Environmental United States

The Best 9 Environmental Charities & Nonprofits in the United States

Best Environmental Charities in the States
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We are extremely picky with our list of environmental charities, in the United States, 9 top environmental nonprofit groups jumped out from a long list of US environmental Charities and nonprofits. We have reviewed and examined hundreds of environmental nonprofits and charities for climate change in the United States, we have found 9 best of the best environment groups. If you want to see our list of best environmental charities and nonprofits related to climate change in the world.

1. Eden Reforestation Projects

Eden Reforestation Projects is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to provide fair wage employment to impoverished villagers as agents of global forest restoration. We hire the poorest of the poor to grow, plant, and guard to maturity native species forest on a massive scale. Our “employ to plant methodology” results in a multiplication of positive socio-economic and environment measures. By keeping our overhead costs low, we are now recognized as one of the most cost-effective reforestation projects on the planet.  While our primary goal is to lift people out of extreme poverty, we have also become a model for environmental restoration and land management.

Over 300 million trees have been planted around the world in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nepal, Haiti, Indonesia, Mozambique, Kenya, and Central America. As a non-profit in the US, and functioning with I-NGO status within our project nations, Eden Reforestation Projects is now successfully reducing extreme poverty and restoring healthy forests.  Since it began in Ethiopia Eden has expanded into Madagascar in 2007, Haiti in 2010, Nepal in 2015, Indonesia in 2017, and Mozambique in 2018. Eden remains committed to employing thousands of local villagers who plant healthy forests systems for as little as 10¢ per tree.

Since 2005, Eden has successfully employed over 3,500 full and partial season village workers, and by our thirteenth year (2018) we had planted over 200,000,000 trees! Our Objective, which we hope to achieve by the year 2025, is to plant a minimum of 500 million trees each year and to offer a life transforming wage to tens of thousands of villagers in countries where poverty is rampant.

2. Grand Teton National Park Foundation

Grand Teton National Park Foundation: Changing visitation, land use and development patterns, climate change, and invasive species all threaten to disrupt the sensitive ecological relationships that characterize Grand Teton today. Activities supported by Wild Treasures will supplement the park’s finite operating resources and make significant strides toward ensuring the long-term ecological integrity of Grand Teton National Park, as well as its ability to adapt as needs evolve.

In 1997, former Grand Teton Superintendent Jack Neckels, along with the late Jerry Halpin, gathered a small group of people together to share an interesting idea—that Grand Teton National Park should have a visitor center that rivals its natural magnificence.

With vision and purpose, the group that became our founding board of directors set out to raise funds for a state-of-the-art visitor center that would provide a way for visitors to learn about the park and explore its features in an exciting, accessible way. The project was a success, and paved the way for the Foundation to leverage those founding ideals into much more for Grand Teton today. With expert guidance from our advisory boards and generous contributions from supporters and partners, we gift millions of dollars to the park each year.

3. Rainforest Trust

Rainforest Trust purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests, saving endangered wildlife through partnerships and community engagement.

Through these highly effective partnerships, we can ensure sustainable results necessary for the long-term protection of tropical ecosystems and the wildlife they hold.

Rainforest Trust focuses on saving real acres of rainforest through land purchases and designations. Each of our projects has been identified as crucial to preserving critical habitat for endangered species. This is a list of all projects our conservation team is currently developing. If a project in this section is marked as Active, we have gathered all the donations we need, but our work to complete the project and ensure protection into perpetuity is still ongoing.

The strong, on-the-ground presence of Rainforest Trust’s partners, Fellows and Guardians allows for proper land management, community outreach and day-to-day operation of the protected areas.

4. One Tree Planted

One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As an environmental charity, they are on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees!

As an environmental charity, One Tree Planted is dedicated to making it easier for individuals and businesses to give back to the environment, create a healthier climate, protect biodiversity and help reforestation efforts around the world. All by planting trees!

Started in 2014, One Tree Planted has more than doubled the number of trees planted year over year. Fast-forward to today, we now work with awesome reforestations partners in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa who help them get trees in the ground to restore forests after fires and floods, create jobs, build communities, and protect habitat for biodiversity.

5. Acadia Center

Acadia Center works across key sectors of the economy, in state, local, regional and national jurisdictions to promote effective solutions to tackle the problem of climate change. The principles that guide these efforts are consistent and reflect shared needs and goals. Acadia Center works at the intersections of energy and climate change: power generation and consumer-side energy resources; transportation; land use; and carbon emissions reductions and mitigation. One of Acadia Center’s breakthrough studies, Energy Efficiency: Engine of Economic Growth, uses a widely regarded economic model that shows how using energy efficiently provides billions of dollars in consumer benefits and economic value. Measures like weatherizing, insulating and upgrading equipment save home and business owners money on their bills. Those savings then get invested in the local economy instead of being paid out to energy and fuel suppliers.

Acadia Center tackles challenges from many angles, with strategies and expertise that reach across disciplines. This approach reflects the complexity of the issues and leverages a range of networks and skillsets.

