PLANET IMPACT FUND

Invest in our planet’s future

The 1% for the Planet® Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust combines the power of philanthropy with a robust portfolio of environmentally-focused investments to support nature-based solutions and other vital strategies for our planet and future generations.
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What is the Planet Impact Fund?

The 1% for the Planet® Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust is a collaborative fund where every dollar is invested or granted for maximum positive impact for the planet and people.

When you donate to the Planet Impact Fund, you join a global community of philanthropists
and changemakers committed to supporting the solutions we need—today and for the long-term.

All donations to the Planet Impact Fund drive outsized impact in two ways:

  1. Targeted philanthropic grantmaking
  2. Impact investing
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How does it work?

When you donate to the Planet Impact Fund, your gift will simultaneously resource nonprofits addressing today’s urgent environmental issues and power investments that build a healthy, sustainable world.

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Each year, an estimated 10% of the Planet Impact Fund will be granted to leading environmental nonprofits. Learn about past recipients.
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All donors will receive annual impact reports. At any level of giving, your dollars will be working hard for the planet and people. You will also be part of a global community that is mobilizing thousands of donors, organizations and companies around the world through a powerful, impact-first collective giving model.

Impact framework

The Planet Impact Fund supports vetted environmental organizations working around the world to achieve positive, measurable outcomes for people and the planet in four impact areas:

  • Rights to Nature
  • Conservation & Restoration
  • Resilient Communities
  • Just Economies
amazont frontlines-led protest for rights to nature

Rights to Nature

Impact targets include:

  • Land and water rights secured for Indigenous people, women and small-scale farmers
  • Renewable energy access increased through policy, research, infrastructure and technology development.
sunset over a bay with sea birds

Conservation & Restoration

Sample outcomes include:

  • Terrestrial ecosystems conserved and restored, including degraded forests, grasslands deserts, tundras and their soil.
  • Freshwater ecosystems conserved and restored, including rivers, streams and wetlands.
a group of people thrashing quinoa

Resilient Communities

Sample outcomes include:

  • Climate adaptation strengthened through holistic and inclusive disaster risk and mitigation policies and programs.
  • ‍Toxics and pollution reduced, including hazardous chemicals and contamination in air, water and soil.
solar sister employees holding up solar lights

Just Economies

Sample outcomes include:

  • Sustainable agriculture advance through practices that maintain ecosystems, improve climate adaptation and restore soil quality.
  • Decarbonization achieved through policy, subside elimintaion, ofsetting and other strategies

Dual-impact strategy

The Planet Impact Fund annually disburses approximately 10% of total assets to vetted environmental nonprofits. This strategic grantmaking is guided by our impact areas and the principles of trust-based philanthropy.

We designed the investment portfolio to seek returns. All returns will be used to drive further investments and grants into innovative environmental solutions—today and into the future.

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Meet the Planet Impact Fund environmental partners

The Planet Impact Fund has selected six Environmental Partners to support in its first year. Representing a broad range of global environmental solutions, all six address climate change, align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and are deeply committed to environmental justice.
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amazon defenders looking through a camera in the forest

Amazon Frontlines

drives impact by building power with Indigenous peoples in the Upper Amazon to defend their way of life, the rainforest and the climate.

Through a battle-tested partnership model, they support Indigenous Nations to remain effective guardians of their territories and develop alternatives to rampant deforestation and resource extraction.
environmental activists in front of a government building in a group photo

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

drives impact by helping communities speak out for clean air, clean water and a healthy planet.
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Through a global alliance of attorneys and scientists, ELAW shares strategies across borders to defend human rights and protect our global environment.
a group of women working on a farm

Groundswell International

drives impact by working with smallholder farmers, particularly marginalized women, to create healthy farming and food systems from the ground up.

‍They address the root causes of food insecurity, environmental degradation, climate change and economic vulnerability—catalyzing the transition to regenerative, just farming.
a river flowing through a valley

Indigenous Environmental Network

drives impact by protecting the sacredness of Mother Earth by respecting and strengthening Indigenous traditional knowledge and Natural Law.
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‍They work with grassroots Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations to seek environmental and economic justice.
solar sister members working

Solar Sister

drives impact by investing in women’s clean energy businesses in off-grid communities in Africa.
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They eradicate extreme energy poverty by empowering African women with economic opportunity, providing essential services and training that enable women entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.
a city on an ocean shore

Urban Ocean Lab

drives impact by cultivating rigorous, creative, equitable and practical climate and ocean policy for the future of coastal cities.
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Using a "people first" approach to designing more equitable policy, they support coastal cities in better addressing the climate crisis, building more healthy and resilient communities.

Meet the Planet Impact Fund Environmental Partners

amazon defenders looking through a camera in the forest

Amazon Frontlines

drives impact by building power with Indigenous peoples in the Upper Amazon to defend their way of life, the rainforest and the climate.
‍
Through a battle-tested partnership model, they support Indigenous Nations to remain effective guardians of their territories and develop alternatives to rampant deforestation and resource extraction.
environmental activists in front of a government building in a group photo

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

drives impact by helping communities speak out for clean air, clean water and a healthy planet.

Through a global alliance of attorneys and scientists, ELAW shares strategies across borders to defend human rights and protect our global environment.
a group of women working on a farm

Groundswell International

drives impact by working with smallholder farmers, particularly marginalized women, to create healthy farming and food systems from the ground up.

