11 Climate and Environmental Orgs We Love

Thousands of climate organizations are working on donations and volunteer time to protect, restore, and advocate the environment for a more liveable planet. 

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This is our living list of some of Commons favorites! 

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• Lonely Whale: Lonely Whale has spearheaded impactful global movements to raise awareness and offer alternatives to problematic plastics, convened a consortium of multi-national brands to create the first global network of ocean bound plastic supply chains, and supported the global youth movement with the tools and network needed to advance their efforts.
• Re:Wild: Re:wild protects and restores the wild because the solutions to our most pressing challenges — climate change, biodiversity loss and threats to human health — lie in nature. Re:wild works with a global network of 500+ highly effective conservation partners, many of whom are Indigenous peoples and local communities, in nearly 90 countries. 
• Grist: Grist is an award-winning, independent, nonprofit news outlet covering climate issues from every angle since 1999.
• NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council): NRDC is a national environmental advocacy group that takes climate action with the help of 700 scientists, lawyers, and other environmental specialists to protect public health and safeguard nature. Get updates on our issues.
• Clean Air Task Force: Since 1996, this org has worked to reduce air pollution by limiting U.S. energy emissions, establishing energy regulations, and advocating for low-carbon energy solutions. 
• Cool Earth: The rainforest is a vital carbon sink. Cool Earth supports Indigenous people and local communities that have lived in balance with the rainforest for generations.
• Surfrider Foundation: The Surfrider Foundation protects the ocean, coastline, and water sources through a powerful activist network that works at the local and national levels. Most recently, the Surfrider Foundation has taken on Exxon, suing the fossil fuel producer for hiding the truth about plastic recycling. 
• Good Food Institute: This team works to make plant-based proteins competitive with animal protein to make low-carbon protein more accessible and mainstream. 
• Environmental Defense Fund: a global nonprofit organization tackling climate change through a vast range of efforts, from the renewable energy transition to slashing methane. 
• Carbon180: Through a range of initiatives, Carbon180 is building the carbon removal field and using federal policy to reverse two centuries of carbon emissions.
• Community fridges: Food waste is a leading cause of methane emissions, and it’s devastating that we waste so much while people go hungry. Community fridges have popped up all over the world as community-rooted opportunities to give food directly to your neighbors. There’s no one centralized org or charity to donate funds to, but any local community fridge will happily accept your food. You can find fridges in your area using this global map maintained by the folks at Freedge.

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Remember: Before you donate to any 501 (c)(3) nonprofits, check their score on Charity Navigator to ensure it’s legit. Mutual aid orgs will likely not be listed on this site, which doesn’t mean they’re not trustworthy, but just that you should ensure that the org is transparent about how they spend their funds. 

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Looking for small, local orgs? 

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A simple Google search is a good place to start. You may discover small nonprofits or mutual aid organizations in your area. You can also browse Charity Navigator, using filters to find trustworthy, small nonprofits in your area. Here’s a jumpstart — just add your state to narrow down the results.