Grounded.org

What Grounded.org does

Grounded.org (legally Grounded Foundation) is a U.S.-based nonprofit philanthropic organization founded in 2018 and headquartered in Castaic, California, with publicly disclosed founder Julia Jackson. The foundation's stated mission is to accelerate urgent climate solutions by supporting a curated portfolio of climate-focused partner organizations through four service modalities: catalytic capital, fiscal sponsorship, strategic advice, and staffing support.

The organization maintains five named grantee relationships as of the source data: The Earth Elders (a global Indigenous-elder council targeting 52 biocultural regions), One Earth (climate knowledge and biodiversity tools), Project Regeneration (the Paul Hawken–founded regenerative-action network), Keystone Species Alliance (a 501(c)(4) advancing legal rights for keystone species), and Climate Week Network (a global hub linking 10,000+ organizations running city-level climate-action weeks). Grounded distributes support through direct, partnership-based engagement and recruits new grantees via a Pipedrive-powered application webform on grounded.org/grantees.

The foundation operates with a small core team of 1–10 employees and has no disclosed revenue, funding rounds, or major donors in the available data. Its go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial, and its revenue mechanics are philanthropic: donations and grants channeled to grantees, rather than product or service sales. There is no documented proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or commercial product surface; the organization's core "product" is its curated grantee portfolio and the operational support services delivered to those partners.

Name

Grounded.org

Legal name

Grounded Foundation

Website

https://grounded.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grounded.org (Grounded Foundation) is a 2018-founded U.S. nonprofit foundation that provides catalytic capital, fiscal sponsorship, strategic advice, and staffing support to a curated portfolio of climate-focused partner organizations including Project Regeneration, One Earth, and Climate Week Network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Climate philanthropy
• Fiscal sponsorship
• Catalytic capital
• Climate solutions funding
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Castaic

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Grant Funding: Grounded operates as a foundation that provides catalytic capital, fiscal sponsorship, and staffing support to climate-focused organizations. Revenue appears to come from donations and grants rather than product/service sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Grounded is a nonprofit climate foundation that provides catalytic capital, fiscal sponsorship, strategic advice, and staffing support to a curated network of high-impact partner organizations working on climate solutions. It functions as an accelerator and fiscal sponsor rather than a product vendor, channeling philanthropic resources into grantees such as The Earth Elders, One Earth, Project Regeneration, Keystone Species Alliance, and Climate Week Network.

Product overview

Grounded.org is a nonprofit climate foundation that operates as a fiscal sponsor and grant-making organization rather than a product or technology company. It provides catalytic capital, fiscal sponsorship, strategic advice, and staffing support to climate-focused organizations. The organization's primary offering is its network of grantees and partners, including The Earth Elders, One Earth, Project Regeneration, Keystone Species Alliance, and Climate Week Network, all focused on accelerating climate solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalytic Capital Grants
• Fiscal Sponsorship
• Strategic Advisory for Climate Partners
• Staffing Support for Grantee Organizations Direct staffing capacity supplied by Grounded to partner organizations to augment their execution capacity (e.g., team members like Jon van Gelder are noted as contributors on grantee pages).

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports organizations reaching 10,000+ organizations globally through Climate Week Network
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Earth ElderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA global alliance of Indigenous wisdom leaders building a council of 52 elders (one from each biocultural region) to co-design climate, land, and governance strategies. Grounded provides fiscal sponsorship and strategic support to this organization.
• One EarthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn organization that empowers global communities with knowledge and tools to implement effective climate solutions and biodiversity conservation. Grounded supports One Earth through catalytic capital and operational support.
• Project RegenerationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA nonprofit initiative mobilizing a global network to reverse climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic injustice through practical, science-based solutions. Founded by Paul Hawken, its Nexus platform offers regenerative actions spanning energy, food, ecosystems, and equity.
• Keystone Species AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA 501(c)(4) coalition advancing legal rights for keystone species—organisms critical to ecosystem stability and climate resilience. Works through policy reform, public advocacy, and global legal frameworks to shift anthropocentric laws toward ecological justice.
• Climate Week NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA global hub that empowers cities to launch and scale climate-action weeks by sharing tools, mentorship, and a global network of 10,000+ organizations. Grounded provides fiscal sponsorship and strategic guidance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ClimateWorks Foundation: A major global climate philanthropy that funds and convenes a network of climate-focused organizations across mitigation, adaptation, and policy. Comparable to Grounded as a climate grantmaker, but operates at significantly greater scale and broader thematic scope.
• New Venture Fund: A large fiscal sponsor that hosts and provides operational support to dozens of climate, environmental, and social-impact projects. Comparable to Grounded in its fiscal-sponsorship function, though at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Builders Initiative: A private foundation funding systemic solutions to climate change, ocean health, and sustainable food systems. Comparable to Grounded as a relatively focused, mid-sized climate grantmaker supporting a curated portfolio.
• Windward Fund: A fiscal sponsor and grantmaking intermediary that channels philanthropic capital to climate and clean-energy initiatives. Directly comparable to Grounded in serving as both funder and fiscal sponsor for climate nonprofit partners.
• Climate Emergency Fund: A rapid-response climate funder that supports climate activism and movement-building organizations. Comparable to Grounded as a climate-focused grantmaker leveraging a portfolio model.
• The Solutions Project: A climate-focused philanthropic organization funding an array of grantees across clean energy, climate justice, and narrative change. Closely comparable to Grounded as a multi-grantee climate foundation.
• Quadrature Climate Foundation: A focused climate philanthropic foundation deploying catalytic capital to accelerate climate solutions. Directly comparable to Grounded as a smaller, mission-aligned climate grantmaker pursuing systemic outcomes.
• Thousand Currents: A grantmaking intermediary that channels philanthropic dollars to grassroots climate justice and equity initiatives globally. Comparable to Grounded as a small, mission-driven grantmaker deploying catalytic capital.
• Sea Change Foundation: A private foundation focused on climate change mitigation and clean energy deployment. Comparable to Grounded as a smaller, dedicated climate grantmaker pursuing catalytic impact.

Emerging players

• NDN Collective: An Indigenous-led organization building collective power and funding Indigenous climate, land, and justice work. Comparable to Grounded in centering Indigenous-led climate initiatives, including overlapping themes with grantee The Earth Elders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/grounded_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/Groundedorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grounded-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Grounded.org