It’s the 10-year anniversary of Giving Tuesday, the beloved time when we think outside the (gift) box and consider ways to help our communities and the planet. We love Giving Tuesday for its needed perspective, its emphasis on human connection, and the proof that if every adult in America gave just $1 to a needed cause, we could raise over $200,000 for a better world.
Giving Tuesday also reminds us that when it comes to giving power back to people on the frontlines of planetary change, we’ve still got a long way to go. For every $10,000 of global grantmaking, only $2 goes given to female environmental and conservation leaders… even though women are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, and often on the frontlines of community action.
Want to help us change the paradigm, and shift power back into the hands of woman-led, local, and Indigenous leaders making a difference for people and the planet? Thought so. Scroll down to see 18 vetted organizations, including Wild Elements partners, friends, and causes we really admire.
We’ve sorted them into categories for easier navigation—making giving less overwhelming is part of our goal, after all—but we should note that much like a Gemini with an Aries moon, these organizations contain multitudes, and all are shaping personal and planetary health for the better.
FOOD ACCESS
Farm Urban (United Kingdom)
This hydroponic center for plant-based nutrition and education uses fresh, local produce to strengthen community engagement and environmental change.
Support + Feed (USA)
Access to nourishing food is a human right. Support + Feed works with civic leaders, farmers, and educators to ensure the best plant-based nutrition is available for all communities, boosting personal + planetary wellness that’s also really yummy.
Urban Growers Collective (USA)
This Black- and women-led non-profit farm works to build a more just and equitable local food system through plant-based nutrition, free community gardens, and environmental education.
PLANT + SOIL HEALTH
Fungi Foundation (Chile)
This award-winning network of scientists and policy makers advocates for the medicinal, nutritional, and soil-boosting properties of mycelium—aka mushrooms, which are really amazing.
Project Posidonia (Australia)
Dr. Adriana Verges and her team of biologists restore seagrass to oceanic meadows, helping prevent shoreline erosion while nourishing marine life.
Protect Medicinal Plants (Navajo Nation)
By studying the effects of hard metal toxins on sacred medicinal plants in the Navajo Nation, Richelle Thomas advocates for land sovereignty and environmental protection on behalf of all Indigenous communities.
Rodale Institute (USA)
Soil health is planetary health, and these pioneers of regenerative farming are expert advocates for organic food, local produce, and plant-based power.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
Centre for Wildlife Studies (India)
Run by Dr. Krithi Karanth, this organization protects native endangered species like elephants and tigers while involving scientists and schools in their care.
Ewaso Lions (Northern Kenya)
Resson Kantai Duff works to decolonize conservation by partnering with local Kenyan leaders, creating a mutual benefit for native communities and wild lion prides.
Gorongosa Elephant Ecology Project (Mozambique)
Dominique Gonçalves aims to make coexistence a seamless and joyful experience, while contributing to greater conservation efforts worldwide.
Grevy’s Zebra Trust (Kenya)
GZT protects this keystone species, whose health is crucial to both apex predators like cheetahs and leaf-lovers like giraffes.
Proyecto Titi (Colombia)
Conservationist Rosamira Guillen works with local partners and communities to protect the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin, a tiny monkey found only in the tropical forests of Colombia.
Wildlife Conservation Network (Worldwide)
By thinking globally but acting locally, this collective of scientists and policy maker can educate and empower the next generation of wildlife activists to protect animals for the good of all kind.
COMMUNITY ACTION
Daughters for Earth (Worldwide)
To quote Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Tell your sister that she’s gotta rise up.” Daughters for Earth fights to restore power to female leaders fighting for environmental and community change.
National Resources Defense Council (Worldwide)
Join lawyers, activists, scientists, and educators in fighting pollution and deforestation through our two favorite words*: systemic change.
(*Our other 2 favorite words are “ice cream.”)
One Earth (Worldwide)
This collective aims to solve the climate crisis through groundbreaking science and philanthropic innovation.
WE Africa
Created to remedy the gender imbalance in wildlife conservation, WE Africa aims to further women’s environmental leadership worldwide.
Women's Earth Alliance (Worldwide)
When women thrive, Earth thrives. Help lift up female-led economies in developing nations to ensure positive change for the planet and its people.
Youth Climate Save (United States)
Led by teen activist Genesis Butler, Youth Climate Save works to end animal agriculture and promote regenerative solutions to farming and urban living.
