Justice & Access Grants
FUNDING CHANGE-MAKERS
Climate Ride created this action grants program to support organizations expanding outdoor access for all, getting more kids on bikes, and defending communities hit hardest by pollution. Since this program began in 2021, we’ve donated 200K to future-forward organizations!
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 2025 Grantees are:
For Environmental Justice:
Indigenous Environmental Network
Native Americans in Higher Education and Mentorship
PODER!
Intersectional Environmentalist
For Access and Active Transportation:
Outdoorithm Collective
Street Lab
Black Outside, Inc
Slow Spokes
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 grantee 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. 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, 2024 and again in 2025, we granted $40,000 in $5,000 grants to eight incredible organizations.
To date, the program has granted $200K!
ACCESS TO THE OUTDOORS FOR ALL
“The generous support from Climate Ride will support Black Outside, Inc first journey bikepacking journey on the underground railroad, following the footsteps of Harriet Tubman and exploring our roots and connection to nature, history, and adventure.”
-Alex Bailey, Executive Director of Black Outside
SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
“With the support of Climate Ride, we will honor the legacy of our elders by nurturing and expanding our Teaching Garden. These funds will help us grow more traditional foods and medicines, host workshops for youth and families, and ensure that cultural knowledge continues to flourish. We are planting seeds that will feed generations, strengthen community, and nurture a future where Indigenous knowledge, healing, and land tending continue to guide the path forward.”
-Muriel Dudleu, Indigenous Environmental Network
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.
Justice and Access Grantees
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Slow Spokes
Mission: As Missoula, Montana’s gender-expansive bikepacking group, Slow Spokes provides resources, community, and experiences for non-binary, trans, gender-expansive, and women riders of all abilities to have safe, confident, barrier-free fun bikepacking in the Missoula area. “Slow Spokes is profoundly appreciative of Climate Ride for awarding us an Environmental Justice Access Grant. We believe that bikepacking is a…
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Street Lab
Mission: Street Lab is a nonprofit that transforms streets and public spaces across New York City into places that improve lives, strengthen neighborhoods, and bring New Yorkers together. We use a pop-up approach to do this, relying on custom physical designs to create innovative places for reading, play, creativity, and more. Funds from the Climate…
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Outdoorithm Collective
Mission: Outdoorithm Collective transforms access to public lands by creating supportive, culturally relevant camping experiences and community networks that empower urban families to build lasting outdoor traditions. “Leave anyway. Camp as it comes. Nobody solos. Dirt don’t hurt. Take up space. For Outdoorithm Collective, these aren’t just mantras – they’re invitations to a movement where BIPOC families are discovering that public…
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Indigenous Environmental Network
Mission: Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) began with a circle of elders and organizers who knew that protecting the land was not just political work, it was sacred work. Since 1990, we have grown into a movement that stretches across Turtle Island, rooted in the teachings of our ancestors and the leadership of Indigenous communities on…
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Black Outside, Inc.
Mission: Black Outside, Inc. is on a mission to reconnect Black/African-American youth and families to the healing power of the outdoors. At Black Outside, Inc, we believe every young person deserves to experience the wonder and transformative power of nature. From witnessing the rush of a waterfall to standing atop their first mountain peak, we…
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NAHEM
Mission: Native Americans in Higher Education and Mentorship (NAHEM) is a national, Native women-owned organization driving the cultural resilience and self-determination of Indigenous peoples globally. We achieve our mission through a proven, grassroots service model, delivered nationally and reinforced by vital localized programs in Northern California and Seattle, Washington, focusing on education, mentorship, and cultural…
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PODER!
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…
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Intersectional Environmentalist
Mission: IE is committed to developing and improving transparency and reciprocity with our community and partners in an effort to co-create meaningful impact for people + planet. Our commitment to shifting the narrative of environmental storytelling to center diversity and joy will continue to be rooted in the values of the environmental justice movement and…
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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…
