Environmental Non-Profit Organizations Listings
The following two listings of environmental non-profit organizations are provided below:
- Notable Local and State Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
- Notable National and International Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
For downloadable PDFs of each listing, click below:
- Notable Local and State Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
- Notable National and International Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
Notable Local and State Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
Headquarters office location and work focus area(s) noted along with additional relevant info (other office locations, parent org, etc.).
| Acterra (Palo Alto) Focus Area(s): Energy/Climate; Biz Partnerships |
| Audubon Society of Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation One of nearly 500 local chapters of the National Audubon Society (New York City) Works under the state-level org, Audubon California (San Francisco) |
| Bay Institute of San Francisco (Novato) Focus Area(s): SF Bay Restoration |
| Bay Nature Institute (Berkeley) Focus Area(s): Environmental Education Publishes the quarterly magazine, Bay Nature: An exploration of nature in the SF Bay Area |
| California Coastkeeper Alliance (San Francisco) Focus Area(s): Water Pollution Note: An alliance of 11 local California waterkeeper programs. In turn, a member of the international Waterkeepers Alliance (New York City) |
| California League of Conservation Voters (Oakland & LA) Focus Area(s): Political Action |
| California Native Plant Society (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Plant Conservation Has 35 chapters state-wide, including the Santa Clara Valley Chapter (Palo Alto) |
| California Ocean Science Trust (Oakland) Focus Area(s): Ocean Science Note: An independent non-profit created by a state law passed in 2000. |
| California Product Stewardship Council (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Product Stewardship |
| California Trout (San Francisco) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation Maintains 5 regional offices as well (Arcata/Mt. Shasta/Mammoth Lakes/Windsor/Ventura) |
| California Waterfowl Association (Roseville) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation |
| Californians Against Waste (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Recycling |
| California Conservation Corps (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Conservation - Youth Corps Note: Staffing positions available throughout the state. Local Independent Program: San Jose Conservation Corps & Charter School |
| Center For Ecoliteracy (Berkeley) Focus Area(s): Environmental Education |
| Center For Energy Efficiency And Renewable Technologies (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Energy Focused mainly on California. |
| Committee for Green Foothills (Palo Alto) Focus Area(s): Land Conservation |
| Communities for a Better Environment (Richmond & Huntington Park) Focus Area(s): Toxic Chemicals; Environmental Justice NorCal Office: Richmond (with a satellite office in East Oakland) SoCal Office: Huntington Park (with a satellite office in Wilmington) |
| Ecology Action (Santa Cruz) Focus Area(s): Community & Business Partnerships) Has 2 satellite offices (San Jose and Sacramento). |
| Ecology Center (Berkeley) Focus Area(s): Sustainable Living; Recycling Note: Center of various env. efforts in Berkeley, including running the city’s recycling program. |
| Environment California (Los Angeles) Focus Area(s): Advocacy/Political Action |
| Environmental Volunteers (Palo Alto) Focus Area(s): Environmental Education Maintains a South Bay office in Santa Clara as well. |
| Friends of the River (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): California River Conservation |
| Friends of the Sea Otter (Carmel) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation |
| Grassroots Ecology (Palo Alto) Focus Area(s): Land Restoration |
| Greenbelt Alliance (San Francisco) Focus Area(s): Land Conservation; Smart Growth Maintains 4 satellite offices as well (Fairfield; San Jose; Santa Rosa: Walnut Creek) |
| Guadalupe River Park Conservancy (San Jose) Focus Area(s): River Conservancy |
| Heal the Bay (Santa Monica) Focus Area(s): Coastal Pollution |
| League to Save Lake Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe) Focus Area(s): Lake Tahoe Preservation |
| Marine Mammal Center (Sausalito) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation |
| Marine Science Institute (Redwood City) Focus Area(s): Environmental Education |
| Mono Lake Committee (Lee Vining) Focus Area(s): Mono Lake Restoration |
| Our City Forest (San Jose) Focus Area(s): Tree Planting/Urban Forestry |
| Pacific Institute (Oakland) Focus Area(s): Water Resources |
| Planning & Conservation League (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Land Use/Smart Growth; Water Resources |
| San Francisco Baykeeper (Oakland) Focus Area(s): Water Pollution A member of the international Waterkeepers Alliance (New York City) |
| San Francisco Estuary Institute (Richmond) Focus Area(s): SF Bay Monitoring |
| Save the Bay (Oakland) Focus Area(s): SF Bay Restoration |
| Save the Redwoods League (San Francisco) Focus Area(s): Forest Conservation |
| Sierra Club-Loma Prieta Chapter (Palo Alto) Focus Area(s): Environmental Advocacy One of 60+ state/local chapters of the national Sierra Club (Oakland) Works with state lobbying org, Sierra Club California (Sacramento) |
| Student Conservation Association (Oakland) Focus Area(s): Conservation - Youth Corps Note: The SCA is based in Arlington, VA with 6 satellite offices, including one in Oakland. |
| Surfrider Foundation (San Clemente) Focus Area(s): Coastal Conservation; Coastal Pollution Has 80+ local chapters in the US, including a Santa Cruz Chapter |
| Veggielution (San Jose) Focus Area(s): Community Farming |
| Water Education Foundation (Sacramento) Focus Area(s): Environmental Education |
| Watershed Project (Richmond) Focus Area(s): Cleanup/Restoration & Env Education |
| Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley (San Jose) Focus Area(s): Wildlife Conservation |
| Yosemite Conservancy (San Francisco) Focus Area(s): Yosemite National Park |
Notable National and International Environmental Non-Profit Organizations
Headquarters office location and work focus area(s) noted along with additional relevant info (other office locations, etc.).
