'Climate Champions' Mark Ruffalo, Adam McKay, Christiana Figueres and Zamzam Ibrahim unite with Benevity to boost support for climate-related nonprofits
- According to Benevity data, climate-related nonprofits received only 3.2% of all donations in 2021, despite the climate emergency
- Benevity commits up to $1 million in matching funds to help people “invest in the planet”
CALGARY, Alberta – April 21, 2022 – Benevity, Inc., a leading provider of global corporate purpose software, today announced it is bringing together some of the world’s most high-profile and passionate advocates for sustainability and climate justice to boost support for climate-related nonprofits. As part of the campaign, Mark Ruffalo, Emmy®-winning actor, advocate and co-founder of The Solutions Project and Christiana Figueres, co-host of the climate podcast, Outrage+Optimism and former Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention, are sharing their personalized lists of high-impact climate nonprofits, and encouraging others to invest in environmental causes through donations.
The initiative supports the Earth Day 2022 theme, “invest in our planet” and focuses on the power of charitable giving as a way to address environmental issues and support nonprofits in mitigating the climate crisis to help preserve and protect the health of the planet and humankind.
Even as climate change remains the "single biggest health threat facing humanity”, affecting all social and environmental determinants – from clean air, to safe drinking water, sufficient food and safe shelter – Benevity’s own data shows that in 2021 only a small fraction of philanthropy was directed at addressing climate-related issues. Of a total $2.3 billion in donations through the Benevity platform in 2021, environmental and ecological causes received only 3.2% of all contributions, amounting to $72 million. Of the funds donated, 41% came from donations made by individuals and 59% from corporate direct funding or matching. These numbers highlight a significant opportunity for both corporate and citizen philanthropy to be used as a way to mitigate climate change and disasters, while protecting our planet through conservation and advocacy.
To further encourage investment in the planet, Benevity and its majority owner have committed $1 million in matching funds for campaigns focused on climate action. The matching amounts are being donated by Hg, a leading software and services investor, and its partners. For every dollar donated from the public via Benevity’s Community Impact Portal to this campaign, Benevity will add another dollar, up to $250,000 until May 6. Benevity is partnering with non-profits and its growing community of 850+ corporate clients to leverage employee and customer giving as a powerful way of activating their ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives throughout the year. Details on Climate Champions and donating can be found here.
Joining Mark Ruffalo and Christiana Figueres are Adam McKay, Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer, most recently of the film, “Don’t Look Up,” and a vocal advocate for urgent, collective climate action, and Zamzam Ibrahim, Vice President of the European Students Union, co-founder of Students Organising for Sustainability UK and a leading voice in Europe on tackling climate and racial injustice. Each of the climate champions have curated a personalized giving list of high-impact climate organizations working on everything from climate change mitigation to climate justice, conservation and Indigenous land rights. In total, up to 20 organizations will benefit from this initiative.
“Making donations to environmentally focused nonprofits is often overlooked as a way of mitigating the severe impacts of climate change and injustice. And yet, it is an incredibly effective way of supporting organizations on the ground protecting our land and water, providing food sustainability, supporting wildlife, driving health equity, conducting research, advocating for changes in policy and regulations, and more,” said Sona Khosla, Benevity Chief Impact Officer. “Working with like-minded climate champions like Christiana, Mark, Adam and Zamzam, ensures that companies and their people have more opportunities to support trusted organizations and communities working on the frontlines to save our planet.”
Making donations to environmentally focused nonprofits is often overlooked as a way of mitigating the severe impacts of climate change and injustice.
— Sona Khosla, Benevity Chief Impact Officer
“We have all seen the stark warnings coming from the scientific community on climate change and we must act to protect our environment,” said Nic Humphries, Senior Partner at Hg. “Donations are a crucial way that we can support the essential work of NGOs in tackling the climate crisis and supporting the people and landscapes devastated by its consequences. I’m proud to be supporting this great initiative to raise money for these important causes as well as raising awareness of the importance of investing in our planet.”
Supporting quotes
“Black, Indigenous and other communities of color across the United States and Turtle Island are on the frontlines of the climate crisis and organizing campaigns, developing local economies, and showing what's possible for people and the planet when we invest at the forefront of climate justice. Let's create the future we want, together by rapidly scaling resources for communities that today receive less than 1.5% of climate philanthropy despite being the most effective path to an equitable, sustainable world.”
- Mark Ruffalo, Emmy®-winning actor, advocate and co-founder of The Solutions Project
“It is now time to put everything on the table – from simple to complex, from individual to systemic. This is an everyone-everywhere mission, we all have a role to play.”
- Christiana Figueres, co-host of the climate podcast, Outrage+Optimism and former Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention
“It’s great to be a part of this initiative in which Benevity is supporting and promoting climate NGOs. In addition to demanding that our governments do more for the most pressing issue we’ve ever known, we must encourage more people, companies and philanthropists to get behind climate scientists, activists and organizations to ensure we do the urgent work needed to save the planet from a truly catastrophic crisis.”
- Adam McKay, Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer whose most recent work includes “Don’t Look Up,” a metaphorical comedy about humanity’s response to the climate crisis
“The climate crisis is not pending, it is here. All the charities I have selected are grassroot, they recognize the solution is a collective one. They highlight systemic inequalities that exist and the disparities from community to community. Climate justice is based in understanding and recognizing that to build a future that is just and sustainable you need to bring everyone along on that vision.”
- Zamzam Ibrahim, Vice President of the European Students Union, co-founder of Students Organising for Sustainability UK and a leading voice in Europe on tackling climate and racial injustice.
About Benevity
Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is a leader in global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $8 billion in donations and 43 million hours of volunteering time to support 326,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 530,000 positive actions and awarded 1.2 million grants worth $12 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com.
Media Contact:
Lauren Stewart │ Senior Manager Public Relations │ 1.403.560.6968 │ press@benevity.com