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Six Organizations to Support for Earth Day

They don’t call it MOTHER Earth for nothing.

She has given us air to breathe, water to drink and fruit to eat, asking nothing in return but kindness, love and respect. This Earth Day, we’re giving back to the planet that has given us her all. We know that the looming climate crisis can often leave us feeling helpless and discouraged, like our individual efforts will never be enough to save the place we call home. That’s why MOTHER rounded up our six favorite environmental organizations making a difference in the fight against climate change. By covering a variety of efforts, we hope that you can find a cause that lights you up from the inside and gives you the hope for a brighter future.

Tree People

Consider us tree-huggers. TreePeople is one of MOTHER’s favorite nonprofits, whose mission is to invigorate and inspire everyday people to claim “responsibility for the urban environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable.” Now the largest environmental movement headquartered in California, TreePeople has supported more than 3 million people in taking action against climate change. Their strategy is simple: protect and plant trees. Their efforts include reforesting after devastating fires, donating fruit trees to schools and capturing rainwater when California is in drought. By contributing to TreePeople, you can help make the world a greener place (literally).

Save The Waves

If you know anything about surfing culture, you’ll understand surfers’ deep appreciation for the ocean. Save The Waves is a nonprofit organization run by a coalition of surfers that strive to protect the sacred ecosystems they cherish. By infusing their love for the sport into their conservation efforts, Save The Waves mobilizes surfers to fight for “long-term coastal conservation.” They work to protect the plants and animals in surf areas, the communities that border the ocean, and even to make surfing a more inclusive sport. If you have a sweet spot for the ocean, Save The Waves can help you save your favorite ecosystem. 

Sierra Club

Even if you aren’t a climate warrior, you’ve probably heard about the Sierra Club. As one of the most influential and productive environmental organizations in the United States, Sierra Club has made a name for itself as a reliable needle-mover. Sierra Club hosts climate rallies, secures protection for natural parks, and even helped pass the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts. Sierra Club also understands the clear socioeconomic impacts of climate change. Low-income, and particularly people of color, face disproportionate environmental consequences, with 11 million Americans living with polluted air. By donating to this established nonprofit, you can know that your dollars will help make a large-scale difference.

Earth Alliance

A newer organization founded by Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurene Powell Jobs and philanthropist Brian Sheth, Earth Alliance seeks to urgently respond to the current climate crisis. Since launching in August of 2019, the organization has created large-scale campaigns to protect sensitive habitats like the Amazon and Australian forests, devastated by fires, deforestation and pollution. They work with the indigenous peoples that habitat these environments to protect their cultures and the ecosystems on which they rely. The best part? One hundred percent of your donations will go directly to the cause at hand.

Pure Earth

Did you know that one-third of all children are lead-poisoned? Though not commonly discussed in the United States, lead and mercury pollution is a massive global health crisis, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Children exposed to these toxins face diminished intelligence, disability and increased violence (among other health issues), which can thwart the trajectory of entire societies. By focusing on children and pregnant women, Pure Earth seeks to end the corporate use of lead and mercury to ensure that at-risk communities have the right to clean soil and the opportunity for a bright future.

Rainforest Foundation

Since 1989, The Rainforest Foundation has been protecting South and Central America’s rainforests by partnering with those who cherish them the most - indigenous communities. The nonprofit seeks to strengthen the voices of indigenous peoples, protect their lands from deforestation and pollution, and help build the community’s economic health. By donating to the Rainforest Foundation, your dollars will help give them a voice in politics, keep their lands safe, and build out social infrastructure. Due to their limited economic resources and proximity to the equator, the rainforests in which they live are already experiencing the effects of climate change. By supporting this cause, you can rest easy knowing you’ve helped protect some of the world’s most precious and vulnerable cultures. 

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