{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Green Shoots & Big Shifts","title":"Closing the Ocean's $150B Funding Gap through Donor Advised Funds: Laura Francis, Sea Forward","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1633,"description":"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.\n\nChapters:\n00:03 Welcome to Green Shoots and Big Shifts\n00:53 Falling in love with the ocean at 11 years olf\n02:26 From UC Santa Barbara to 27 years at NOAA\n03:53 Move into impact investing\n06:12 The ocean funding gap and SDG 14\n08:41 Inside Sea Forward Fund: 12 funds, 200 companies, 53 countries\n09:26 Choosing science based fund managers and measuring impact\n11:40 Why a $250 donation matters as much as $2 million\n13:12 Impact Investing without a donor advised fund through CataCap\n14:46 The living laboratory and the Ever Blue model\n16:22 Ripple: community, webinars and newsletters\n17:53 California Ocean Summit in Santa Barbara, December 2026\n19:27 Lessons on mobilizing small donors for big impact\n21:44 The ocean as a financial ecosystem\n22:28 What's next: new platforms, field trips and growing to 15 funds\n24:43 A science to finance pathway for students\n25:35 Closing on resilience and hope\n\nYou can follow Laura Francis here:\nLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraannfrancis/\n\nLearn more about Sea Forward Fund:\n- Sea Forward Fund Website - https://seaforwardfund.org\n- Sea Forward Fund on Catacap: https://catacap.org/investments/seaforward\n- California Ocean Summit: https://calocean.org/\n\nDAF Commons: https://www.dafcommons.com/\n\nFollow the Green Shoots & Big Shifts Podcast here:\nLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-shoots-big-shifts/","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/os_7dE_KkRQ50GOkMh7jP4oefEpoxwWKJoXrlmC5SRw/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85YTVj/NjdjYzI2NTEwOTdk/MjdjYzUzNzJmOWVh/OTcwZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}