Search Nonprofits

Founded in 2004, Quail Springs is a leading educational non-profit that resides on a 450-acre permaculture demonstration site on the traditional homelands of the Chumash people in Cuyama Valley, California. Our mission is to empower students of all ages and backgrounds with knowledge, skills, and inspiration essential to cultivating ecological and social health in a rapidly changing world. Quail Springs teaches strategies and techniques instrumental for designing and building resilient, affordable, and carbon-neutral housing as well as ecologically sound and sovereign food systems. We are connected to an expansive local and international network of leading-edge practitioners. We envision an equitable global community that shares the bounty of this living planet and the responsibility to tend to its health. We believe the most effective way to foster positive change is through our relationships, both with one another and our ecologies.

Since Its Establishment In 1967, The Association Has Acquired, Preserved And Maintained Over 800 Acres Of Local Native Landscapes Including Prairies, Savannas, Ravines, Woodlands And Wetlands For The Benefit And Enjoyment Of The Entire Community. We Continue Our Efforts To Restore The Land To Its Historical Landscape And Maintain These Critical Habitats. In Addition, To Promote A Connection Between The Community And The Land Within It, Our Preserves Are Home To Over 12 Miles Of Walking Trails Which Are Open To The Public Year Round.The Association Also Provides Naturalist-Led Environmental Education To School Children And Special Workshops Offered To Children, Adults And Families. Our Environmental Education Programs Are Designed To Develop An Understanding Of And A Love And Respect For The Natural World Around Us By Including Hands-On, Participatory Activities In A Natural Setting. Association Also Cooperates With Several Institutions Promote The Scientific Study Of Our Preserves.

With the goal of helping under-served communities in India, Nepal, and Tibet receive the vital services they need, Karuna-Shechen was founded in 2000 by Matthieu Ricard (www.matthieuricard.org), renown TED speaker, author, and humanitarian. We strive to reduce inequalities and work toward a fairer and more compassionate world. We trust that communities can be lifted out of poverty, that change is possible, and that the well-being of every individual, regardless of race, gender, class, or caste, is essential. We believe that building on local strengths and knowledge is the most efficient way to respond to the specific needs and aspirations of our beneficiaries. Rooted in the ideal of "compassion in action", we serve others with joy and determination by cultivating altruism in our hearts and actions. We provide vulnerable and disadvantaged populations access to health care, education and vocational training, clean water, solar electricity, and other sustainable solutions that offer options to find a livelihood and a better life. We work with a grassroots network of local partners, and give special attention to the education and empowerment of girls and women. Karuna-Shechen's name expresses its mission while paying homage to its roots: Karuna means "compassion" in Sanskrit, and Shechen is the name of a major monastery in Tibet.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation connects Americans with their wilderness heritage by providing access to and stewardship of one of the world's most spectacular places -Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the crown jewel of the Wilderness System. We help hundreds of hard-working volunteers, including youth, develop a land ethic and give back to the wilderness by opening trails, restoring heavily used areas, maintaining historic structures and fighting weeds. Active wilderness stewardship is our mission. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation: Provides its hard-working volunteers with a unique back country experience Works cooperatively with the US Forest Service to engage youth groups, individual volunteers and other organizations. Opens and clears trails enjoyed by thousands of wilderness users year-round Ensures that future generations will continue to have safe access to The Bob Is a non-profit, tax deductible 501(c)3 organization dependent on donations

"Connecting Cambodian Youth to the skills, opportunities, and inspirations needed to reach their potential." This is the mission of PEPY Empowering Youth, a local non-profit (NGO) focused on educating and empowering youth in underserved and remote communities outside of Siem Reap city. With their team's intimate understanding of barriers affecting students' ability to move onto higher education (many team members are former beneficiaries of PEPY's projects), PEPY staff often become student's first role models while building their capacity to achieve their dreams through academic, technical, and professional training- enabling them to make changes they wish to see in their communities. Through PEPY, students' rates of moving onto higher education and obtaining skilled employment are increasing. PEPY's approach to education development is different because they focus on high school and higher education students, an age group often overlooked, while targeting remote areas where higher education is uncommon and often financially impossible. PEPY's programs are comprehensive and go beyond typical scholarship programs, guaranteeing that students graduate and all of them find jobs while they are still in school.

