Grants in Action
REAL WORLD IMPACT
Our community fuels the environmental movement with new voices and an active citizenry willing to walk the walk and bike the bike.
With every event or independent challenge, we help turn your human-powered miles into tangible action, amping up our grantmaking game to over a million dollars granted each year. Since we kicked off in 2008, together, we’ve funneled critical funds to causes that bolster the future of our planet.
Climate Ride grants have resulted in direct support to help fight legal battles for public lands and clean air. We’ve amplified diverse voices in sustainable transportation and provided funds for organizations building safer options for bicyclists and walkers. Our grants have led to renewable energy projects in national parks, relieving pollution in critically impacted ecosystems.
Energizing our Beneficiary Network
Through this collective effort, Climate Ride has awarded grants to nearly 399 agents of change working in everything from climate action to conservation to pollution affecting public health. Below, we’re spotlighting some of our Climate Ride grants in action that are shaking things up. Get ready to be inspired.
Wild tomorrow
Mission
We face the extinction of one million species in our lifetimes. But there is still hope. The solution to the extinction crisis lies in the expansion of natural habitats in threatened wild places. We must enlarge and protect the spaces devoted to the natural world in order to save the amazing variety of life on our planet – called biodiversity.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $461,000
From Wild Tomorrow
“We have been blown away by Climate Ride and are so very excited about our partnership and all of their hard work to support environmental causes like ours.”
Wendy Hapgood
Co-founder & COO
Activities
Saving Wild Spaces | Wild Tomorrow Fund is working to protect, restore and re-wild a critically important wildlife corridor in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Helping Communities | Everyone must benefit from conserving wild spaces. This includes the people living in the poor rural communities that surround their protected areas.
Saving Wildlife | Helping wild animals in Southern Africa by creating wildlife corridors and providing supplies on the ground, supporting in-field conservation and research.
Successes
- To date they have secured over 3,200 acres of land that was at risk from development.
- Providing employment, training and education to surrounding communities. Training local women green skills and supporting them in creating businesses. Building a local school.
- Supporting scientists researching in areas of high biodiversity and endangered species.
Find them here: wildtomorrow.org
The Climate Center
Mission
Since 2001, The Climate Center has been a leader in making climate solutions a reality in California at speed and scale. They are a think-tank, do-tank working to turn bold ideas into action for a climate-safe future.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $431,134
Activities
Phasing Out Fossil Fuels | The Climate Center is creating a California free from the toxic impacts of fossil fuels. One where Californians power their homes and cars with clean energy, live in walkable communities and have access to clean public transport and bike-friendly streets.
Clean Energy | Advocating for California to invest in clean, distributed, resilient energy systems. By building distributed energy and storage, California can meet its energy needs with clean and reliable sources while creating hundreds of thousands of family-sustaining jobs.
Natural Carbon Sequestration | Supporting practices that draw down past climate pollution from the atmosphere through proper soil and vegetation management. This can happen on both our natural lands (forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, riverbeds, coastal areas, parks, and more), as well as our working lands (farms, ranches, and more). Projects that naturally sequester carbon include applying compost to soils, planting cover crops, planned grazing, urban greening, riverbed restoration, reforestation, and wetland preservation, among others.
Successes
- Ensuring most new electric vehicles sold in California have bidirectional charging by 2030 (SB 233, Skinner). These “batteries on wheels” can keep the lights on in our homes, help avoid blackouts, and make our electricity system more resilient, reliable, safe, and affordable.
- Establishing a bolder GHG emissions reduction goal for 2030 as the worsening climate crisis requires and that is more in line with other large economies such as the EU and the UK.
- Convening partner organizations to guide the establishment of ambitious goals for natural carbon sequestration per the law California passed last year.
- Developing a Fossil Fuel Managed Decline Roadmap for California to rapidly transition to a clean energy economy.
Find them here: theclimatecenter.org
Rich City Rides
Mission
- Create opportunities for the most vulnerable members of society by using cycling to improve health, economic stability, and individual and collective capacity.
- Increase cycling among all community members.
- Promote cycling as a social, sustainable, and green mode of transportation.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $35,075
From Rich City Rides
“RICH CITY Rides is pleased to join this year’s Climate Ride and garner support for our programs! We always ride further together.”
Najari Smith, Founding Executive Director
Activities
Bike Programming | Community Strava Club, Community Care Social Rides, Youth Bike Club, Bike Repair Workshops, Commuter Cyclist Program and more.
Everybody Rides Program | Provides refurbished bikes by request at no cost.
Successes
- Has gifted 3,269+ bikes to kids and adults in need.
- Engaged 32,901+ participants through family friendly activities and events.
