What Climate Cardinals does

Climate Cardinals is an international youth-led nonprofit organization founded in 2020 by Sophia Kianni and headquartered operationally in New York with a Washington DC mailing address (fiscally sponsored by Future Incubator, EIN 33-3913132). Its core mission is to break language barriers in the climate movement by translating climate information into 105+ languages and mobilizing a global network of 19,000+ volunteers across 145 countries through 100+ chapters (81% based in the Global South). The organization serves two intertwined constituencies: the 6.5 billion non-English speakers disproportionately affected by climate change, and youth climate advocates aged 13-30 seeking leadership pathways and microgrant-funded project support.

The technology stack centers on an AI-assisted translation pipeline built on Google Cloud's Translation Hub, augmented by mandatory human verification for low-resource and Indigenous languages where machine translation is unreliable. A monday.com work operating system underpins operations across multilingual teams. Primary products include the Translations Program (free/low-rate for grassroots, market-rate for enterprises and governments), a Chapters Program, a Fellowship Program training 250 fellows annually, the Climate Calling digital engagement platform (targeting 200,000 monthly users), and the Climate Ambassadors Program co-developed with The Nature Conservancy. The organization also publishes the Ptera newsletter and conducts Youth Capacity Accelerator workshops for UN agencies.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: anchor and recurring grant funding (notably a $400,000 Google.org grant in April 2024, plus Eleven Eleven Foundation and Gold House/Garnier support), tiered translation services (free/low-rate for grassroots organizations, market-rate for large nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies such as the Italian Ministry of Environment), and contracted capacity-building workshops for UN partners including UNESCO and UNICEF. Customer base spans international organizations (UNESCO, UNICEF, CARE International, Translators Without Borders), major environmental NGOs (The Nature Conservancy), academic institutions (Yale Climate Connections), and government agencies, with 19M+ people reached through educational materials in 2025.

Name

Climate Cardinals

Legal name

Climate Cardinals, a project of Future Incubator

Website

https://climatecardinals.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Climate Cardinals is a youth-led nonprofit that translates climate information into 105+ languages via an AI-assisted, human-verified pipeline, mobilizing 19,000+ volunteers and 100+ chapters across 145 countries to serve non-English-speaking communities and youth climate advocates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Education and Translation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Climate & Emissions Data Management (Data Lake, Integration, APIs) (EUABAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carbon Neutrality/Claims Strategy & Communications (claims substantiation, greenwashing risk) (EUABAKAK), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Climate education programs
• Multilingual translation services
• Youth climate advocacy
• Language access translation
• Climate information translation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue source from institutional grantmakers including Google.org ($400,000 anchor grant in 2024), Eleven Eleven Foundation (Climate Calling platform development), Gold House/Garnier Gold Green Grant ($20,000), and anonymous donors supporting executive roles. Additional grant support from climate philanthropy foundations.
2. Translation Services Revenue: Tiered translation services: free and low-rate translations for grassroots and youth-led social impact organizations; market-rate translations for large nonprofits, companies, and government agencies. Revenue from market-rate tier supports sustainability of free programming.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations via Future Incubator (fiscal sponsor, EIN 33-3913132). Small donations via digital portal; large donations by check or ACH. Donations directly fund volunteer programs, translation efforts, and youth leadership initiatives.
4. Capacity-Building Workshops: Contracted by UN agencies and organizations to deliver workshops on project management, fundraising, digital strategy, and other capacity-building topics for youth-serving programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Climate Cardinals translates climate information into 105+ languages using a hybrid AI-assisted and human-verified pipeline, mobilizing 19,000+ volunteers across 145 countries. It delivers multilingual climate education through youth-led chapters, a fellowship program, a digital platform (Climate Calling) connecting young people to climate opportunities, and paid translation and capacity-building services for organizations.

