What Captain Planet Foundation does

Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 by Ted Turner and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The foundation operates as both a programmatic operator and a grant-maker, delivering environmental education and youth empowerment programs that engage young people ages 10-25 across all 50 U.S. states and 100+ countries. Its core portfolio includes six programs: Project Learning Garden (elementary school garden-based learning in 785+ schools across 41 states), Project Hero (K-12 online/offline species-conservation quests), Planeteer Alliance (a global youth network built around a six-tier gamified Ladder of Engagement that unlocks badges, certifications, and grant eligibility), Green Heart STEM Challenge (a middle-school environmental solutions competition with implementation grants), Project Giving Gardens (school gardens converted to fresh-produce donations for 30,000+ food-insecure families), and the newly launched Captain Planet Collective (a five-month Green Economy Workforce Development Program powered by Accenture for adults 18-25).

The technical platform is modest in scope: Planeteer HQ serves as the online community hub for youth onboarding, training, certification tracking, and event registration; curricula (ecoSTEM, garden-based learning lessons, Gardeneer teacher certification) are delivered through partner schools; and grant-distribution workflows support micro-grant programs such as WIND Summits and Season of Solutions. Programs operate at no cost to schools and youth, with the foundation reporting that 73 cents of every dollar raised (including in-kind) is directed to programmatic work.

Revenue flows from a combination of individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Visionary Sponsors include Accenture, Delta Air Lines, Cox Enterprises, Warner Bros. Discovery, Turner Foundation, and UN Environment Programme), foundation grants (UNEP, Publix Charities, Northern Trust, Sprouts, KellerWilliams), and in-kind contributions of rent, contract services, and goods from corporate partners. Specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a 30+ member Board including co-chairs from Delta Air Lines and Cox Enterprises, Chair Emeritus Laura Turner Seydel (Ted Turner's daughter), and a Wisdom Council of youth advisors. Founder Ted Turner passed away on May 6, 2026, and the foundation continues operations under President & CEO Leesa Carter-Jones.

Name

Captain Planet Foundation

Legal name

Captain Planet Foundation

Website

https://captainplanetfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Captain Planet Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds and operates environmental education programs engaging young people ages 10-25 across 100+ countries, serving elementary and middle schools, youth networks, and food-insecure families through garden-based learning, STEM challenges, and workforce development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Youth climate action
• School garden programs
• STEM environmental education
• Nonprofit grant making

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donors contribute to the foundation's operations and programs. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial support, volunteer mentors, and in-kind donations including rent, contract services, and goods. 73 cents of every dollar raised goes directly into programmatic work.
3. Grant Funding: The foundation receives and distributes grants for environmental education and youth empowerment programs, including UNEP grants and corporate foundation grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Captain Planet Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs environmental education programs for young people ages 10-25, operating as both a program operator and grant-maker. Its portfolio includes Project Learning Garden (elementary school gardens), Planeteer Alliance (global youth network), Green Heart STEM Challenge (middle school environmental solutions), Project Hero (online species conservation quests), Project Giving Gardens (food security via school gardens), Captain Planet Collective (green economy workforce development), and Season of Solutions (youth-led climate action campaigns), supported by the Planeteer HQ online platform. The foundation has funded 3,700+ projects across 50 U.S. states and 100+ countries, engaging more than 2 million children over its 35-year history.

Product overview

Captain Planet Foundation operates as both a program operator and grant-maker offering multiple youth environmental education programs. The portfolio includes Project Learning Garden (elementary school garden-based learning), Project Hero (K-12 online/offline species conservation quests), Planeteer Alliance (global youth network ages 10-25 with a Ladder of Engagement), Green Heart STEM Challenge (middle school environmental solutions competition), Project Giving Gardens (summer food security through school gardens), and the Captain Planet Collective (green economy workforce development). These programs are designed to engage and empower young people to become environmental problem-solvers, with initiatives ranging from local school gardens to international climate summits and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Planeteer Alliance: A global network of young people ages 10-25 who are putting their impatience for change into action for the planet
• Project Learning Garden
• Green Heart STEM Challenge
• Project Hero
• Captain Planet Collective

