The state of the planet has never been more talked about than now. Rising CO2 levels and melting ice caps have led to a climate crisis, with hundreds of charities buckling up to do their part. April is just around the corner, which means Earth Day is almost upon us–a time to reflect on what’s happening to the planet and turn our money into action.
But it shouldn’t be a one-day event. In fact, many charities and climate change activists consider April to be Earth Month, with key organizations and charities putting on events and fundraisers to bring awareness to environmental issues.
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day 2022 falls on the 22nd of April. Dedicated to bringing people’s attention to the environmental problems that are racking the globe, like rising air pollution, dangerous CO2 levels, plastic contamination in our oceans, and deforestation, the goal is to educate, diversify, and activate the environmental movement around the world.
The day was first celebrated in 1970 and it is now the largest recruiter to the environmental movement. Thousands of charities take part in the event, with more than 150,000 partners joining forces with the Earth Day founders in over 192 countries.
Why It's Important to Support Environmental Charities
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware that the world is suffering right now. The concentration of CO2 in our atmosphere is the highest it’s ever been in the history of humans and more than 800 million people are currently vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including floods, heatwaves, and droughts.
Deforestation plays a huge part in global greenhouse emissions, contributing 11% of emissions caused by humans. But saving the planet isn’t cheap. In fact, it would cost $140 billion per year to make the changes humanity needs to adapt to the effects of climate action–a figure that will only increase the longer this goes on.
This is why it’s important to support environmental charities that are focused on making a difference. The costs involved in saving the planet are huge but necessary, and every little helps when it comes to donations and fundraising, particularly when you consider that conserving ecosystems is often more cost-effective than human-made interventions.
For example, preserving the coral reef in the Maldives is four times cheaper than building a sea wall for coastal protection, but it takes time and effort to do that–hence why environmental charities are so important. Not only do they inspire change, but they encourage people to take action now in the hopes that we can undo some of the damage already caused.
What Environmental Charities Do
There are multiple different kinds of environmental charities, each of which focuses on a different element of saving the planet. Here are some examples:
- Animal charities: these charities tackle the issue of endangerment and ensure dwindling numbers of species doesn’t go too far
- Conservation charities: these types of charities are focused on conserving at-risk locations and ecosystems, like rainforests and mangroves
- Community charities: these are often local charities that work with local people to teach them the skills they need to do their part for the planet
- Social justice charities: these charities fight for fair pay, sustainable production lines, and other causes that inherently affect the well-being of the planet through humans
- Ocean conservation charities: these charities focus predominantly on the health of the ocean, campaigning for cleaner seas
The projects these charities undertake vary dramatically on their goals and their end mission. They might put together a beach cleaning session, provide resources for farmers, advocate against fracking, or create programs to protect endangered animals in the wild.
How to Donate to Environmental Charities
Donating to environmental charities is one of the easiest ways to take part. If you don’t have the time to commit to doing anything actionable, offering money can be a great way to do your bit and ensure the charities have the funds they need to continue operating.
How Businesses Can Donate
1. Offer Donations at Checkout
With a tool like Givz, you can give customers the chance to donate a percentage of their purchase to a charity of their choice. Either suggest environmental charities to donate to or let shoppers choose their favorite.
2. Charity Partnerships
Partner with an environmental charity of your choice, run business-led fundraising events to raise money for that charity and publicize your involvement with them to encourage customer donations and to raise awareness of the work they’re doing.
3. Give a Percentage of Profits
Patagonia is renowned for its dedication to environmental causes. Since 1985, the brand has given 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the environment and has donated more than $89 million ever since. You can do the same–simply pledge a percentage of your profits to a charity of your choice.
4. Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving is the act of donating to charity through your payroll. It provides tax relief for your company and ensures you’re supporting important causes at the same time.
How Individuals Can Donate
There are several ways individuals can donate to their chosen environmental charity. They can offer their time and resources and help out on the ground, they can supply a one-off donation or an ongoing donation pledge, or they can raise funds by running their own program or challenge. Â
25 Top Earth Day Charities to Support this April
There are several ways individuals can donate to their chosen environmental charity. They can offer their time and resources and help out on the ground, they can supply a one-off donation or an ongoing donation pledge, or they can raise funds by running their own program or challenge. Â
1. Conservation International
Conservation International (CI) is concerned with everything from climate change to food stability and protecting endangered ecosystems. The charity is best known for organizing and hosting field projects, scientific research, and forming partnerships with businesses.
2. Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is all about teaming up with lawyers and scientists to improve environmental protection and legislative and judicial levels. Its main concerns revolve around climate change, as well as protecting oceans and endangered wildlife.
3. Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance does pretty much exactly as you’d imagine. It campaigns to conserve biodiversity in rainforests around the world and is most well-known for its certification seal of a frog that can be found on sustainable products in the supermarket.
4. World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the most famous environmental organizations in the world. It is concerned with conserving ecosystems and protecting endangered species through global fundraising efforts and programs.
5. 350.org
350org is made up of activists, students, labor unions, and educators in more than 180 countries around the world who use social media campaigns and collective public action to drive change. It places a particular emphasis on campaigning against new coal, oil, and gas projects, and supporting clean energy solutions.
