Since 2008, Climate Ride has been on a mission to unite adventure with advocacy. Thousands of people have biked, run, and hiked with us, dedicating their time and energy to create grants for social and environmental change.
The environment is already a grossly underfunded sector in American philanthropy (in 2019, Americans gave $449 billion and just 3% of that charitable giving supported the environment/animal sector). Organizations led by or working to support people of color and disadvantaged communities are the least funded in this sector despite being at forefront of change. Science has shown that the negative consequences of climate change will be borne disproportionately by people of color. Yet we don’t need science to understand that those communities have been marginalized, penalized, and brutalized by hundreds of years of systemic racism. We need only listen to our hearts to know this injustice is deeply wrong and merits urgent attention.
In 2021, Climate Ride created an action grants program to support organizations that are fighting systemic racism, and making progress on environmental and social justice. In that first round of grants, we donated $5,000 to four organizations for a total of $20,000 to support their work and accelerate solutions to the injustices that need to be addressed to achieve a sustainable world.
In 2022, we renewed the grants to each of the 2021 grantees, sending out an additional $5,000 to each organization. We also doubled the number of organizations receiving grants by creating two categories of grantees – one for organizations working on environmental issues and one for organizations creating access to cycling and the outdoors for communities that traditionally have been denied it. We donated $5,000 to each of the eight recipient organizations for a total of $40,000. With the grant renewal, we gave $60,000 in 2022.
This program is the result of the incredible efforts of Climate Ride participants and donors who supported the Climate Ride cause on our events and through our Annual Fund. Our goal is to continue to grow these action grants moving forward.
For these grants, we used a crowd-sourced and community-based selection process. Potential grantees were nominated by members of the Climate Ride community and then decided on by a panel through ranked-choice voting. Special consideration is given to organizations led by BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and women.
Chosen from over 50 nominees, the 2021 grant winners were Front and Centered, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Prime Ability, and Uplift Climate. In the summer of 2022, we renewed their grants, issuing an additional $5,000 to each organization.
Take a moment to learn more about these organizations below. Many of these nonprofits also joined our beneficiary network, so you can choose to support their work on the Green Fondo or other Climate Ride events.
MISSION: To help Native nations use renewable energy systems, train a Native renewable energy workforce, educate young people about climate change and the environment, and develop civic skills and capacity among Native people to provide leadership for a just transition and the pathway to energy sovereignty.
Native Sun is a Native-led Nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and equitable energy transition through education, workforce training and demonstration. To help Native nations and people lead the way to a climate future by realizing the economic and environmental benefits of Indigenous perspective within the transition to clean energy, engaging in civic and democratic life in ways that advance a just energy transition, and progressing toward the future of energy sovereignty.
“Thank you, Climate Ride, for helping to strengthen Native American communities.” ~ Bob Blake, Executive Director
Connect and get involved with their work:
On Facebook
On Twitter
See other Environmental Justice Action Grantees here.
MISSION: The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) is a nonprofit organization that provides career support to formerly incarcerated firefighters and those currently incarcerated in California’s Conservation Camps; who are interested in careers in the Wildland and Forestry sector. FFRP was developed in direct response to the growing need for wildfire-related personnel. Their mission is to increase wildfire personnel from non-traditional and underrepresented communities, providing them the training, skills, resources, and experiences needed to secure gainful employment.
“Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program is honored to receive the $5,000 Climate Ride grant. FFRP will use these funds to support our cohort participants, to expand the program to reach more participants, and to implement pre-fire fuel treatment projects.” –Brandon Smith, Co-Founder & Executive Director
Learn more> forestryfirerp.org
On Instagram: @ffrp.ca
On Twitter: @ForestryFire
MISSION: Our interest is in introducing the joy of cycling to urban women and girls of color who often do not have access to green spaces. Our aim is to make women feel comfortable riding in New York City, so that they can decrease their reliance on cars, ride-shares, and mass transit by using bikes as a green alternative.