- Held 800+ Bike Repair Workshops serving community members and rescuing bikes to redirect them back into the community.
- Offered a range of 1,401+ activities including bike rides, cleanups, hikes, and camping trips.
Find them here: richcityrides.org
Action for the Climate Emergency
Mission
Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE) has a mission to educate, inspire and support young people to lead the fight for their future. They ensure young people have everything they need to understand the science and advocate for solutions to the climate emergency.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $84,928
From ACE
“ACE is immensely grateful for the partnership of Climate Ride. Beyond contributing to our work to address the climate crisis, the Climate Ride team has played an instrumental role in connecting ACE to other leaders in the space, strengthening and supporting collaboration in the environmental movement. We are thrilled to partner with Climate Ride in the fight for our future!”
Ash Lauth, National Director of Campaigns
Activities
Climate Advocacy | ACE advocates for a world beyond fossil fuels—a world in which our leaders tell the truth, acknowledge the climate emergency and act at an emergency-level speed to stop it.
Action Team Network | While elected leaders bury their heads in the sand, ACE is organizing, building power, and demanding solutions that meet the scale of the problem. ACE Action Teams across the U.S. work together to create a powerful force to demand that our leaders act on the climate emergency right now.
Education and Storytelling | Young people have the right to know about the climate emergency and the opportunity to take action to stop it. Our award-winning collection of digital media, Our Climate Our Future, educates young people about the climate emergency and activates them into action.
Successes
- Our Climate Our Future, a digital media collection that increases youth knowledge, shifts attitudes and catalyze intent to take action.
- Running several campaigns to rally youth to take local and national action including: calling on local governments to declare a climate emergency, petitioning JP Morgan Chase to stop funding fossil fuels, stopping the Willow Project, and more.
- Registered more that 100,000 new youth voters across the US, with special emphasis in key electoral states.
Find them here: www.acespace.org
Climate One
Mission
Climate One from The Commonwealth Club is the premier platform for the conversation about the climate emergency. Through our podcast, national radio show and live convenings for thought leaders and concerned members of the public, we create opportunities for dialogue and inspire a more complete understanding of the current crisis.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $972,172
From Climate One
Cycling is more than just a way to get around. It’s a powerful tool that can promote a healthier planet, while also serving as a source of joy for individual riders. At Climate One, we are proud to share Climate Ride’s commitment to protecting the health of the planet. Their support of our program has been invaluable in driving the climate conversation forward, and we are deeply grateful for their partnership. We also want to thank the riders, whose dedication and passion inspire us all. We are honored to have them on our team.
Wency Shaida, Development Manager
Activities
Weekly Podcast | In our weekly podcast and public radio program, Climate One from The Commonwealth Club engages advocates, influencers and policymakers in empowering conversations that connect all aspects of the climate emergency the individual and the systemic, the scary and the exciting – to deepen your understanding of the most critical issue of our time.
Live Programming |Moderated by host Greg Dalton, Climate One’s live programs offer opportunities for candid and meaningful discussions with diverse voices, while also offering the opportunity to build connections and community with an engaged audience.
Stephen H. Schneider Award | Since 2011, Climate One has presented the Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication, which is an annual award for a prominent climate scientist with an outstanding record as a communicator and mentor.
Successes
- Weekly reach of 170,000 listeners through podcast and 70 public radio stations
- Awarded the Friend of the Planet Award by the National Center for Science and Education in 2022 for contributions to promoting climate science education
- Interviewed more than 1,000 experts working at the intersection of advocacy, policy, science and business.
- To ensure a variety of perspectives are included in the conversation, we prioritize diversity and inclusivity in our guest list. Currently, we are proud to report 35% of our speakers identify as BIPOC, which is a significant increase from just 18% in 2019. And that 51% of our guests identify as female.
Find them here: climateone.org
Glacier National Park Conservancy
Mission
The Glacier National Park Conservancy assures the Glacier National Park experience by providing support for preservation, education, and research through philanthropy and outreach.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $817,730
From GNPC
“Our partnership with Climate Ride has literally transformed Glacier National Park. In just the past couple of years, the contributions from Climate Riders funded the conversion of the Apgar Visitor Center to sustainable solar power, and fully funded the expansion of spring shuttle services to improve biker access to the iconic Going to the Sun Road. It’s truly incredible to see the combined power people brought together for passion and purpose.” -Doug Mitchell, Executive Director
Activities
Preservation | The Conservancy funds projects and programs that preserve Glacier’s heritage for future generations.
Education | The Conservancy funds education initiatives to engage current and future park stewards of all ages.
Research | The Conservancy supports world-class research and science exploring the park’s wildlife and alpine landscapes.
