Overview

First Street Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) research and technology organisation established to quantify and communicate climate-related physical risk, particularly flood exposure, at individual property and broader scales. It uses advanced climate science and proprietary models to assess present and future environmental risk across multiple perils. Its work aims to make complex risk information accessible to individuals, communities, governments and the private sector.

Mission and focus areas

First Street Foundation’s core mission is to connect climate risk to financial risk by providing reliable, science-based data that informs decision-making. It focuses on quantifying climate hazards such as flooding, wildfires, extreme wind, heat and other perils that affect property and economic outcomes. Its tools interpret how environmental changes influence these risks over time and support climate adaptation, resilience planning and risk disclosure. The organisation contributes to sustainable finance and ESG integration by enabling investors, financial institutions, insurers and policymakers to incorporate physical risk data into strategic planning, risk assessments and asset valuation processes.

Structure and governance

First Street Foundation is governed as a non-profit entity with a team of scientists, technologists and communicators who develop methodology and tools, though detailed governance structures are more implicit than formally listed on the public pages. Leadership includes a chief data or science officer and other named roles involved in research and model development. It collaborates with experts, partners, academic institutions and agencies to enhance scientific rigour and expand its climate risk insights. Partnerships with entities such as NASA and financial institutions illustrate its collaborative framework.

Programs and offerings

The organisation’s key offerings include climate risk models and online tools such as Flood Factor and broader multi-peril risk assessments. These tools provide users with risk scores and projections, enabling property-specific risk exploration and future scenario analysis. First Street also publishes methodologies, research reports and technical documentation that support transparency and peer review. Its data supports academic research, policy development and industry decision-making, offering downloadable resources, interactive mapping and comprehensive climate risk information for both free public use and professional applications.

Our mission

Connecting climate and financial risk

We leverage the most advanced climate science and engineering approaches to quantify and communicate the risk for every property in the world