Blueland Guide To Environmental Non-Profits

Written by Natalie Henderson, Marketing Associate @Blueland
Published: December 1, 2020
Updated: April 11, 2025

As we enter the season of giving, you might be on the lookout for organizations that are helping the planet. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite organizations that are helping keep our planet clean and healthy. Any donation, big or small helps these organizations continue doing their great work! Plus, making a donation in the name of a friend or family member is a great zero-waste gift!

Organizations Protecting Land and Biodiversity

• Trust For Public Land: The Trust For Public Land works to create parks and protect land for all to enjoy access to outdoor spaces. The Trust For Public Land has been working for over 50 years to increase community access to public outdoor spaces.

• One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is an environmental charity aimed to make it easier for businesses and individuals to contribute toward protection and conservation of the environment by planting trees. For every $1 donation, they plant 1 tree, helping reforest areas in North America, South America, Asia and Africa.

• National Wildlife Federation: For over 80 years, the National Wildlife Federation has been working to protect wildlife in the U.S. In their words, “Through habitat protection, restoration, and management, our far-reaching impact has brought numerous species back from the brink of extinction, including eagles, deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and whales. Yet in our rapidly changing world, our nation’s wildlife continue to be faced with critical challenges.”

• National Parks Conservation Association: The National Parks Conservation Association has spent over 100 years protecting and conserving National parks. In their words, “With nearly 1.4 million members and supporters beside us, we are the voice of America’s national parks, working to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for present and future generations. We celebrate the parks — and work tirelessly to defend them — whether on the ground, in the courtroom or on Capitol Hill.”

Organizations Cleaning Up Our Oceans

• Oceana works to conserve and restore our world’s oceans. Oceana focuses on implementing policy changes that will help protect our oceans and maintain the diversity of the ocean ecosystems. One of Oceana’s most popular initiatives is “Save the Ocean, Feed the World”. This campaign is focused on protecting and restoring ocean biodiversity. If the oceans are restored, 1 billion people could be fed fish from our oceans!

• Lonely Whale: Lonely Whale is dedicated to driving awareness about ocean pollution and how human behavior contributes to ocean pollution. Lonely Whale works to show individual consumers how they can help change their habits to keep the ocean clean. Some of their campaigns include #StopSucking, Strawless in Seattle and Question How You Hydrate. The first two campaigns focused on single-use plastic straws.

• Parley for the Oceans: Parley for the Oceans is dedicated to raising awareness around plastic pollution in our oceans. Parley has created a community and a space where artists, leaders, businesses and more can come together to raise awareness about pollution in our oceans, and help drive solutions to the pollution problem. Parley is working to change consumer behavior and drive consumers toward more sustainable options that can help keep our oceans clean.

• 5 Gyres Institute: The 5 Gyres Institute was founded in 2009 by Anna Cummins and Marcus Erikson. The two are committed to helping solve the problems with ocean pollution through research and raising awareness. The 5 Gyres Institute is named after the five subtropical gyres in the ocean. Gyres are currents and wind patterns that create circular water patterns. Plastic and other trash gets caught in the 5 gyres, and creates what is referred to as plastic soup.

Read more about these organizations and other organizations helping keep our oceans clean here.

Organizations Advocating For the Planet

• Environmental Defense Fund: Since the 1960’s, EDF has been leveraging science and scientists to promote change for the environment. Their advocacy started with working to ban DDT. Since then, they’ve grown their mission and advocate for policies that will protect the planet.

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest environmental organizations in the U.S., the Sierra Club has been advocating for the protection of land, parks, waterways and more since 1892. The Sierra Club is focused on protecting lands and advocating for policies to help slow the effects of climate change.

• Sunrise Movement: “The Sunrise Movement is a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. We’re building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.”

• National Resource Defense Council: NRDC is working to ensure the right to clean air and clean water and healthy communities for all people. They work on solutions to climate change, clean air, clean water, food access, and clean oceans, and many other areas related to protecting people and the planet.

There are so many amazing organizations that are helping keep our planet clean, protect our planet for the future, and advocate for climate policies. This giving Tuesday, consider a donation that will help protect our planet!