How We Fund copy 1
Patagonia supports environmental organizations with bold, direct-action agendas and a commitment to long-term change.
We support innovative work that addresses the root causes of the environmental crisis and seeks to protect both the environment and affected communities. We focus on places where we’ve built connections through outdoor recreation and through our network of retail stores, nationally and internationally.
We believe local battles to protect a specific stand of forest, a stretch of river, an indigenous wild species or a community from a polluting refinery build public support and confront larger, more complex issues like climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental justice.
We encourage work that brings underrepresented communities to the forefront of the environmental movement and defend communities whose health and livelihoods are threatened by environmental exploitation.
We support multipronged campaigns that push for greater environmental protections and force the government to abide by its own laws.
We fund work that
- builds an equitable, inclusive and diverse environmental movement
- confronts systemic bias, discrimination and injustice in environmental policy or outdoor spaces
- is action-oriented
- focuses on root causes
- has a clear strategy
- identifies specific goals and objectives that can be effectively measured to evaluate success
- builds public involvement and civic engagement
- works to build an inclusive and diverse environmental movement
- takes place within the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
We do not fund
- organizations that perpetuate systemic biases and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, veteran, or disability status
- organizations without a non-profit status or a comparable fiscal sponsor
- trail creation, maintenance or restoration
- any dam renovations, human-assisted fish passage infrastructure or hatchery programs
- conservation easements or land acquisition
- research, unless it is in direct support of a developed plan for specific action to alleviate an environmental problem
- projects that are solely focused on environmental education
- environmental conferences, event sponsorships or film festivals
- endowment funds
- political campaigns
- green building projects
- bike advocacy, unless the project is in direct support of a climate change solution
Patagonia believes that the most direct path to real change is through building grassroots momentum.
Our funding focuses on organizations that have or can create a strong base of support. Because we're a privately held company, we have the freedom to fund risk-taking, off-the-beaten-track groups, and that's where we believe our small grants are most effective.
We accept one proposal per group in a given fiscal year (May 1–April 30). Our grant size varies from program to program and typically ranges between US$10,000 and US$15,000.
Application Procedure
Round 1 registration opens July 13–July 24. Eligible groups will be invited to apply, with the application deadline on September 9. Proposals are reviewed and grant decisions are made by our employee councils. The decisions will be shared in November.
Round 2 registration opens August 31–September 11. Eligible groups will be invited to apply, with the application deadline on October 23. Proposals are reviewed and grant decisions are made by our employee councils. The decisions will be shared in December.