Successes
- Making the Apgar Visitor Center net zero by installing solar panels
- Running a Spring Hiker-Biker Shuttle on the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun road to reduce congestion from cars
- Surveying wildlife populations in the park such as lynx, golden eagles, and the reintroduction of bison to the park
Find them here: www.glacier.org.
Earthjustice
Mission
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $90,643
Activities
The Wild | Earthjustice uses the law to preserve a rich, sustainable and diverse natural heritage for current and future generations. They select cases that will protect endangered species, sensitive habitats and threatened wildlands, reduce human impacts on ecosystems, and hold accountable those who damage them.
Healthy Communities | Earthjustice has been at the forefront of safeguarding the fundamentals of human health—the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. They are fighting for a future where children can breathe clean air, no matter where they live, where the food we feed our families and the products we use in our homes are free of toxic chemicals, and where communities everywhere are safer, healthier places to live and work.
Climate and Energy | Earthjustice is committed to ending the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels and working to secure a clean energy future. Climate change is the single greatest environmental threat facing the world today. At stake is nothing less than our children’s—and our planet’s—future.
Successes
- Over 115 lawsuits against the Trump administration
- Employing a staff of 130 lawyers who work to defend the planet
- They secured the landmark 2014 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the EPA’s authority to limit carbon pollution
Find them here: www.earthjustice.org.
Bike LA
Mission
Bike LA (formerly The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition) is a membership-based nonprofit organization that works to make all communities in LA County healthy, safe, and fun places to ride a bike through advocacy, education, and outreach.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $437,834
Activities
Operation Firefly | Operation Firefly (Operacíon Luciérnaga) is an education and bike light distribution program of LACBC intended to make sure people riding bikes in LA County are riding safely at night.
Active Streets LA | ASLA co-powers communities through participatory planning to create safe walking and bicycling routes to parks, schools, and local businesses along their neighborhood streets.
Bike + Ped Count | The LA City Bike+Ped Count is the largest source of data on the numbers of people that walk and bike on Los Angeles streets. The data collected demonstrates year-over-year increases in the numbers of people biking and walking, particularly where the city has installed new and improved infrastructure.
Blue Line First/Last Mile | This pilot project aims to improve safety and access to each Blue Line station by engaging community members early in the planning process.
Bicycle Friendly Businesses | Bikes mean business! LACBC has teamed up with Business Partners to support businesses that support bicycling. Current LACBC members can show their membership card and save at business partners!
Successes
- 12,000 bike lights distributed
- L.A. streets are growing safer
- Reporting on biker and pedestrians in order to push the government into planning safer routes
Find them here: la-bike.org.
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Mission
The Alliance for the Great Lakes works to protect the Great Lakes for today and tomorrow.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $103,610
Activities
Adopt-a-Beach | For more than 25 years, Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have worked to keep Great Lakes shorelines healthy, safe, and beautiful.
Saving Lake Erie | Massive, bright green toxic algal blooms cover large parts of Lake Erie each summer. This is an unacceptable threat to drinking water for more than 11 million people. The Alliance for the Great Lakes works to regulate runoff pollution from large farms that cause this bloom.
Fighting Plastic Pollution | As plastic pollution breaks down in the Great Lakes, microscopic pieces of plastic are found in the lakes and even treated drinking water. We’re fighting for plastic-free water.
Successes
- Championed federal ban on microbeads in personal care products like face wash and toothpaste, preventing the tiny plastic particles from entering the Great Lakes
- Won a historic cleanup goal for Lake Erie, which is plagued each year by toxic algal blooms, when the governors of Ohio and Michigan joined the premier of Ontario to commit to a 40% reduction in nutrients into the lake by 2025
- Involved nearly 15,000 volunteers in the Adopt-a-Beach program in 2017, cleaning up beaches, collecting valuable data, and building pride in the Great Lakes
Find them here: greatlakes.org.
Citizens Climate Lobby
Mission
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $192,927
Activities
Engaging Citizens | With over 400 local chapters, CCL empowers everyday people to work together on climate change solutions. Together they are building support in Congress for a national bipartisan solution to climate change.
Climate Advocate Training and Education | CCL trains supporters how to make meaningful contributions every day that drive Climate Action forward, whether by building relationships with their members of Congress, local businesses, or media. CCL provides training and tools to help them maximize their skills.
Creating Political Will for Climate Action | Their consistently respectful, nonpartisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations. By building upon shared values rather than partisan divides, and empowering CCL supporters to work in keeping with the concerns of their local communities, CCL works towards the adoption of fair, effective, and sustainable climate change solutions.
