by Rachel Ayotte | Apr 8, 2024 | Article
Every year, millions of people around the globe celebrate Earth Day, a day dedicated to acknowledging and rallying around environmental activism.
Leading organisations dedicated to conservation, green technology and sustainabily are celebrated and elevated — usually with donations and support from their communities.
Like any subset of the philanthropic sector, environmental and climate change justice organisations are subject to the ebbs and flows of giving trends.
This year—a year that was the warmest on record—climate change has become an even more pressing issue. Given this, worldwide support for environmental activism has increased tenfold, with environmental charities receiving an almost 10% increase in donations in the past year (to $11.83 billion).
In order to capitalise on the increased interest in environmental activism, agencies working for climate justice should lean into what matters to donors and the public as a whole.
Donors want to fund organisations that are working toward long-term solutions for climate justice and climate change. In fact, in 2022, clean energy programs received US$380 million — funding that helped organisations like The International Energy Agency add about 440 gigawatts of renewable capacity, more than all of the electric capacity of Germany and Spain combined.
For nonprofits approaching Earth Day, these statistics offer crucial insight into potential giving for 2024. Donors are likely to be incentivised to give to nonprofits dedicated to advancing renewable energy initiatives and have past evidence of impact in the space. Donors are interested in giving to organisations that have tangible “solutions” for combating climate change and creating more sustainability.
As the world population expands—and industrialism along with it—environmental conservation and biodiversity protection have become a glaring focus. As humankind leaves more of its mark, nature has suffered: between 1970 and 2020, populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians decreased by an average of 68%.
This Earth Day, donors will most likely be eager to give to organisations that support these efforts and aim to protect natural wildlife and land — much like the nine organisations that have pledged $5 billion to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and waters by 2030.
While it’s probably no surprise to any seasoned changemaker, one of the biggest environmental awareness trends is all about social media. Supporters, especially younger ones, like those considered a part of Gen-Z—a generation that’s incredibly outspoken about environmental activism—are more likely to participate in online activism, like peer-to-peer giving, that takes place on platforms like TikTok or Instagram.
According to TikTok reports, the platform has become one of the leading places for young people to engage in climate conversations, ranging from sustainable lifestyles (#Thrifting and #Upcycling) to climate awareness and education (#NatureLover).
This year, climate justice organisations should consider taking advantage of this fruitful audience and spark conversation online and encourage giving there.
New studies show that trust in the nonprofit sector has decreased significantly, especially when it comes to larger nonprofit organisations. In response, donors have put more trust in
grassroots initiatives and smaller, community-based projects. By giving to local, smaller institutions, donors are often given more transparency into how their dollars are being spent. Instead of donating to larger nonprofits, which can make a donor’s dollars feel farther removed from the community in need, grassroots initiatives often provide better visibility.
For grassroots initiatives, this is an exciting opportunity. As Earth Day approaches, community-based programs should bolster their transparency efforts, providing detailed information about how and where money will be spent.
Another pressing giving trend that will continue to remain steady in 2024 is ethical consumerism: more and more people are looking to purchase products from companies that give back to the environment (like Patagonia, for example).
According to Deloitte, Gen-Z is adopting more sustainable behaviors than any other group: 50% reduced how much they buy and 45% stopped purchasing certain brands because of sustainability or ethics concerns.
Here’s how nonprofits can use this to their advantage: capitalise on consumer culture by opening an online shop and selling merchandise where 100% of proceeds go toward your cause.
No matter what kind of environmental or climate change organisation you run, there are plenty of Earth Day giving trends to be aware of and act on. Whether environmental activism is just one part of your mission or the focal point of your operation, it’s essential nonprofits make eco-conscious decisions about their impact on the environment.
By using eco-friendly technology like Good Grants, any nonprofit, grantmaker or foundation can assure their stakeholders that they are committed to making the world a more sustainable place for everyone.
Using green practices, like eco-friendly grantmaking, you’ll assure supporters of your dedication — and bring in more donations than ever before.
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