Did you know that the most impactful climate action you can take as an individual is to donate to high-performing nonprofits fighting climate change (Founder’s Pledge, Climate & Lifestyle Report, 2020)? In fact, when compared to all other lifestyle changes like skipping meat or electrifying your home heating for example, targeted donating can increase your impact by 100x! Why? Because financially supporting organizations working to change the world’s extractive and carbon-intensive systems, policies, and business practices results in scaling and accelerating true reductions in carbon emissions and protects nature’s carbon sinks. In choosing to be a climate philanthropist, aka a member of Gen E, your impact on carbon can be far greater than can be achieved by any other single lifestyle decision at the individual level.
Don’t get us wrong, we believe every action counts and that people should do whatever they are motivated to do in order to avoid harming the environment. Small changes add up. But first, we prioritize the most efficient and effective individual action: philanthropy. And since only 3% of total philanthropy is flowing to environmental and climate issues, there’s a lot of ground to cover in closing this funding gap. These issues have been ignored for far too long, and yet the future of our planet hinges on whether we can fully fund and execute the solutions that both exist and still need to be developed. And by the way, anybody can be a philanthropist – if you have money, give money. Welcome to the club.
So let’s get funding! Together, the Gen E community is rising to the challenge and taking personal responsibility in the race to reverse global warming. And our micro-philanthropy app makes it very easy to support impactful nonprofits working on climate solutions just by rounding up your change or giving a percent of every purchase. Just pick your favorite orgs, add them to your Environmental Portfolio, and feel good that you’re now part of the climate solution in the best way you can be (also vote!).
Environmental & Climate Nonprofits
Here’s a list of high-impact environmental and climate nonprofits. Let’s help them fulfill their missions of protecting the environment and mitigating global warming.
5 Gyres seeks to empower action against the global health crisis of plastic pollution through science, education, and adventure. They’ve taken on 19 research expeditions in all 5 subtropical gyres as well as many of the world’s lakes and rivers in search of plastic.
Billion Oyster Project works to restore oyster reef habitat in order to improve the local ecosystem, while building the next generation of environmental stewards.
The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is an industry-wide initiative that educates, motivates, and inspires the entire theatre community and its patrons to implement environmentally friendlier practices on Broadway and beyond.
The CLIMA Fund supports a vibrant ecosystem of grassroots groups forging solutions to the climate crisis, from kicking the fossil fuel industry out of communities to building community-controlled, sustainable food systems. We provide rapid response, seed, and anchor funding to movement groups led by Indigenous Peoples, women, peasants, and youth.
Climate Reality Project was founded by Al Gore and aims to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every sector of society.
Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) works with communities to reduce direct threats to coral reefs – increasing the health of the ecosystem, and communities that depend on them. They are expanding the scientific understanding of how corals adapt to climate change and rallying the conservation community around scalable and effective solutions for coral reefs.
Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN) creates sound and long-lasting opportunities for environmental sustainability, social and economic advancement, strengthened capacity and international market reform in a manner that enhances tropical forest stewardship, biodiversity conservation and global climate stability by reversing the destruction of tropical rainforests.
Eden Reforestation Projects reduces extreme poverty and restores healthy forests by employing local villagers to plant millions of trees every year. Their project sites are in Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and Nicaragua.
EDF’s (Environmental Defense Fund) mission is to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends. Guided by science and economics, they find practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems.
GreenWave trains and supports regenerative ocean farmers in the era of climate change. We work with coastal communities throughout North America to create a blue green economy—built and led by regenerative ocean farmers—that ensures we all make a living on a living planet.
The Honnold Foundation promotes solar energy for a more equitable world. They provide grants to organizations advancing solar energy access worldwide. They look for partners whose work reduces environmental impact and increases social and economic equity, and who demonstrate strong ties to the communities they serve. No matter who you are, they believe that energy should be easy to access, affordable, and have a low impact on the natural world.
Indigenous Environmental Network is an alliance of Indigenous peoples whose mission it is to protect the sacredness of Earth Mother from contamination and exploitation by strengthening, maintaining and respecting Indigenous teachings and natural laws.
Mad Agriculture is working from head to heart, poetry to science, financing to markets, and soil to shelf to catalyze a regenerative revolution in agriculture. We work in the radical center, helping farmers thrive economically and ecologically.
The National Forest Foundation works with the U.S. Forest Service and engages Americans in promoting the health and public enjoyment of our 193M acre National Forest System.
Northeast Wilderness Trust protects forever-wild landscapes for nature and people in New England and the Adirondacks. These places offer fresh air, clean water, homes for wildlife, carbon storage, and beauty and peace to the human spirit.
NRDC works to safeguard the earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. They’ve helped pass our nation’s bedrock environmental laws, ensured those laws are enforced, and held polluters accountable.
The Ocean Cleanup is designing and developing cleanup systems to clean up what is already polluting our oceans and to intercept plastic on its way to the ocean via rivers.
One Earth Conservation’s mission is to engage people, communities and organizations in a unique manner that inspires them to contribute to their own well-being and the well-being of life on Earth. We achieve this by encouraging them to support and/or conduct parrot conservation in the Americas and to nurture themselves in nature.
One Tree Planted is on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity.
Rozalia Project’s mission is to clean and protect the ocean and conserve a healthy, thriving marine ecosystem, with a focus on solving the problem of marine debris.
Stand.earth envisions a world where respect for people and the environment comes first. From protecting ancient forests to stopping new fossil fuel infrastructure to transforming polluting industries, they hold governments and major corporations to account in David vs. Goliath battles that result in environmental protection on a massive scale.
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.
The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International is a solutions-based organization established to engage women worldwide in policy advocacy, on-the-ground projects, direct action, trainings, and movement building for global climate justice.
Yosemite Conservancy is the only philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and preservation of Yosemite National Park. They work closely with the park to fund high-priority projects and provide enriching educational programs for visitors. They’re passionate about Yosemite — and about helping people connect with, learn about, and take care of the park.