Black Girls Do Bike – NY is a diverse group of women who believe that any and all bikes are great. We train women to be competent in basic riding, group riding, and mechanical skills. We create and lead rides all season long from the beginner “Short and Sassy” level (5-10 miles) to the advanced “Go Big or Go Home” level (60-100+ miles). Our fully volunteer organization partnered as mechanics for New York City’s car-free Summer Streets and the 5-boro Bike Ride.
“The Environment Justice Action grant will enable us to formally train some of our members as licensed cycling instructors (LCIs), allowing us to expand our urban cycling skills workshops and rides into more communities. Additionally, the grant will help us to provide off-season training during the winter – including cycling specific yoga and cycling specific strength training – to keep riders engaged, healthy, and ready for their next car-free spring. Lastly, the grant will begin to help us pilot our next phase – moving our urban cyclists into green space to ride on trails and gravel. There are very, very few Black woman and woman of color in gravel riding despite its growing popularity. We want to introduce more of these women to riding outside the city to allow them to have a greater access to green space and appreciation for its importance. The funds will begin to support travel, equipment, and entry fees to gravel rides and races to those for whom the costs would be prohibitive.” -Lisa Gillespie, Leader/Shero
Learn more > linktr.ee/bgdbnyc
On Instagram @black_girls_do_bike_nyc
MISSION: Farming Hope is a garden-to-table job training nonprofit. They offer paid, empowering transitional employment in their garden and kitchen with formerly incarcerated or unhoused neighbors.
They just secured a new long term lease with more than double the kitchen space which will help to recover more food and feed more folks in need. They also recently “root to stem” dinner, where their Culinary Director Phil Saneski included recovered product into each dish. He emphasized using the whole plant (like cauliflower stems and carrot tops) to reduce waste. Americans waste 30-40% of the food supply, so any inroads we can make on food waste reduction, especially around the holidays, is hugely important for sustainability and climate justice.
“Thank you for backing Farming Hope. The ecological and human crises we face are staggering. Food is our entry point – both structurally and personally, we can affect change by teaching and modeling food recovery, supportive job training, and radically welcoming community spaces. Farming Hope is honored to work with Climate Ride to expand our new community food hub, to lead on reducing food waste, to pay and train more Apprentices facing barriers to employment, and to cook 100,000 free and nourishing meals every year.” –Jamie Stark, Farming Hope Co-founder
Learn more > farminghope.org
Instagram: @farminghope
Sign up for their monthly newsletter for updates and event invites!
MISSION: PODER’s mission is to organize with Latino immigrant families and youth to put into practice people-powered solutions that are locally based, community led and environmentally just. We nurture everyday people’s leadership, regenerate culture, and build community power. We organize in San Francisco’s Mission, Excelsior and other southeast neighborhoods, & forge alliances to achieve transformational change.
Resources from Climate Ride help PODER put into practice people-powered solutions that are locally based, community led and environmentally just! – Jessie Fernandez, Bicis del Pueblo Coordinator
Learn more > podersf.org
On Instagram @podersf and @bicisdelpueblo
On Twitter @podersf
MISSION: Spokeland’s mission is to build knowledge, empowerment and self-reliance for members of the community and provide a safe and fun workspace for people of all ages, ethnicities and cultures, genders, sexual orientations and skill levels.
“Bicycle mechanics in the United States are 91.4% male and 70.1% white. To help make this group more representative, Spokeland provides a space with representative volunteer shifts, so that our bike shops can look like our communities. We teach a Mechanics Mentors course that champions inclusion and is taught by folx from diverse backgrounds. We are honored to receive the $5,000 Climate Ride grant. Spokeland will use these funds to sustain our cycling advocacy and bike mechanic education efforts for our Oakland community.” -Christopher Salam, Spokeland Board Member
Learn more > Spokeland.org
On Instagram: @spokelandcoop
On Twitter: @spokeland
MISSION: We build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling.
