Building the Playbook for Restoration Finance
One of the most persistent barriers to ecological restoration isn't the will to act. It's knowing where to start when it comes to funding. Landowners, stewards, and organizations with shovel-ready projects often face a fragmented capital landscape: dozens of financing instruments exist, but navigating them requires expertise that most practitioners simply don't have.
The Restoration Capital Toolbox is being built to close that gap. The Volgenau Climate Initiative (VCI) is a leadership program that cultivates trust-based networks to drive and scale bold natural climate solutions. Their approach is simple but powerful: bring the right people together, give them space to think and connect, and support the ideas that emerge.
The Restoration Capital Toolbox grew out of exactly that — a VCI convening in Tarrytown in October 2025, where leaders across restoration finance, philanthropy, and land stewardship identified capital access as a critical bottleneck to getting more projects off the ground. VCI engaged New Leaf Climate Partners to turn that conversation into something tangible.
What the Restoration Capital Toolbox Delivers
Working with the Croatan Institute and a broader advisory group spanning green banks, asset managers, philanthropies, and implementation organizations, New Leaf is delivering:
A research synthesis mapping the existing capital landscape for restoration projects nationally
A curated toolbox documenting an initial set of financing instruments — who they're for, how to access them, and when they apply
An advisory group and convening to connect practitioners, funders, and intermediaries around shared gaps and solutions
An early project pipeline identifying restoration opportunities ready to be matched with capital
Quarterly updates and an MVP report tracking progress and informing future iterations of the toolbox
Our work draws on our expertise in restoration finance structure, blended capital, and field-building. The diversity of the working group reflects a core conviction: solving this problem requires the whole ecosystem at the table, not just one corner of it.
Get Involved
The toolbox is designed for any organization, landowner, or land steward seeking initial or gap funding for a restoration project: whether you're a small RCD trying to bridge a reimbursement gap, a tribal land manager scoping a reforestation project, or a conservation nonprofit exploring carbon market entry. The goal is a faster, clearer path to the right capital.
The program runs through Q2 2027. Future extensions include adapting the toolbox for new geographies and project types, and providing direct technical assistance to help clients implement the financing strategies it surfaces.
For more information email zak@newleafclimate.com