They address the root causes of food insecurity, environmental degradation, climate change and economic vulnerability—catalyzing the transition to regenerative, just farming.
a river flowing through a valley

Indigenous Environmental Network

drives impact by protecting the sacredness of Mother Earth by respecting and strengthening Indigenous traditional knowledge and Natural Law.
‍
They work with grassroots Indigenous communities and Tribal Nations to seek environmental and economic justice.
solar sister members working

Solar Sister

drives impact by investing in women’s clean energy businesses in off-grid communities in Africa.

They eradicate extreme energy poverty by empowering African women with economic opportunity, providing essential services and training that enable women entrepreneurs to build sustainable businesses.
a city on an ocean shore

Urban Ocean Lab

drives impact by cultivating rigorous, creative, equitable and practical climate and ocean policy for the future of coastal cities.

Using a "people first" approach to designing more equitable policy, they support coastal cities in better addressing the climate crisis, building more healthy and resilient communities.
The Planet Impact Fund has selected six Environmental Partners to support in its first year. Representing a broad range of global environmental solutions, all six address climate change, align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and are deeply committed to environmental justice.
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FAQs

How do I participate in the Planet Impact Fund?
The scale and urgency of the environmental challenges we face are monumental. These challenges—including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and land degradation—are interlinked and exceedingly complex. Importantly, solutions not only exist, they are being implemented around the world by communities, organizations, companies and governments. With time running short to avoid irreversible impacts, it is imperative that we invest in nature-based solutions, greenhouse gas reduction and environmental justice to drive change at scale—quickly, and for the long-term. The Planet Impact Fund is an innovative solution working to ensure that funding flows to organizations and companies at the forefront of addressing environmental challenges.

1% for the Planet is collaborating with National Philanthropic Trust and CapShift to bring the Planet Impact Fund to donors. Each partner is contributing their years of experience and specific expertise:

Founded in 1996, National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) is the largest national, independent public charity that manages donor-advised funds and one of the leading grantmaking institutions in the U.S. NPT offers philanthropic solutions, including donor-advised funds and other giving vehicles, and is committed to excellence in donor service and support. NPT serves as the fund manager, sponsor and fiduciary of the Planet Impact Fund.

CapShift, an impact investing platform and solutions provider, brings a deep knowledge of connecting capital to impact through investment. CapShift provides investment advisory services for the Planet Impact Fund, with a focus on shifting capital to work for the planet. The investments are recommended by CapShift with the goal of driving climate impact at a deeper level than what may be possible in a conventional ESG portfolio.

Together, we have created something new to the market: a fund where every dollar is invested or granted for maximum positive impact for the planet and people.

Anyone—individuals, businesses, institutions and others—can donate to the Planet Impact Fund, except individuals who are on the staff or board of investee companies or environmental partner grantees that receive funding from the Planet Impact Fund.

At this time, only U.S. donors can receive a tax deduction for a donation to the Planet Impact Fund; any other donors (without tax presence in the U.S.) will not receive a tax deduction, but are still welcome to donate. The Planet Impact Fund is a new innovation—we started in the U.S. but are looking to expand from there. We welcome your questions, since that helps us understand interest from potential donors around the world.

All donors will receive annual impact reports. At any level of giving, your dollars will be working hard for the planet and people. You will also be part of a global community that is mobilizing thousands of donors, organizations and companies around the world through a powerful, impact-first collective giving model.
No. Neither individual donors, nor 1% for the Planet, earn any returns through the Planet Impact Fund. Contributions to the Planet Impact Fund are irrevocable and tax-deductible; all returns will be used to drive further investments and grants into innovative environmental solutions—today and into the future.
Absolutely. You can make a transfer from your existing donor-advised fund to the Planet Impact Fund. This will not be a new tax-deductible donation, as you will have already received a tax deduction for your initial DAF contribution; instead, it is like recommending a grant from your DAF to any other 501(c)(3) organization. Simply recommend a grant to National Philanthropic Trust and specify "Planet Impact Fund" in the notes field. Donors giving $25,000 or more have the additional option to open their own donor-advised fund (DAF) account on the Planet Impact Fund investment platform.
A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is a giving account established at a public charity. It allows donors to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax deduction and then recommend grants from the fund over time. Before they are granted, the funds can be invested for impact.
A blended fee will be applied to the balance of the Planet Impact Fund to support the administration of, and advisory on, the fund. Net fees are estimated at 2.5% in the Planet Impact Fund’s first years and are projected to decrease to below 2% per year as the fund reaches scale. The fee structure includes a philanthropic advisory fee that will go to 1% for the Planet (a nonprofit), for researching and recommending grantees; an investment advisory fee paid to CapShift for managing the investment portfolio; and a charitable administration fee to NPT for the ongoing management and administration of the charitable assets. We encourage donors interested in the individual DAF account option to contact us for more information at impact@onepercentfortheplanet.org.
The Planet Impact Fund’s investment strategy is fully aligned with our grantmaking strategy. We will invest in companies developing innovative solutions to combat climate change, protect resources and drive environmental stewardship, while screening out companies that have heightened exposure to climate-related risks or fossil fuels. We will also actively engage with companies to drive more environmentally responsible business practices, with a particular focus on greenhouse gas emission reduction.