NICA is a mission-driven nonprofit that provides youth development experiences for middle and high school students by using mountain bikes as a character building tool. Our approach focuses on teaching life skills, not just bike skills. Students participate in multiple activities including team practices and group rides, planned adventure activities, competitive racing, and trail stewardship. Our approach also focuses on inclusivity, so there are no tryouts, and no one sits on the bench. NICA believes that everyone should have the opportunity to be part of a thriving cycling community, so we provide programmatic and financial resources to increase gender, racial, and economic diversity in our sport.
“Thank you to Climate Ride on behalf of all of us at NICA. We’re proud to be recognized by this grant as an organization working to increase access to cycling and the outdoors for traditionally denied communities. At NICA, we know how cycling impacts youth and their families. The challenge and adventure of cycling develops confidence, competence, and a deep sense of community and belonging. Females and people of color remain significantly underrepresented in NICA and in mountain biking more broadly. Our goal is to change that by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for underrepresented populations to join, stay, and thrive in NICA through focusing on recruitment, retention, and diversifying volunteer and coach leadership. We will be using this grant from Climate Ride to continue our work towards this goal so that every youth is empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community.” – Amanda Carey, President
“Thank you to Climate Ride on behalf of all of us at NICA. We’re proud to be recognized by this grant as an organization working to increase access to cycling and the outdoors for traditionally denied communities. At NICA, we know how cycling impacts youth and their families. The challenge and adventure of cycling develops confidence, competence, and a deep sense of community and belonging.
Females and people of color remain significantly underrepresented in NICA and in mountain biking more broadly. Our goal is to change that by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for underrepresented populations to join, stay, and thrive in NICA through focusing on recruitment, retention, and diversifying volunteer and coach leadership. We will be using this grant from Climate Ride to continue our work towards this goal so that every youth is empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community.” – Amanda Carey, President
Learn more > www.nationalmtb.org
On Instagram @nationalmtb
On Twitter @nationalmtb
On LinkedIn
Mission: The mission of Prime Ability is to build communities and inspire the lives of young people through fitness.
The amount of obstacles students go through each day in order to just walk into the door and attend school can be enormous. In many instances, staying focused, steadfast, and avoiding distractions in our environments can be tough when you’re struggling just to survive. No matter what happens in life, our abilities will always shine when we want them to. We just have to put the work in. Our stories are what make us ‘Prime’. We all have something to share with the world. See more Prime stories.
“Prime Ability is honored to receive the $5000 Climate Ride grant. Prime Ability will be using these funds to support our NICA mountain biking team this upcoming season (jerseys, shirts, shoes, bikes, travel expenses). We know that these funds will greatly help in bringing our program to the next level and we are ready to continue to impact students all throughout DC with the power of bikes. –Alex Clark, Founder
Help connect and amplify their work through social. Social Media Handles:
Twitter: @broadwayclark
Instagram @primeability
Learn more > https://www.stayprimeability.com/
Jump to Front and Centered, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Uplift Climate, Environmental Action Justice Grants.
Mission: Communities of color, people with lower incomes, and indigenous people are on the frontlines of climate and environmental change. We are hit first by extraction, pollution, and climate change, which makes existing health and economic disparities worse. Yet frontline communities are often left out of or are the last to be included in the transition to a healthy, resilient and sustainable future.
