Beneficiaries

The mission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.  When RTC opened its doors in 1986, there were fewer than 250 miles of rail-trails.  Over the past 24 years, RTC has been a leader in a tremendous growth and development of rail-trails.  Today, RTC serves as the national voice for more than 150,000 members and supporters, and there are nearly 19,500 miles of rail-trail on the ground.   

With more than 1,600 trails open, and another 9,200 miles in development, rail-trails form the backbone of a growing trail system that spans communities, regions, states and, indeed, the entire country.   In fact, by 2020, RTC wants to see 90 percent of Americans living within three miles of a rail-trail or connecting corridor.  Enhancing and promoting trail use in urban areas is vital to achieving this goal, and supporting trail development in metropolitan areas is an organizational priority.

By promoting trail development as part of local, regional, and national Active Transportation planning, RTC is committed to enhancing the health of America's environment, transportation, economy, and neighborhoods, ensuring a better future made possible by trails and the connections they create.

For more information, please visit their website www.railstotrails.org.

At this defining moment in the climate change crisis, 1Sky unites us in a collaborative campaign with a single purpose: shifting federal policy toward the prosperity of a sustainable clean energy economy. Through innovative solutions and cutting-edge media, Internet, field and organizing strategies, 1Sky gives organizations and individuals across the country the power they need to make history. 1Sky is the largest collaborative climate and energy campaign in the United States, combining the force of over 545 allied organizations, a team of 37 partners including organizers in 19 states, and more than 194,000 climate advocates and 3700 volunteer "Climate Precinct Captains" covering every state in the country. For more information, visit 1Sky at www.1Sky.org.

Green America is a national organization that mobilizes consumers, investors, and businesses to use their economic power to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Green America works to stop corporate abuse, grow the green economy, curb climate change, and promote clean energy solutions.

Green America's work combines 4 powerful strategies:

   1. Empowering individuals to make purchasing and investing choices that promote social justice and environmental sustainability
   2. Demanding an end to corporate irresponsibility through collective economic action
   3. Promoting green and fair trade business principles while building the market for businesses adhering to these principles
   4. Building sustainable communities in the US and abroad.

Green America's programs include:

• Climate Action and Green Energy: Stopping coal and other dirty fuels, promoting energy efficiencing, and investing in clean energy projects nationwide
• The Green Business Network: Helping green businesses emerge and thrive
• Nation Green Pages (online and in print): Providing consumers and investors a directory of authentic green businesses
• Green Festivals: Now in five cities across America, attracting 30,000 attendees at each event to build local, sustainable, and just economies
• Corporate Responsibility Programs - Responsible Shopper, Fair Trade, Better Paper Project, and Socially Responsible Investing - providing consumers and investors with tips and tools on buying green and avoiding the most egregious corporate polluters and labor abusers.

You can find Green America at www.GreenAmericaToday.org and www.GreenFestivals.org.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Climate Ride supports critical programs at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) that make a positive difference in combating the climate crisis, including: the Campaign for Active Transportation that seeks to double the federal investment in trails, walking and biking; the Urban Pathways Initiative that fosters the building and use of trails in underserved urban communities across the country; and RTC's ambitious goal of seeing 90 percent of Americans living within three miles of a trail system by 2020. 

1Sky

Climate Ride funds provided to 1Sky will provide support and training to hundreds of Climate Precinct Captains nationwide - volunteer organizers who are dedicated to tackling the climate challenge by working to transition our country to the renewable energy of the future.

The Climate Precinct Captains (CPCs) campaign is an online-to-offline organizing initiative designed to build local political power by recruiting and engaging individuals to become volunteer organizers. CPCs recruit organizations and other individuals in their communities to get active for a clean energy economy, organize events and actions, build media coverage in their area and convene meetings to educate and activate constituencies and decision-makers. So far, 1Sky has more than 3,700 CPCs covering almost every Congressional District and 50 states in the country.

Green America

Funds raised through Climate Ride will support two initiatives of Green America's Climate Action program.

The "Efficiency First!" campaign is providing people all across America with tips and tools to implement simple, cost-effective, and readily available energy efficient technologies and lifestyle choices that greatly reduce the amount of electricity we consume, as well as our energy bills. Taking the "Efficiency First!" pledge saves energy, money, mountains, and our planet from climate change.

"Clean Energy Victory Bonds" provides citizens with an opportunity to contribute to building our clean energy future. During WWII the US raised more than $185 billion ($2 trillion in today's dollars!) through the sale of "Victory Bonds" to millions of Americans. Green America has proposed to Congress the Obama administration that we do the same thing today to support clean energy! Climate Ride funding will support a campaign to invite individuals and green businesses to pledge their commitment to buy Clean Energy Victory Bonds, and spread the word to other citizens and key decision makers.