Justice & Access Grants
Nominations for 2025 are open!
FUNDING CHANGE-MAKERS
Climate Ride created this grants program to support organizations fighting systemic racism, expanding access to the outdoors for underserved communities, and making progress on environmental and social justice. So far we’ve granted $160,000 and we’re nowhere near hitting the brakes!
all thanks to you!
These grants aren’t from some mystery benefactor—they’re powered by our community. This program is made possible through the incredible efforts of participants and donors who support the Climate Ride cause on our events and through our Annual Fund. Our goal is to continue to grow these grants moving forward.
Our 2024 Grantees are:
For Environmental Justice:
Black Girl Environmentalist
Amazon Frontlines
Cafeteria Culture
Brightline Defense
For Access and Active Transportation:
We granted these organizations $40,000 in total through eight $5,000 grants.
Want to learn more about these boundary-pushers?
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.
WHERE WE STARTED
Rewind to 2021— we saw an opportunity to support important work that was underfunded, overlooked, underrepresented, or just getting started. These grants came alive to back work on systemic racism and environmental justice. Picked from a pool of over 50 nominees, this program kicked off to support trailblazers like Front and Centered, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Prime Ability, and Uplift Climate. Each group received a grant for $5,000.
In 2022, we turned up the heat and increased our grant output to support even more incredible organizations. We doubled the number of organizations to receive these grants and created two award categories – 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. Chosen from over 100 nominations, we granted $5,000 to eight recipient organizations. We also renewed the grants for each of the 2021 grantees, bringing our 2022 distribution to $60,000.
For 2023 and again in 2024, we granted $40,000 in $5,000 grants to eight incredible organizations.
To date, the program has granted $160K!
2025 AND BEYOND
Heads up! Nominations are open for 2025, and we’ll be announcing the winners in November!
This year, we’re again launching eight power-packed $5,000 grants totaling $40,000, split between Environmental Justice advocates and groups making the Great Outdoors even greater for all.
HOW WE PICK
Our selection’s as grassroots as it gets. Nominations flow in from you, the Climate Ride community, and a panel sorts them through ranked-choice voting. Extra props go to organizations run by BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and the women who are changing the game.
Grants are awarded in the fall of each year.
Environmental Justice and Access Grantees
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Brightline Defense
Mission: The Brightline team blends public policy advocacy and on-the-ground partnerships to promote sustainability and opportunity in frontline communities. Our work at the nexus of environmental justice, workforce development, and clean energy has kept power plants – and their pollutants – out of low-income communities, created hundreds of local jobs to benefit underserved communities, and…
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Amazon Frontlines
ABOVE: Amazon Frontlines co-founders Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson (who both loved speaking at the Wine Country Ride this summer) alongside Indigenous leaders from our partner organization Alianza Ceibo (Ceibo Alliance), including Jairo Irumenga (Waorani), Hernan Payaguaje (Siekopai), Alexandra Narvaez (A’i Kofan), Alex Lucitante (A’i Kofan), Alicia Salazar (Siona). Mission: Amazon Frontlines builds political and…
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Black Girl Environmentalist
Mission: Black Girl Environmentalist is a national organization dedicated to addressing the pathway and retention issue in the climate movement for Black girls, women and gender-expansive people. “Black Girl Environmentalist is honored to receive Climate Ride’s Environmental Justice Action Grant. As a growing women of color-led environmental group, this funding will support the work of…
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Cafeteria Culture
In the heart of New York City, a remarkable organization is transforming school cafeterias into hubs for climate action and environmental education. Cafeteria Culture (CafCu), a BIPOC, woman-led initiative, is empowering students to tackle plastic pollution and food waste, one cafeteria at a time. Thanks to Climate Ride’s Environmental Justice Grant, CafCu is scaling its…
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Spokeland
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. “We are deeply grateful to Climate Ride for your ongoing support. You have enabled us to serve low-income communities…
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Free Cycles
ABOVE: 150 bike riders participated in the annual Free Cycles Tweed Ride. Rides and social events are an important part of the Free Cycles model for systemic change. Mission: The goal of Free Cycles is to help Western Montana transition to a sustainable transportation system while simultaneously setting a strong example for other places. Free…
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I Challenge Myself
Mission: I Challenge Myself provides opportunities for underserved youth to strengthen their minds, bodies and spirits through school-based cycling, fitness, and social-emotional programs. ICM students achieve increased confidence, agency, and collaboration by achieving personal end-of-year goals such as a 100-bike ride or a completed civic engagement project. “The Environmental Justice grant will help I Challenge…
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Prime Ability
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…
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Native Seeds SEARCH
MISSION: Native Seeds/SEARCH seeks to find, protect and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world. “The grant from Climate Ride will help conserve heirloom seeds of the Southwest and ensure they are grown and shared with farmers…
