The 9 Best Environmental Charities in the US

Last year, 350.org also organized the Global Climate Strike which saw over 7.6 million people taking to the streets to demand climate action. It was the biggest climate mobilization in history.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Advocacy:

Using science to address global problems and improve people’s lives.

Composed of about 250 scientists, analysts, and policy experts, UCS aims to use rigorous, independent science to make change happen. It was founded over 50 years ago by scientists and students at MIT and has since then grown into a national movement.

This group of experts and everyday people are working tirelessly to address issues concerning:

• Climate Change
• Energy
• Transportation
• Food
• Nuclear Weapons
• Science and Democracy

Among its recent notable achievements is the enactment of California’s 100% Clean Energy Bill. Its support also helped build the Regional Clean Transportation Plan.

Rainforest Alliance

Advocacy:

Create a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.

As its name suggests, this organization is dedicated to protecting ecologically vulnerable areas. They are best known for providing independent certification of common rainforest products. This certification indicates that the producer has met its strict sustainability standards. So if you’ve ever bought an organic coffee or tea, chances are it has the Rainforest Alliance logo in its package. 

Aside from partnering with key players in the global supply chain, they also tap local farmers to promote sustainability at the grassroots level. Among the sustainability issues it currently focuses on are:

• forests and biodiversity
• climate
• rural livelihoods
• human rights

Wildlife Conservation Society

Advocacy:

Save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature.

WCS is one of the most recognizable organizations dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places that are rapidly succumbing to extinction. Its current goal is to conserve the largest wild places in 14 priority regions around the world that are home to more than half of the planet’s biodiversity. It does this by funding scientific research and push for public policies aimed at wildlife conservation. Aside from helping governments identify protected areas, the organization is also very active in fighting wildlife trafficking.

Trust for Public Land

Advocacy:

Create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Unlike most charitable organizations in this list, TPL’s advocacy does not involve the forest, environmental health, climate change, or anything of the sort. Rather, they’re focused on creating healthy, livable communities that are resilient to climate and environmental changes.

Founded in 1972, they operate on the notion that everyone deserves to live in healthy communities and access to the benefits of nature. That’s why they made it their goal to set up eco-friendly public spaces, green schoolyards, trails, and greenways across the country.

National Audubon Society

Advocacy:

Protect birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.

Nowadays, the term “audubon” has come to mean a zoologist who studies birds. But the term was coined after John James Audubon, a naturalist who painted and wrote about the birds of North America. And the history of the name fits rightly with the advocacy of the National Audubon Society.

Garnering six consecutive 4-star ratings on Charity Navigator, the organization has certainly lived up to its name. It has become one of the leading voices in ornithological conservation in the country. From lobbying for public policies to educating the next generation, this charity is leading the charge in building the most effective bird conservation network in America.