Products and services

• Project Learning Garden Elementary school program providing onsite learning laboratories with gardens, strategies, curriculum, and mobile cooking carts to build effective, long-lasting garden-based learning programs and healthy food access for K-5 students.
• Project Hero Nationwide web-based learning platform for K-12 students featuring online Quests with off-screen activities that challenge and guide students to make a meaningful difference for locally threatened and endangered species and ecosystems.
• Planeteer Alliance Global network of young people ages 10-25 who are putting their passion and impatience for change into action for the planet. Features a Ladder of Engagement with levels: Planeteer, Rising Leader, Captain, Summit Host, Campaign Leader, and Wisdom Council, each unlocking new titles, badges, training access, and grant eligibility.
• Green Heart STEM Challenge Annual purpose-driven STEM Challenge for middle school students to explore and identify environmental issues in their communities and design and implement winning solutions. Uses a hybrid model with in-person activities in Atlanta, Houston, and Miami plus virtual participation.
• Project Giving Gardens Summer program that cultivates school gardens to provide families facing food insecurity with fresh produce. Leverages school gardens unused during summer to grow fresh organic produce for food banks and pantries across metro-Atlanta and the San Francisco Bay/Oakland areas.
• Captain Planet Collective Green Economy Workforce Development Program powered by Accenture, designed for young people ages 18-25 seeking careers that support both their futures and the health of the planet. Five-month program serving emerging professionals from the United States, Canada, and Latin America.
• Season of Solutions Youth-led climate action campaign funding solution-based projects designed by young people addressing environmental challenges including waste management, clean energy access, reforestation, sustainable transportation, and indigenous conservation education.
• Planeteer HQ Online platform serving as the digital hub for Planeteer Alliance members to join, access training and certifications, connect through community, and attend live virtual events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ young people directly engaged across CPF programs worldwide in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Raley's SupermarketscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Raley's funded the expansion of Florence Markofer Elementary School's sustainability initiative in Elk Grove, California with a $6,000 Captain Planet Foundation Learning Garden Package including raised garden beds, cooking cart, and curriculum enhancements.
• Edible Schoolyard and Conscious KitchensecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Edible Schoolyard and Conscious Kitchen partnered for the 2021 pilot expansion of Project Giving Gardens to the San Francisco Bay and Oakland areas communities.
• Food Well AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Food Well Alliance partnered with Captain Planet Foundation in 2020 to establish Project Giving Gardens, leveraging school gardens abandoned during COVID closures to grow fresh produce for families across metro-Atlanta facing food insecurity.
• AccenturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAccenture provides volunteer mentors and project managers for the Green Heart STEM Challenge and powers the Captain Planet Collective, a Green Economy Workforce Development Program. In 2025, Accenture consultants served as Idea Incubator mentors helping student teams refine budgets and build project timelines.
• GoodrsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodr partners with Project Giving Gardens to support food distribution logistics to food banks and pantries across metro areas.
• Mister LandscaperminorOthersMister Landscaper provides micro sprinkler and drip irrigation products as in-kind support for Project Giving Gardens school gardens.
• iAlumbra FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartneriAlumbra Foundation partnered with Planeteer Alliance to expand youth-led environmental action in La Paz, Mexico, launching four Planeteer Clubs with local organizations.
• CNN InternationalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNN International partnered with Planeteer Alliance for Call to Earth Day 2025, engaging Planeteers across 21 locations in 7 countries with 310 participants to express how they care for and protect green spaces.
• Ocean Heroes NetworksecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaptain Planet Foundation co-founded the Ocean Heroes Bootcamp and Network for youth ocean conservation and plastic pollution prevention.

Scale indicators21 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EarthEcho International: Youth-focused environmental nonprofit founded by Philippe Cousteau Jr. that equips young people with resources to address ocean and environmental issues; directly comparable to Captain Planet Foundation in mission, target audience (teens/young adults), and education-based programmatic model.
• Jane Goodall Institute: Global nonprofit focused on youth-led conservation and environmental education through programs like Roots & Shoots; directly comparable mission around empowering young people to address environmental challenges in their communities.
• Earth Rangers: Canadian youth-focused environmental charity that engages children in wildlife conservation and STEM-based environmental missions; comparable in target audience, programmatic model, and education-led approach.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Society: Large established nonprofit that funds exploration, conservation, and education programs including youth-focused grants; broader portfolio than CPF but overlaps on environmental education, school-based programs, and youth grantmaking.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits focused on land and water conservation; broader portfolio but overlaps with CPF on youth engagement and grantmaking for conservation education.
• Rainforest Alliance: International nonprofit working on biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods; broader in scope but overlaps with CPF on youth-led conservation and global environmental grantmaking.

Emerging players

• EcoRise: Nonprofit that empowers K-12 students with sustainability education and project-based learning; comparable programmatic overlap with Green Heart STEM Challenge and Project Learning Garden at the school level.
• Turning Green: Student-led environmental nonprofit co-founded by CPF board member Erin Schrode; focuses on youth-driven sustainability and climate action on college campuses, with thematic and operational overlap.
• Children & Nature Network: Nonprofit focused on connecting children to nature through research and educator programs; comparable mission around outdoor learning and garden-based education for school-aged youth.

Others

• Ocean Heroes Network: Co-founded by Captain Planet Foundation, focused on youth-led ocean conservation; included as an ecosystem partner/ally rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/captainplanetfd
• Facebookfacebook.com/captainplanetfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/captain-planet-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/captainplanetfdn
• TikToktiktok.com/@planeteerhq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Captain Planet Foundation