13 Impressive Tree-Planting Organizations Exceeding Expectations

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We only have one world. That’s why today’s donors are ready to do whatever it takes to make it a better place for everyone. This includes finding solutions for critical issues like reforestation, combating the effects of climate change, and understanding how to take care of our ecosystems.

Today, we’re bringing the work of 13 impressive tree-planting organizations to light to showcase the power of proactive change, one sapling at a time.

We’ll show you what each tree-planting charity is known for and how it uniquely addresses climate change. Additionally, we’ll look into the initiatives and goals each nonprofit has set out to achieve in the coming years.

Donor Stewardship and Environmental Charities

Our annual Why America Gives report told us that climate change is one of the top current events calling today’s donors to take action. Climate change was the top event of 2022 that activated Gen Z donors specifically, and finding a solution to this crisis starts with trees. It’s also a great cause to center your community service ideas around.

What are the benefits of tree planting?

Tree planting is a powerful solution to fight climate change. Increasing the number of healthy trees helps slow global warming by stabilizing carbon in the air.

Did you know? In the United States alone, forests store enough carbon annually to offset over 15% of emissions from energy and transportation sectors.1

What Are the Top Tree-Planting Charities Leading the Charge Today?

1. One Tree Planted

We want to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Together we can restore forests, create habitat for biodiversity, and make a positive social impact around the world.

One Tree Planted services North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe with forest restoration. The nonprofit promotes habitats that flourish with biodiversity from the various species of trees planted and social impact through more employment and healthy lifestyle opportunities. Since 2014, One Tree Planted has doubled the number of trees it plants annually.

The organization partners with communities across more than 47 countries to bring solutions that can change the course of environmental sustainability. Each tree planted represents an opportunity for clean air, filtered water, and more jobs.

2. Trees for the Future

We believe in a world where farmers leave a legacy of opportunity through sustainable practices and productive lands. Our mission is to improve livelihoods of impoverished farmers by revitalizing degraded lands.

Trees for the Future is a 2022 Classy Awards winner, recognized for its incredible work building vibrant economies, thriving food systems, and a healthier planet. The organization celebrated over 300 million trees planted while fighting against deteriorating and collapsing ecosystems.

It focuses on farming families and restoring the land it relies on to survive. One of the top-ranked climate change organizations by Classy, Trees for the Future gives farmers the power to alleviate hunger and poverty caused by the climate crisis.

3. TreePeople

TreePeople inspires and supports the people of Southern California to come together to plant and care for trees, harvest the rain, and renew depleted landscapes.

TreePeople is a tree-planting nonprofit created by a single teen. Now, 40 years later, its work brings together more than 3 million volunteers to plant and care for 3 million trees. Its Citizen Forester Model unites volunteer leaders to support Southern California communities with more green space, shade, and water-secure futures.

The community-based organization focuses on education, parks and trails, policy and research, and forestry. It recognizes the importance of learning about new environmental solutions that protect and flourish the land.

4. International Tree Foundation

We plant, protect and promote trees in partnership with local communities to transform landscapes and lives.

The International Tree Foundation is on a mission to transform landscapes, communities, and livelihoods. As the oldest international tree-planting charity in the world, it focuses on the relationship between people and forests to find successful restoration tactics that help support the long-term health of our planet.

In the last decade, the International Tree Foundation planted 5,018,288 trees to combat climate change and restore wetlands. Its work spans swamps, forests, salt marshes, and wetlands to help revive any ecosystem that brings life to communities.

5. Neighborhood Forest

We love trees. We love planting them and watching them grow. We want to give every child this joy.

Neighborhood Forest has a unique tree-planting approach focused on giving children the joy of watching trees come to life. In one year alone, the nonprofit gifted 40,000 kids with free trees to plant. Leading up to Earth Day, Neighborhood Forest has ambitious goals to more than double that number.

The organization reaches children through schools, libraries, and youth groups to make tree planting more meaningful and accessible to the younger generation. Over 250,000 families have been impacted across North America by its ongoing work to improve local environments and prioritize ecosystem restoration.

6. Inga Foundation

The Inga Model delivers a sustainable, resilient rural livelihood that allows an escape from poverty and an end to the practice of slash-and-burn.

The Inga Foundation works to restore land, transform lives, and save rainforests. Its work sparks from the need to counteract rapidly increasing slash-and-burn farming that sends large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Recognizing that farmers needed a new solution, the nonprofit introduced Inga Alley Cropping as a sustainable alternative.

The foundation helps farmers to feed their families and improve their livelihoods while maintaining rainforest biodiversity. Projects include special work in Honduras, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and many other areas where this new approach makes a huge difference in the future of the environment and community well-being.

7. Woodland Trust

Expanding native woodland and creating tree-rich habitats to benefit nature, climate and people is at the heart of what we do.

Woodland Trust creates wildlife-rich woods and plants native trees to benefit nature, climate, and people now and in the future. It believes native species and trees are the best tools to tackle the climate crisis. The nonprofit’s team also believes it can make the most significant impact possible by employing supporters on the ground and launching several fundraising efforts.