Product overview

Climate Cardinals operates as a multi-program climate education organization offering translation services, youth leadership development, and digital engagement platforms. The core offerings include a Translations Program (using AI-assisted translation with human verification to translate climate information into 105+ languages), a Chapters Program (youth-led grassroots climate education with 100+ chapters globally), a Fellowship Program (training emerging leaders annually), and Climate Calling (a digital platform connecting youth with climate opportunities). Additional services include the Climate Ambassadors Program, Youth Capacity Accelerator workshops, and the Ptera newsletter. The organization provides free/low-rate translations for grassroots organizations and market-rate services for larger entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chapters Program Youth-led grassroots climate education program with 100+ chapters globally that localize climate education to meet community needs, with 81% based in the Global South. Chapters operate at schools and universities, mobilizing youth to lead climate action in their local contexts.
• Fellowship Program Academic year-long program providing mentorship, microgrants, and formalized curriculum including modules on nonprofit strategy, budgeting, public speaking, and digital strategy. Trains emerging social impact leaders to advance Climate Cardinals' mission while building long-term leadership capacity.
• Translations Program Translation service breaking language barriers by mobilizing volunteers to translate critical climate information into over 105 languages. Provides human-verified free and low-rate translations for grassroots organizations, market-rate translations for large nonprofits, companies, and government agencies.
• Climate Calling Platform Digital platform connecting young people passionate about climate advocacy with impactful opportunities worldwide. Addresses the lack of centralized resources for youth climate engagement by leveraging a 19,000-member network and 100+ chapters to offer opportunities and reach 200,000 users monthly.
• Climate Ambassadors Program Global ambassador program launched in partnership with The Nature Conservancy that activates young ambassadors across 80+ countries to turn complex climate research into clear, shareable insights that spark action.
• Youth Capacity Accelerator Capacity-building workshops for youth-serving programs on topics including project management, fundraising, and digital strategy. Delivered by Climate Cardinals team for UN agencies and other organizations.
• Sharing Opportunities Service Service helping share opportunities with a global network of 19,000+ young people, including 85,000 external newsletter subscribers and 10,000+ internal members. Also collaborates with NGOs, philanthropies, and universities to promote opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 million+ words of climate information translated into 105+ languages
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• Ford FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Interviewed as part of the climate philanthropy whitepaper research on English-dominant funding systems and their impact on who gets funded in climate action.
• Oak FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Interviewed as part of the climate philanthropy whitepaper research on English-dominant funding systems and their impact on who gets funded in climate action.
• ClimateWorks FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Interviewed as part of the climate philanthropy whitepaper research on English-dominant funding systems.
• TINTAsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Interviewed as part of the climate philanthropy whitepaper research.
• IPAS FundsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Interviewed as part of the climate philanthropy whitepaper research.
• monday.com for NonprofitssecondaryTechnology or Integration · 12 August 2025Strategic technology partnership providing full access to monday.com's Nonprofit Program. The partnership helps Climate Cardinals streamline operations and scale across multilingual communities worldwide using monday.com's work operating system.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Launched the Climate Ambassadors Program with The Nature Conservancy, activating a global network of young ambassadors across 80+ countries to turn complex climate research into clear, shareable insights that spark action.
• CARE InternationalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for translation of climate information, with over 1 million words translated in 2025.
• ZoomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Corporate partner alongside Google and monday.com in supporting Climate Cardinals' global operations and virtual programming.
• Peace Boat USminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• Zero HourminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• OneUpActionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• Global CitizenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• Climate RealityminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• Eco InterpretersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• Climate InteractiveminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2024Partner supporting the launch of Climate Calling platform, connecting young people with climate advocacy opportunities.
• U.S. Climate Action Network (USCAN)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2024Joined USCAN as of July 2024. USCAN is a network of 180+ NGOs affiliated with Climate Action Network International (1,100+ organizations across 90+ countries). Climate Cardinals contributes knowledge on youth empowerment and accessible climate education to the network.
• UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2024Climate Cardinals appointed to the YoU-CAN Steering Committee for a term ending in 2025. YoU-CAN is a network of youth-led organizations representing over 10 million individuals. Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa represents Climate Cardinals on the steering committee, managing project initiatives and communications.
• Translators Without BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2024Partnership to expand the translation program, increasing capacity to an estimated 1 million words per year. The partnership combines TWB's language expertise with Climate Cardinals' volunteer network to deliver high-quality human-verified translations.
• Yale Climate ConnectionssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2024Official partnership providing English-to-Spanish translation services of climate articles as part of Yale's initiative to bring climate information to Hispanic and Latino communities.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to translate UNICEF's Climate Risk Index into Indigenous and African languages, enabling 124 UNICEF offices across Africa to strengthen locally led, inclusive climate action rooted in community and Indigenous knowledge.
• SmithsonianminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Listed among strategic partners across sectors supporting Climate Cardinals' mission.
• UNDPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Listed among strategic partners supporting Climate Cardinals' multilingual climate education efforts.
• L'OréalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Cross-sector partner recognized among Climate Cardinals' strategic partnerships across government, advocacy, and private organizations.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Since 2023, volunteers have been using Google Cloud's AI-powered Translation Hub self-serve platform, enabling the team to translate at a much faster pace. The AI tool tripled translation capacity, allowing Climate Cardinals to scale from approximately 500,000 words to the current multi-million word output.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Translators Without Borders: Direct peer and active partner of Climate Cardinals. Translators Without Borders is a humanitarian-focused nonprofit providing translation and language services, with deep institutional relationships in crisis response, health, and increasingly climate. Climate Cardinals' own expansion into climate translation directly overlaps with TWB's mandate, making them both partners and potential competitors.
• Climate Reality Project: Al Gore-founded climate education and advocacy organization. Climate Reality trains climate leaders globally and is one of seven distribution partners on Climate Cardinals' Climate Calling platform. Both organizations focus on climate communications, leadership development, and global chapter-based mobilization, serving overlapping youth and adult climate advocate audiences.
• Earth HQ: Youth-led climate nonprofit providing educational resources, advocacy training, and chapter-style organizing. Operates a similar model of empowering young people to take local climate action and is directly comparable to Climate Cardinals' chapters-based, youth-empowerment approach.
• Zero Hour: Youth-led climate justice organization focused on mobilizing young people around climate policy. Zero Hour is one of Climate Cardinals' Climate Calling distribution partners, indicating overlapping youth climate audiences and similar grassroots mobilization tactics.
• Power Shift Network: Youth-led climate organizing network that trains and coordinates young climate leaders across the United States. Comparable to Climate Cardinals in mission scope (youth-led climate empowerment, leadership development) and target demographic, though focused more on U.S. policy advocacy than global multilingual translation.