6. The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is all about protecting the earth’s land and water to create a sustainable future for the humans and wildlife that inhabit it. The organization predominantly partners with scientists, farmers, communities, and policymakers to tackle climate change in different ways, including greening urban spaces and encouraging regenerative farming.
7. Trees For the Future
Deforestation is one of the biggest threats to the planet. Trees For the Future is on a mission to increase forest cover around the world and positively impact the lives of people (and animals) who live in those forests. They are famous for their Forest Garden Approach method, which helps farmers plant thousands of trees in an attempt to stabilize the soil.
8. Earthjustice
Earthjustice uses the power of law to protect the planet and its people in an attempt to tackle the effects of climate change. To date, they have managed to secure the rise of clean energy and stopped the imminent extinction of numerous endangered species.
9. Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth is committed to running campaigns and programs in a range of different environmental areas. In the recent past, they have focused on promoting awareness of harmful pesticides, oil extraction, and palm oil production.
10. Oceana
Oceana is concerned with protecting and restoring the earth’s oceans. Since its conception in 1999, it has successfully protected more than 4.5 million square miles of ocean, working with global leaders and lawmakers to come up with environmental policies that will conserve marine biodiversity long into the future, including encouraging sustainable fishing practices and proper disposal of hazardous materials.
11. One Tree Planted
One Tree Planted works closely with reforestation organizations across the globe to fund the planting of trees. The aim is to stabilize the climate and conserve biodiversity in some of the most at-risk places in the world.
12. Surfrider Foundation
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. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 60,000 members and 100 chapters worldwide. For more information on the Surfrider Foundation, visit www.surfrider.org.
13. World Resources Institute
WRI is a global research organization that works with governments, businesses, multilateral institutions and civil society groups to develop practical solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive. We organize our work around seven global challenges: Food, Forests, Water, Energy, Climate, the Ocean and Cities. We analyze these issues through the lenses of our four Centers of Excellence: Business, Economics, Finance and Equity.
14. Union of Concerned Scientists
The Union of Concerned Scientists is a national nonprofit organization founded more than 50 years ago by scientists and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They use rigorous, independent science to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with people across the country, they combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. Today, they are a group of 250 scientists, analysts, policy experts and strategic communicators dedicated to that purpose.
15. Sierra Club Foundation
The Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. The Foundation is the independent fiscal sponsor of Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs.
16. Environmental Defense Fund
The Environmental Working Group is best known for the “Dirty Dozen” list released every year which highlights the highest pesticide concentrations in produce. As well as this, the organization promotes awareness of toxic chemicals and sustainable agricultural practices.
17. Defenders of Wildlife
Founded in 1947, Defenders of Wildlife is the premier U.S.-based national conservation organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of imperiled species and their habitats in North America. Â They are dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.
18. Pure Earth
Pure Earth is dedicated to solving toxic pollution problems in low- and middle-income countries, where human health is at risk. Founded in 1999, Pure Earth works in low- and middle-income countries in communities experiencing the worst of the pollution crisis suffering from high levels of death, disease and disability, especially children and pregnant women. Pure Earth partners with governments, international funders and agencies, industry, NGOs, academia, and community leaders to design and implement innovative, low-cost solutions to cleanup toxic pollution.
19. Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization of experts across disciplines working to accelerate the clean energy transition and improve lives. Since their founding in 1982 by Amory Lovins, RMI’s chairman emeritus, they have grown to 300 staff working on four continents with a global reach and reputation. RMI’s mission is “Transforming the global energy system to secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all.
20. Water.org
Water.org is a global nonprofit organization working to bring water and sanitation to the world. They want to make it safe, accessible, and cost-effective.
Water.org helps people get access to safe water and sanitation through affordable financing, such as small loans. They give their everything every day to empower people in need with these life-changing resources – giving women hope, children health and families a bright future.
21. Cool Effect
Cool Effect has one main goal: to reduce carbon emissions. It does this through extensive scientific research and community education, like its project that helped several rural communities transition to clean-burning cookstoves.
22. The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund, working with public, private and nonprofit partners, protects America’s legacy of land and water resources through land acquisition, sustainable community and economic development, and leadership training, emphasizing the integration of economic and environmental goals. Today, they make conservation work for America by creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, they are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. The Conservation Fund is top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, they have worked in all 50 states to protect over 8.5 million acres of land since 1985.
23. National Parks Foundation
Earth Guardians encourage the younger generations to participate in solutions to save the planet. It is currently led by an 18-year-old indigenous activist who is keen to implement practical answers to climate change. For example, it has empowered local youths in Colorado to campaign against pesticide spraying in public parks and fracking.
24. Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force is a non-traditional, fact-based, environmental organization. At CATF, they build momentum for solutions based on scientific evidence, intellectual integrity, and pragmatism. CATF knows that the climate crisis is too complex a challenge, and the stakes are too high for us to limit the tools at our disposal. They challenge conventional wisdoms and explore every opportunity that offers promise, and they’ve done so for more than 25 years.
25. African Wildlife Foundation
60 years ago African Wildlife Foundation pioneered conservation that emphasizes African leadership and ownership, and this approach is the cornerstone of their work today. AWF is committed to helping Africa’s governments and people navigate the continent’s rapid development with their magnificent wildlife and wild lands conserved, restored, and contributing to sustainable green growth.
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