1% for the Planet - Planet Impact Fund

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When you donate to the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust, your gift will simultaneously resource environmental organizations addressing today’s urgent environmental issues and power investments that build a healthy, sustainable world. You will propel efforts to combat climate change, advance environmental justice, foster conservation, lead the clean energy transition and more.

How it works

The Planet Impact Fund will drive outsized impact with a dual approach to solving global environmental challenges through 1) investments in climate solutions and 2) targeted philanthropic grantmaking.

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Donations to the Planet Impact Fund will be fully allocated to a mix of investments with best-in-class environmental screening for positive impact. Each year, an estimated 10% of the Planet Impact Fund will be granted to leading environmental partners. We have designed the Planet Impact Fund to seek returns; all returns will be used to drive further investments and grants into innovative environmental solutions—today and into the future.

Investing for positive impact

The diversified investment portfolio will include public and private funds driving meaningful climate impact. The public portion of the Planet Impact Fund will include mutual funds and ETFs that:

Invest in companies developing innovative solutions to combat climate change, protect resources, and drive environmental stewardship.
Screen out companies that have heightened exposure to climate-related risks or fossil fuels.
Actively engage with companies to drive more environmentally responsible business practices, with a particular focus on greenhouse gas emission reduction.

The Planet Impact Fund will complement this public market strategy—to an increasing degree as the overall fund grows—by investing in private impact investments that more directly fund climate solutions. Examples of targeted private impact investments include, but are not limited to, funds across the following impact areas:

Clean energy and technology
Circular economy
Energy efficiency and access
Natural resource conservation
Food and agriculture
Environmental justice

For more info on why investing in climate solutions is so critical, explore Planet Impact Fund partner CapShift’s climate investment framework.

Grantmaking for positive impact

To further support our mission and to ensure that donations drive immediate action, the Planet Impact Fund will annually disburse approximately 10% of all funds to vetted Environmental Partners. Through this process, we will seek to fund environmental organizations around the world that are pursuing environmental justice and elevating the voices and leadership of communities most impacted by threats to the environment.

Learn about the Planet Impact Fund featured Environmental Partners below.

Donors giving $25,000 or more have the additional option to open their own donor-advised fund (DAF) on the Planet Impact Fund investment platform. Individual DAF holders will access the Planet Impact Fund investment portfolio, and can choose to access philanthropic advising to support their environmental grantmaking. Contact our team at impact@onepercentfortheplanet.org to learn more about this giving option.

FAQs

How do I participate?

It’s simple, and the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust will meet you where you are. For donors giving at any level, you are welcome to donate directly to the Planet Impact Fund. Your tax-deductible donation will be fully allocated to a mix of investments with best-in-class environmental screening for positive impact. Each year, an estimated 10% of the Planet Impact Fund will be granted to leading environmental partners. Donors giving $25,000 or more have the additional option to open their own donor-advised fund (DAF) on the Planet Impact Fund investment platform. Contact our team at impact@onepercentfortheplanet.org to learn more about this giving option.

What are the different ways I can donate? Is there a minimum amount I must donate?

You may donate via credit card, wire or check. There is no minimum for credit card donations, but 3% will be deducted from the donation to cover processing fees—the tax receipt will be for 100% of the donation. For donations via wire or check, there is a minimum donation amount of $5,000 and there is no fee to the donor. Donations of cryptocurrency and illiquid assets are also accepted.

Click here for information on the evaluation process and donation minimums for each type of illiquid asset.

Why was the Planet Impact Fund created?

The scale and complexity of today’s environmental crisis require us to do more. For this reason, National Philanthropic Trust partnered with 1% for the Planet and CapShift to establish the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust. This vehicle offers a unique opportunity to optimize multiple levers for change that generate positive outcomes for our planet and future generations.

Who are the partners involved in the Planet Impact Fund?

The 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust is a collaboration between the National Philanthropic Trust, 1% for the Planet and CapShift. Each partner is bringing their specific expertise to the collaboration. 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.

Who can donate? Is this open to 1% for the Planet members as well as non-members?

Anyone—individuals, businesses, institutions and others—may 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.

How will I know what impact my donation is having?

For all donors, 1% for the Planet will provide annual impact reports on the investments; for donors to the Planet Impact Fund, we will additionally provide an impact report on our granting. At any level of giving, your dollars will be working hard for the planet and people.

Will I earn a return through the Planet Impact Fund?

No. Neither individual donors, nor 1% for the Planet, earn any returns through the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust. Contributions to the Planet Impact Fund are irrevocable and tax-deductible; any returns generated from environmentally beneficial investments will be recycled back into the Planet Impact Fund for grantmaking to environmental partners.

I already have a donor-advised fund (DAF)—is there a way I can participate?

Absolutely. You can make a transfer from your existing donor-advised fund to the 1% for the Planet Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust. This will not be a new tax-deductible donation, as you will have already received a tax deduction for your initial DAF donation; instead, it is like recommending a grant from your DAF to any other 501(c)(3) organization.

What is a donor-advised fund (DAF)?

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.

Are there fees associated with the Planet Impact Fund? What do the fees cover?

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 year 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 National Philanthropic Trust for the ongoing management and administration of the charitable assets. We encourage donors interested in the individual DAF option to contact us for more information at impact@onepercentfortheplanet.org.

How are investments selected? What guidelines and/or screens are used?

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.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Planet Impact Fund. Contact us at impact@onepercentfortheplanet.org if you have questions or would like to contribute.

Planet Impact Fund featured 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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Planet Impact Fund

The 1% for the Planet® Impact Fund at National Philanthropic Trust offers a unique philanthropic opportunity to drive positive change for our planet and future generations.

Donate to the Planet Impact Fund