Its work has resulted in 55 million trees planted and 1,172 woodlands saved. Woodland Trust’s team has also revived 85,000 hectares of ancient woodlands. The organization aims to prevent habitat loss and carbon stores while preserving natural heritage.

8. Trees for Cities

We get stuck in with local communities to cultivate lasting change in their neighbourhoods — whether it’s revitalising forgotten spaces, creating healthier environments or getting people excited about growing, foraging and eating healthy food.

Trees for Cities is a UK-based charity working at an international scale to improve lives by planting more trees in city landscapes. The nonprofit channels its work into local neighborhoods to bring new life to dull spaces and create an overall healthy environment for people to thrive.

Its impact has been incredible, with over 1,551,867 new trees planted to date and 266,794 more taking root this year. Each program spans urban forest tree planting, tree planting for schools and children, and international tree-planting projects.

9. Eden Reforestation Projects

We work with local communities to restore forests on a massive scale, thereby creating jobs, protecting ecosystems, and helping mitigate climate change.

Eden Reforestation Projects uses its Employ to Plant methodology to promote long-term forest sustainability. As the nonprofit works to restore forests and plant millions of trees each month, local communities are given opportunities for economic self-sufficiency.

From Madagascar to Mozambique, its efforts focus on actions that will lead to the greatest outcomes. The organization’s impactful reforestation effort has led to 977 million trees planted and protected, 280 project sites in 10 countries, and 14,800 employees empowered with fair wages.

10. Plant With Purpose

Our goal is to see creation’s life-giving regenerative cycles restored and people renewed through their relationship to God, living in healthy sufficiency and empowered to dream.

Plant With Purpose is a tree-planting organization celebrating over 50 million trees planted to help end poverty, reforest the earth, restore ecosystems, and bring hope along the way. The organization focuses on reversing the interconnected challenges of global poverty and environmental damage.

Spanning the globe, Plant With Purpose supports the most devastated and vulnerable places. Its team focuses on building relationships with communities and reversing the impact of deforestation. The nonprofits’ hope is that each relationship can lead to lasting change for individuals using their signature Plant With Purpose Watershed Model.

11. Tree Aid

We work with people in the drylands of Africa. Led by local people, our projects are tackling poverty and the effects of the climate crisis by growing trees, improving incomes, and restoring and protecting land. Our projects make sure trees thrive so they can provide food and incomes today and protect the environment for tomorrow.

Tree Aid works hand in hand with local communities within the drylands of Africa to restore and protect land It focuses on natural resource management, forest governance, enterprise development, and food security. The process begins with planting trees to grow optimally, offer nutritious food options, and provide income opportunities for the people of the drylands.

Its hands-on work and influence on policies that protect trees has brought 27,616,546 trees to optimal health and restored 167,057 hectares of land since the tree-planting charity began in 1987.

Tree Aid’s projects continue to expand and offer impact to the 350 million people who experience fertile land reduction from the ongoing climate crisis.

12. Trees, Water & People

At Trees, Water & People, our mission is to improve lives by helping communities to protect, conserve, and manage their natural resources.

Trees, Water & People began in 1998 by two foresters and friends out of a dire need to fight against deforestation in Latin America. Over 20 years later, the organization dedicates every day to protecting, conserving, and managing natural resources for communities.

With a 2022 Candid Platinum Transparency award in hand, Trees, Water & People creates healthy forests and landscapes through reforestation efforts. The organization sees the importance of planting trees and understanding what is right for the environment and what matters to the local people who will live among them.

13. National Forest Foundation

We work on behalf of the American public to inspire personal and meaningful connections to our National Forests, the centerpiece of America’s public lands.

The National Forest Foundation (NFF) inspires personal and meaningful connections to national forests across America. It leads forest conservation efforts with the belief that public lands are a national treasure that support community health and responsible recreation.

NFF is on a mission to care for the 193-million-acre National Forest System through tree-planting efforts, education, and funding. In 2022 alone, the organization planted 8 million trees that cover over 25 tree species to reforest 21,000 acres of public land.

Find the Right Foundation for Your Tree-Planting Charity

Every great tree-planting nonprofit organization begins with the call to do better by our planet and communities and continues with the support of individuals everywhere coming together to make a difference. Classy’s fundraising platform brings creative fundraising ideas to life and connects environmental organizations doing impactful work.

Explore the ways nonprofits use our online fundraising tools to:

Diversify fundraising campaigns throughout the year
Make it easy to give in seconds from anywhere with modern donation sites
Gather communities through innovative fundraising event software
Host crowdfunding campaigns to call in the masses with a powerful story
Host a monthly giving program to build loyalty and donor retention

Article Sources

“Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks Fast Facts and Data Highlights,” United State Environmental Protection Agency, last modified 2022, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-fast-facts-and-data-highlights.
“Why America Gives,” Classy, last modified or date accessed November 2022, https://www.classy.org/why-america-gives/.