“Front and Centered is a uniquely formed statewide organization in Washington State, founded by communities of color organizations and leaders who share a sense of urgency about climate change and environmental justice. The coalition’s audacious vision is matched by its ambitious work, such that Front and Centered serves as a backup center for a growing coalition of member groups, providing capacity building, community grantmaking, and policy research analysis which altogether aim to accelerate the future for a Just Transition. This year, Front and Centered’s coalition mobilized with partners and allies to pass the most sweeping environmental justice legislation in the country, the Healthy Environment for All Act, creating an environmental justice council and setting the stage for institutional systems change aimed at ensuring equity and environmental justice in the review and development of state policies and resources of seven state agencies whose missions impact environmental health issues. This milestone example was the culmination of community listening sessions, where testimonials from people whose lived experiences from the frontlines and from black and brown communities were amplified to educate the need for inclusive and equitable solutions for practical everyday impact – where disparities in rates of asthma in neighborhoods become more real and understood as air quality problems and industrial pollution, when tied to statewide environmental health mapping. Thank you so much for this generous donation for 2022! The Climate Ride grant was so helpful in helping us with our community outreach, convenings, and our summit during such a difficult time of COVID last year. But, as we have been able to come out of the pandemic, we are seeing brighter days ahead. Many thanks for your generosity and making it possible for our coalition to face the climate challenge with determination AND joy!” – Aurora Martin, Co-Executive Director
“Front and Centered is a uniquely formed statewide organization in Washington State, founded by communities of color organizations and leaders who share a sense of urgency about climate change and environmental justice. The coalition’s audacious vision is matched by its ambitious work, such that Front and Centered serves as a backup center for a growing coalition of member groups, providing capacity building, community grantmaking, and policy research analysis which altogether aim to accelerate the future for a Just Transition.
This year, Front and Centered’s coalition mobilized with partners and allies to pass the most sweeping environmental justice legislation in the country, the Healthy Environment for All Act, creating an environmental justice council and setting the stage for institutional systems change aimed at ensuring equity and environmental justice in the review and development of state policies and resources of seven state agencies whose missions impact environmental health issues. This milestone example was the culmination of community listening sessions, where testimonials from people whose lived experiences from the frontlines and from black and brown communities were amplified to educate the need for inclusive and equitable solutions for practical everyday impact – where disparities in rates of asthma in neighborhoods become more real and understood as air quality problems and industrial pollution, when tied to statewide environmental health mapping.
Thank you so much for this generous donation for 2022! The Climate Ride grant was so helpful in helping us with our community outreach, convenings, and our summit during such a difficult time of COVID last year. But, as we have been able to come out of the pandemic, we are seeing brighter days ahead. Many thanks for your generosity and making it possible for our coalition to face the climate challenge with determination AND joy!” – Aurora Martin, Co-Executive Director
Twitter: @frontandcenterd (Note: This deliberately missing the e in “centered”)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontandcentered
Instagram @frontandcenteredwa
Learn more > https://frontandcentered.org/
Jump to Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Prime Ability, Uplift Climate, Environmental Action Justice Grants.
Mission: Louisiana Bucket Brigade is on a mission to end the petrochemical industry’s destruction of Louisiana. In Louisiana, pollution makes us sick. Greenhouse gas emissions are intensifying and accelerating climate change, storms, and coastal land loss. The oil and gas infrastructure damages our precious wetlands. And constant petrochemical industry expansion continues to wipe historic African American communities off the map. Our work supports grassroots action to create informed, sustainable communities free from industrial pollution. For more than 20 years, we’ve helped residents and community leaders amplify their voices and protect their health, their homes, and their way of life. By hastening the transition away from fossil fuels, we’re working to create a more livable state for everyone in Louisiana.
“Thank you for standing with Louisiana Bucket Brigade. For decades, the petrochemical industry has polluted our communities, with toxic chemicals and known carcinogens that register off the charts in air, water, and soil monitoring. Our state and local leaders approve these permits with impunity. It’s no coincidence these mega polluters build in Black neighborhoods. We’re fighting this injustice and our movement is stronger because of Climate Ride. Stay engaged, stay in touch!” –Anne Rolfes, Executive Director
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/labucketbrigade
Twitter – @labucketbrigade; @annerolfes
Insta – @labuckets
Learn more > https://labucketbrigade.org/
Jump to Front and Centered, Prime Ability, Uplift Climate, Environmental Action Justice Grants.
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