1% for the Planet

“We mostly stand alone in the field of environmental giving,” Williams notes, “We’re between companies and direct giving. In 2020, we facilitated $30 million in giving, but we’re not a foundation. We’re bigger than that. We have a unique model because we sustain a network that integrates the non-profit and business sectors. We are a non-profit, but we’re not the standard example of that either.” 1% for the Planet operates efficiently with a highly skilled team of 26; the largest it’s ever been. With more than 5,000 business members and more than 1,000 individual members across 80 plus countries, these additional employees were needed. A common question the team regularly navigates is: What is the biggest cause we should be supporting? Over time, Williams has found the best answer is “to support what resonates the most and be prepared for it to evolve. What we do find across the board is that most of the 1% FOR THE PLANET giving happens locally. Some of that may be due to the tax incentives when giving within your own country. The greater driver of local giving I think, is that people can see, touch, and feel the difference they’re making. That often aligns with their consumers as well.” Even with local giving, members want to know exactly where their money is going. Williams understands these concerns and works with non-profits to be as clear as possible on how they allocate funds, report impact, etc. She underscores, “It’s critical they understand how their resources and impact flow together. When working with businesses, we help them understand that if some of their money goes towards the nonprofit’s administration costs it’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean the non- profit is lining its pockets, it means resources are being allocated so work can be done. We feel committed to educating our members that