Broad incumbents

• CLEAR Global: Previously Translators without Borders' parent entity, CLEAR Global is a larger, more established language equity nonprofit working across humanitarian and development sectors. As an institutional incumbent in language access, CLEAR Global has deeper funder relationships and longer track record than Climate Cardinals and represents a credible long-term competitor in climate translation.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits. The Nature Conservancy is a core strategic partner of Climate Cardinals through the Climate Ambassadors Program and brings deep climate science and policy resources that Climate Cardinals leverages for mission delivery.
• UNICEF Climate Action: Core strategic partner of Climate Cardinals; commissioned translation of its Climate Risk Index into Indigenous and African languages to serve 124 country offices. As a major UN agency with climate programming, UNICEF represents both a key institutional client and a long-term funder counterpart in climate translation work.

Emerging players

• Global Citizen: International advocacy organization mobilizing young people around global development issues including climate. Listed as a Climate Calling distribution partner and shares a youth-empowerment, opportunity-aggregation model comparable to Climate Cardinals' Climate Calling platform.
• Climate Interactive: Climate change education and simulation nonprofit that develops tools and training to help people understand climate dynamics. Climate Interactive is a Climate Calling distribution partner and shares Climate Cardinals' focus on accessible, actionable climate education across diverse audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/climate-cardinals
• Instagraminstagram.com/climatecardinals
• Xx.com/climatecardinal
• Facebookfacebook.com/climatecardinals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Climate Cardinals