The Piedmont Environmental Council works to safeguard the landscape, communities and heritage of Virginia's Piedmont by involving citizens in related public policy and land conservation. PEC's service area encompasses nine counties of the Piedmont. Our work integrates four mutually interdependent goals and programs:   *Better Define the Piedmont- PEC is creating a sense of place in our communities through engaging activities and the identification and support of our unique assets and history.  * Protect What Can Be Protected: Land Conservation & Watershed Protection - We are protecting threatened land and natural and cultural resources as efficiently as possible through an aggressive and multi-tiered land conservation program.  *Respond to the Forces of Change: Land Use and Transportation- We consistently promote good planning to reduce threats to our region, address issues of local importance, and surmount individual pressures on our historic landscape.  *Direct Growth to the Right Places - We are helping visualize a better future by presenting positive solutions to the problems caused by poorly planned development. These concrete principles recognize that growth is inevitable, but that we can effectively manage the population and economic growth coming to this region and create healthy communities to live, work and play.  PEC also provides direct assistance to those working on parallel missions in neighboring counties. PEC is a founding member and fiscal sponsor for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization extending a parallel mission in Washington DC. PEC also serves as fiscal sponsor for the Shenandoah Valley Network. Additionally, PEC coordinates with many partners across the Commonwealth to address regional issues that affect the Piedmont directly.

Big Sur Land Trust is a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire love of land across generations, conservation of our unique Monterey County landscapes, and access to outdoor experiences for all. We see a future where natural landscapes, working lands, urban open spaces and healthy communities are cared for by people who share a love of nature and a deep appreciation for the richness of their diverse cultures. Since 1978, our generous donors and partners have conserved over 40,000 acres throughout Monterey County. As an accredited land trust, our work promotes: 1. HEALTHY LANDS: Conserving and caring for the magnificent natural landscapes, habitats and waterways of our region to ensure a sustainable future. 2. HEALTHY PEOPLE: Providing opportunities for all who live in and visit Monterey County to experience the healthful benefits associated with access to parks and open spaces, fresh food, clean air and water, and a deep connection to nature. 3. HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: Engaging in partnerships where conservation and civic participation increase community vitality, economic prosperity and social equity. Big Sur Land Trust is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) governed by a board of trustees, operated by a professional staff and supported by hundreds of members and volunteers. Our work is funded by generous private donations and public conservation funding. We are proud to be accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance. The accreditation seal is awarded to land trusts meeting the highest national standards for excellence and conservation permanence.

WeConservePA helps people care for, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers. We advocate for pro-conservation, life-sustaining governmental policy and assist individuals and organizations in effectively and efficiently conserving land, advancing sustainable practices, and connecting people to the outdoors. WeConservePA is a community of conservation volunteers, professionals, and supporters. United around common interests and needs, we present a powerful force for conservation, and in sharing our knowledge and experiences, we are better equipped to make more and better conservation happen. WeConservePA started in 1991 as an informal gathering of land trust leaders seeking to advance common interests. These leaders incorporated the “Pennsylvania Land Trust Association” in 1995 to address and focus on the broad needs of land trusts—to take on initiatives and activities that no single organization could effectively handle or wish to handle on its own. Since the 1990s, the organization’s mission has expanded to help people protect, wisely use, and enjoy what nature offers, whether that is through land trusts, local government open space programs, environmental advisory councils, trail groups, or other organizations. Today, WeConservePA is made up of 70 dues-paying, voting conservation organizations as well as hundreds of individuals who contribute their time, energy, and money to the organization’s endeavors. The voting organizations elect the board and set WeConservePA’s purposes. (The organizations in turn count more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians as members and contributors.) WeConservePA is registered with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations and has held 501(c)3 tax status with the Internal Revenue Service since 1996. The organization adopted its present name with a vote of the member organizations and an amendment of its articles of incorporation in 2020.