| Ceres (Boston, MA) Focus Area(s): Business Practices Maintains a satellite office in San Francisco |
| (The) Conservation Fund (Arlington, VA) Focus Area(s): Conservation Maintains 27 field offices, including one in the Bay Area (Larkspur). |
| Conservation International (CI) (Arlington, VA) Focus Area(s): Conservation/Business Practices Has 30 offices worldwide, with 3 in the US (closest is in Seattle). |
| Defenders of Wildlife (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Conservation |
| Ducks Unlimited (Memphis, TN) Focus Area(s): Conservation |
| Earthjustice (San Francisco, CA) Focus Area(s): Conservation/Pollution/Public Health Has 12 regional offices as well. |
| EarthShare (Bethesda, MD) Focus Area(s): Workplace Giving Has state affiliates in 16 states, including EarthShare California |
| Earthwatch Institute (Boston, MA) Focus Area(s): Scientific Research & Expeditions Maintains 5 international offices as well. |
| Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) (New York, NY) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Has 5 regional offices, plus 2 offices in California (San Francisco & Sacramento) |
| Environmental Working Group (EWG) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Pollution/Public Health Has 3 other offices, including 2 in California (San Francisco & Sacramento) |
| Friends of the Earth (USA) (FoE) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Maintains a second office in Berkeley, CA. |
| Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) (Amsterdam) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Has member groups in 76 countries, including the US (see above). |
| Greenpeace (USA) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Maintains a second office in San Francisco, CA. |
| Greenpeace International (Amsterdam) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Coordinates 27 independent national/regional Greenpeace orgs in over 55 countries, including the US. |
| League of Conservation Voters (LCV) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Advocacy/Political Action Has affiliates in 32 states, including the California LCV based in Oakland & LA |
| National Audubon Society (“Audubon”) (New York, NY) Focus Area(s): Conservation Has 23 state programs (including Audubon California based in San Francisco. Has nearly 500 local chapters (including Audubon Society of Santa Clara Valley in Cupertino. |
| National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (Reston, VA) Focus Area(s): Conservation Maintains 6 Regional Centers, including the California Regional Center |
| Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (New York, NY) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Maintains 6 other offices, including one in San Francisco. |
| (The) Nature Conservancy (Arlington, VA) Focus Area(s): Conservation Works in all 50 states and internationally as well. Has a California Program based in San Francisco with 8 field offices as well. |
| Ocean Conservancy (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Conservation Maintains 6 state offices, including one for California, located in Santa Cruz. |
| Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) (Berkeley, CA) Focus Area(s): Pollution/Public Health Also has offices in Sacramento and Minneapolis. |
| Pesticide Action Network International (PAN Int’l) Focus Area(s): Pollution/Public Health Has 5 independent Regional Centers, including one covering North America (see above). |
| Resources For the Future (RFF) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Note: A “think tank” (policy research and formulation). |
| Sierra Club (Oakland, CA) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Has a state-level political lobbying org, Sierra Club California (Sacramento) Has 60+ local chapters, including the Loma Prieta Chapter (Palo Alto) |
| Surfrider Foundation (San Clemente, CA) Focus Area(s): Conservation; Pollution Has 80+ local chapters in the US, including a Santa Cruz Chapter |
| (The) Trust for Public Land (TPL) (San Francisco, CA) Focus Area(s): Conservation Has 30+ offices nationwide, including 3 in California (San Francisco, Sacramento, Pasadena) |
| Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) (Cambridge, MA) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Has 3 other offices, including a West Coast office in Oakland. |
| (The) Wilderness Society (TWS) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Conservation Has 11 Regional Offices, including one in Oakland that covers California & Nevada. |
| Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) (Bronx, NY) Focus Area(s): Conservation Has offices in 40+ countries plus Washington, DC. Most well-known for running 5 zoos in New York City, including the Bronx Zoo. |
| World Resources Institute (WRI) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Maintains 7 international offices as well. Note: A “think tank” (policy research and formulation). |
| World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Conservation Works in 100 countries worldwide with an international office in Gland, Switzerland. |
| Worldwatch Institute (Washington, DC) Focus Area(s): Multiple Focus Areas Well-known for their annual State of the World reports & for tracking “Vital Signs” (global trends). |