Mission:
To help people around the world protect the environment, live sustainably, preserve biodiversity, and gain a voice in their own future.

Background:
Global Greengrants Fund is a public charity that grew out of founder Chet Tchozewski's work with international environmental and peace organizations, especially the American Friends Service Committee and Greenpeace. Initially, in 1993, it operated as a donor-advised fund at the Tides Foundation and remained affiliated with Tides until 2001, when it took its low-cost grantmaking model of channeling funds to grassroots environmental groups to scale. The fund depends on a network of nearly one hundred volunteer advisors around the world to identify grantees — organizations doing the most urgent and promising work in impoverished places where other sources of support often are not available. The advisors help minimize red tape, streamline grant delivery, reduce overhead, and provide moral support, mentoring, and monitoring to grant recipients. Global Greengrants is funded by foundations and individuals; has staff and volunteers around the world; and since its inception, has made more than 1,500 grants in 107 countries. Seventy percent of the grants range from $500 to $5,000, which goes a lot further in developing countries than in the United States; the remaining grants are for amounts up to $15,000. The 2004 grantmaking budget is about $1.5 million.

Outstanding Features:
The Web site provides a description of the organization's grantmaking model, its reasons for supporting grassroots action, and its network of international advisors. The grantee database contains all the grant recipients since its founding, organized by continent, country, and year.