school nutrition programs that now reach hundreds of millions of children. These are the building blocks of a more resilient future, and your work sits at the center of that momentum. In 2025, we had the privilege of supporting more than 90 partner organizations. The examples below reflect just a small part of what was accomplished this year:

Globally, our partner research highlighted that the most impactful climate change message is not about extreme weather, green jobs, or innovation - it’s about protecting what we love, especially for future generations.

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to share our Learning Hub. The Hub includes reflections from our first years of learning what truly matters for durable climate impact. It captures what’s working, what must evolve, and why durable change must grow from the practices and leadership rooted in communities.

It’s an honor to stand alongside so many extraordinary organizations leading this work. Through The Inspiration Exchange, you shared what’s been feeding your imagination, and we’re glad to reflect those recommendations back as possibilities to carry into the year ahead.

Warmly,

Jared Blumenfeld

President, Waverley Street Foundation