Successes
- Researching and drafting effective legislation that has bipartisan appeal like H.R. 7173, a bill to drive down carbon pollution in the United States
- Successfully lobbying for CCL’s carbon fee and dividend legislation to price carbon and emissions in Canada beginning in 2019
- Raising climate awareness around the world by creating chapters, offering education, resources for lobbying, and channels to media
Find them here: citizensclimatelobby.org.
350.org
Mission
350.org is building the global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to science and justice.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $357,552
From 350
“Climate Ride is a long-time partner of 350.org‘s grassroots work fighting the climate crisis. Their grant helps us keep fossil fuels in the ground, divest trillions from the fossil fuel industry, and empowers our organizing. 350.org is lucky to have passionate climate riders and hikers like you with us in this fight.” – May Boeve, Executive Director.
Activities
Online Campaigns | 350.org distributes online resources in the form of organizing and training workshops and education, videos, education materials, memes, images, and other media to encourage people to: 1) keep carbon in the ground; 2) help build a new, more equitable low-carbon economy; and 3) pressure governments into limiting emissions.
Grassroots Organizing | 350.org has created local groups around the globe in over 188 countries who work in coordination with one another to create demonstrations and international days of action.
Mass Public Actions | 350.org acknowledges that world leaders are incapable of solving climate change on their own. They create opportunities for supporters to get out in the streets and make their voices heard — that is how they demonstrate our power as a movement, and that is how they force governments to make the right decisions.
Successes
- Rallying thousands of people to stop one of Germany’s largest coal mines for a day
- Shifting the conversation on climate change in the United States so that the conservative position is crowded out and liberal and radical solutions of divestment, clean energy subsidies, and alternative solutions become centered
- Organizing the People’s Climate Match which brought together 200,000 people and created 7.6 million social media impressions
Find them here: 350.org.
Beyond Fistula
Mission
Beyond Fistula is a non-profit charity that helps women and girls in Africa who have recently undergone surgical repair for fistulas. Donating to our organization helps these women get an education and training in order reintegrate into society.
Climate Ride Grant: $21,232
Activities
Scholarship Fund | A scholarship program that provides funds for young fistula survivors to return to primary or secondary school. Donations help these girls and women, who were previously outcasts, get an education and reconnect with others their age.
Vocational Program | Provides fistula survivors with vocational training in their choice of tailoring, hairdressing, catering, computer skills, farming, and business. These skills help them become financially stable or even financially independent in the future, hugely assisting them in reintegrating with their communities as respected and contributing citizens.
Production Program | Borne out of the tailoring vocational program, the production program provides fistula survivors the opportunity to learn a new skill, gain self-confidence, and earn a fair trade income by making and selling tote bags and other handmade items in an emotionally supported environment. Each woman is paid directly for her products, supporting a fair trade practice.
Permaculture Farm | We give women a farm skills seminar to teach sustainable farming techniques. These techniques show how to use the land to fertilize itself (chop and drop) and how to prevent erosion of nutrients by using ground cover. We teach improved planting techniques and skills to improve their crop yield.
Successes
- Supporting dozens of women financially as they attended boarding school
- Providing a fair trade market for handmade products by fistula survivors
- Creating a permaculture farm where women can live and heal among other survivors while gaining valuable farming skills
Find them here: beyondfistula.org.
Bike East Bay
Mission
Bike East Bay promotes healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safe, fun and accessible. They improve cycling through advocacy, education, and fun events.
Because of Bike East Bay, the East Bay is a leader for innovative and accessible bikeways and streets that meet the needs of all users. They ensure cycling stays a mainstream, comfortable and safe choice for people of all cultures, ages, abilities, and backgrounds and that bicycles are well integrated into the transportation system and are a key part of thriving communities.
Total Climate Ride Grant: $250,460
From Bike East Bay
“Climate Riders are the ultimate active activists: building community and fundraising for a better future. Bike East Bay is grateful and inspired by the Climate Ride team who fundraise for streets that put people first: your support makes a better future possible!” -Eileen Rice Communications Director
Activities
Advocacy | Increase the number and diversity of people biking.
Education | Overcome barriers to bicycling via programs educating all road users.
Community Engagement | Build strong and collaborative relationships with representation from all East Bay communities.
Successes
- Helping to ensure that the bike-share system in the East Bay serves all residents of the East Bay regardless of race, gender, class, or income
- Along with creating and advocating for bike infrastructure across the East Bay, Bike East Bay fought relentlessly for the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to have a bike and pedestrian path that opened in 2019
- Creating protected bike lane networks through nine cities across the East Bay
- Helping to create the Lakeside Cycletrack
Find them here: www.bikeeastbay.org.