6. Green Forests Work

GFW uses a modified version of the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative’s (ARRI) Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) to address mines that were reclaimed using pre-FRA methods (i.e. heavy soil compaction). The modified FRA calls for removing or controlling exotic, invasive vegetation, followed by cross-ripping the soil at least 3 feet deep to loosen compacted ground. Then, a mix of high-value, native trees and shrubs are properly planted by volunteers and/or professional tree planters. By following these steps, GFW is converting compromised lands back into healthy and productive native forests that will provide sustainable economic development and opportunities for entrepreneurship.

By mitigating soil compaction, the ground allows for greater water infiltration and storage, which reduces surface runoff which transports sediment. Trees also uptake and intercept precipitation, further reducing inputs to streams and the trees can uptake metals and minerals that pose water quality concerns. 

Reforestation makes the land more hospitable to wildlife by providing food and shelter and creating better connectivity to other forested areas. For example, golden-winged warblers and other songbirds will benefit from early successional forest cover and the reduction in forest fragmentation. The endangered Indiana bat and forest interior dependent species will find new habitat as the forest matures. Pollinators also benefit  from flowering trees and plants used in our projects. 

7. Trees Atlanta

Trees Atlanta protects and improves Atlanta’s urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Forest Restoration works to improve the health of our urban forests. Healthy native plant diversity is essential for the ecosystem to properly adapt to urban stresses like climate change, habitat fragmentation, and pollution. Volunteers help by removing destructive exotic invasive plants, replanting with native species, and reducing erosion along waterways. The battle against invasive plants is never-ending and we need help! Together we can protect Atlanta’s legacy as the City in a Forest.

  • Protecting urban forests by removing exotic invasive plants
  • Planting native trees, shrubs, and vines
  • Fostering stewardship in community parks & forest through Greenspace Guardians
  • Educating citizens on the importance of forest restoration
  • Advocating for responsible landscape and management choices

8. Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast‘s mission is to protect the land and water in Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature.

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast works with you to save land, forever, preserving those special natural lands that shape our cultural heritage, make our region extraordinary, and our quality of life superb. 17,888 acres across 45 properties are protected because of you and others like you, who care about our lands, waters, and way of life. This adds up to nearly 28 square miles of protected land that provides for kids and grown-ups, wildlife and waterways. 

The yield is abundant –  historic ranch lands, hiking trails, kayak landings, water access for swimming and fishing, and safe drinking water.  And these lands provide the landscape for imperiled animals like the gopher tortoise, nesting spots for eagles and osprey, and connective greenways for bobcats and Florida panthers.

9. North Carolina Coastal Federation

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a member-supported 501(c)3 that focuses on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast. Since 1982, the federation has been in the field restoring miles of coastline; training and educating students, adults and communities to take actions that result in cleaner coastal waters and advocating for an accessible, healthy, productive coast. The North Carolina Coastal Federation works to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats throughout the North Carolina coast by collaborating with and engaging people from all walks of life who are committed to preserving the coast for current and future generations.

There are no easy answers to cure the pollution problems that plague our coastal waters. Degradation of water quality took decades to occur and is caused by modifications to the landscape. Buildings, highways, parking lots, yards, farms and drained forests prevent rain from soaking into the ground. When downpours occur, our cities, subdivisions and fields can generate large volumes of runoff contaminated with sediment, bacteria, pathogens, chemicals and nutrients. About 25 percent of coastal shellfishing waters are polluted with bacteria, and most of the coast is now off-limits to shellfishing and swimming after big rain events.

The federation advocates for effective coastal management decisions that protect the North Carolina coast and its communities. Federal, state and local laws; policies and rules; and public and political pressures all influence coastal management. Sometimes laws are too inadequate to address emerging coastal issues, and agencies and programs that deal with these problems are often understaffed and underfunded. Climate change is putting the already vulnerable coast at greater risk of flooding and erosion. Political pressure to make decisions for immediate gain can have severe long-term consequences. An educated and engaged public is necessary to ensure that the coastal environment is protected and restored. Environmental journalism is a critical component of public engagement.

What are the best High-Impact environmental charities, nonprofits, groups, and organizations in the United States?

The 9 best of the best impact-centric environmental charities for climate change in the United States of America are:

  • North Carolina Coastal Federation
  • Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast
  • Trees Atlanta
  • Green Forests Work
  • Acadia Center
  • One Tree Planted
  • Rainforest Trust
  • Grand Teton National Park Foundation
  • Eden Reforestation Projects

More at Circle Acts High Impact Philanthropy

About the author

Circle Acts Team

United by a shared passion to make a difference, we're on a joyful mission: to spotlight the wonderful world of nonprofits, charities, and the incredible causes they champion.

Every article we craft is a labor of love, bursting with positivity and hope. We're firm believers in the magic of service and are constantly inspired by the countless unsung heroes working tirelessly for change. By donating our time and energy, we aspire to create ripples of awareness and inspire action. So, every time you read one of our articles, know it's penned with heaps of passion, a dash of joy, and a sprinkle of hope.

Cheers to making the world a brighter place, one story at a time!