Renew Missouri was formed in 2006 to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy policy in Missouri. Our State lags far behind other states in terms of renewable generation (at less than 2%) and it is ranked 44th out of 50 in energy efficiency according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). To see why the ACEEE ranks Missouri 44th, click here. Renew Missouri’s mission is to transform Missouri into a leading state in both efficiency and renewable energy by the year 2016. In 2007, Renew Missouri advocated for true net metering and simple interconnection practices for small solar and wind systems. As a result, the Missouri legislature adopted the “Easy Connection Act,” allowing all Missourians to interconnect solar panels and small wind turbines to their utility grid free of charge and to receive full retail credit for any energy put back on the grid. In 2008, Renew Missouri helped Missouri become the 27th state to enact a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) and only the 3rd state to pass an RES through the ballot initiative process. The RES requires Missouri’s largest utilities to get 15% of their energy from renewables by 2021, with 2% of that energy coming from solar. The RES also includes a $2 per watt solar rebate program, which has proven to be a huge success. To address Missouri’s ranking in energy efficiency, Renew Missouri is also advocating before the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) for proven state efficiency policies that will create in-state jobs, lower electric bills, and reduce carbon emissions. Renew Missouri’s approach to advancing policy is to bring stakeholders for energy issues together to educate & facilitate productive dialogue. We educate legislators and other policy makers while also promoting renewables and energy efficiency to the public. We evaluate what energy policies Missouri could implement and guide stakeholders as they use the policies that are put in place. In September 2011, Renew Missouri reached out to the environmental non-profit Earth Island Institute, applying to become one of many organizations they sponsor. The fiscal sponsorship relationship that was formed gave Renew Missouri administrative support to better serve Missourians and to continue the pursuit of the clean, renewable energy they need. Then, in December 2016, Renew Missouri became our own independent 501(c)3 organization.

Who We Are: The need for a grassroots organization that would galvanize communities across Africa to positively contribute towards sustainable management of natural resources was an idea born out of a discussion by a group of environment and natural resource management practitioners gathered in Arusha Tanzania in 2010. The idea was subsequently shared with other like-minded individuals and culminated in the formation and subsequent registration of Africa Nature Organization as Non-Governmental Organization on the World Wetlands Day 2nd February 2012 in Kenya. Our focus has been to promote sustainable environmental and natural resource management best practices among grassroots communities working closely with civil society organizations, private sector actors and Government. Our Vision: A well-managed environment and natural resource base benefiting People and Wildlife. Our Mission: To enhance sustainable management of environment and natural resources by empowering grassroots communities, supporting development of effective natural resource management instruments, promotion of green innovations and the advancement of wise-use practices. Programmes: Our work is organized around three themes. These are conservation, people's organizations and livelihoods. 1. Environmental Education and Awareness Sustained environmental education and awareness campaigns have been known to change the behavior and attitudes of stakeholders towards environment and natural resources. Africa Nature Organization environmental education and awareness campaigns target both the young and the old through targeted campaigns such as the Young People4Nature Initiative, environmental demonstrations, environmental days, cross-site visits, workshops and seminars are some of the activities in this category. 2. Conservation of Species and Habitats With the threat of species extinction and habitat loss aggravated by climate change, Africa Nature Organization has taken a special interest in the conservation of species and habitats through rehabilitation, restoration and protection. Afforestation on terrestrial areas, coral transplant in marine ecosystems, dyke construction, development of management plans, support for community guards to protect and monitor species and habitats are some of the activities undertaken to reduce species and habitat loss. 3. Enterprise-led Conservation (ECO) Communities for ages have depended on natural resources for their livelihoods. However, with dwindling natural resource base due to extraction of natural resources for commercial purposes, population increase and climate changes, communities have trapped in a vicious cycle of destroying environment and natural resources for survival. To stem this downward spiral, Africa Nature Organization works with grassroots communities to empower them with business skills and knowledge to initiate nature-friendly enterprises and link them with markets. 4. Research and Innovation for Conservation (RI-Conserve): Relevant information to undertake important decisions regarding natural resources has been an impediment to sustainable management of environment and natural resources. This has been more profound with grassroots communities and organizations, including government, working to empower them to sustainably manage environment and natural resources. To bridge the information gap, Africa Nature Organization undertakes research and develops innovative ways of overcoming environmental challenges facing communities, civil society organizations, private organizations and governments. Baseline surveys, environmental impact assessments, documentation of indigenous knowledge on biological resources, and innovative mobile technology for conservation are some of the activities undertaken in this category. 5. Conservation Communication (COCO): Communicating conservation information to relevant stakeholders is key in to their engagement and involvement in our conservation effort. Conservation Communication maintains stakeholder interest through: Newsletter, Development and distribution of environmental documentaries, Production of other education, information and communication materials.

The Rocky Mountain Land Library’s mission is to help connect people to nature and the land. The need for places of quiet thought, creative pursuits, and active community involvement will only grow as our population increases. The residential library we will establish will give everyone access not only to the books but also to the surrounding lands — a learning landscape for generations to come.

The World Fellowship Center promotes social justice and connections between people, communities, and nature through education, recreation, and creative expression.