Earth Rights Institute

What Earth Rights Institute does

Earth Rights Institute (ERI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Annie Goeke and headquartered in Santa Monica, California. ERI provides consulting, design, and educational programs focused on sustainable development, climate action, and ecological regeneration. Its primary customer segments include governments and municipalities, corporations and social enterprises, local communities and grassroots movements, students and young leaders, and NGO partners across North America, West Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas.

ERI's core offerings comprise four pillars: Consulting Services that bridge grassroots movements with institutional stakeholders on climate action strategies and policy development; Design Programs that create scalable sustainable systems integrating traditional knowledge with modern tools; Living Labs, a community co-creation methodology that serves as ERI's central platform for piloting, testing, and scaling regenerative initiatives with local communities; and the Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP), a 3-phase immersive educational program placing participants directly inside real-world Living Lab projects. Supporting programs include a Fiscal Sponsorship Program that hosts aligned projects such as Metamorphosis and Community Threads under ERI's tax-exempt status.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix including tax-deductible donations via PayPal, fiscal sponsorship fees, project-based consulting engagements with governments and corporations, and GRIP participant fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; donations are the most visible contribution channel. The go-to-market approach is event-driven (conferences such as the L.A. Soil Summit, ARCC Forum, and Community 3.0x), community-led through Living Labs and grassroots partnerships, and direct-to-consumer via the GRIP online interest form. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and has maintained core partnerships with REDES in Senegal since 2009 and UCLA since 2010.

Name

Earth Rights Institute

Legal name

Earth Rights Institute

Website

https://earthrightsinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earth Rights Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that provides consulting, Living Labs, and the Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP) to governments, corporations, communities, and students on sustainable development and climate action.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Sustainable development consulting
• Climate action advisory
• Community regeneration programs
• Experiential sustainability education
• Nonprofit program management

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: ERI accepts donations through PayPal to support its programs and community development initiatives. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #30-0029920), contributions are tax-deductible in the United States.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: ERI provides fiscal sponsorship to aligned projects (Metamorphosis, Community Threads), offering the benefits of a 501(c)(3) status. ERI retains an administrative role over sponsored projects, which may generate nominal fee-based revenue through the fiscal sponsorship arrangement.
3. Climate and Sustainability Consulting Services: ERI offers expert consulting to governments, corporations, and organizations engaged in climate action, providing climate action strategies, policy development, and partnership-building services. Revenue is generated through consulting engagements with institutional clients.
4. Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP) Participant Fees: The GRIP program places participants (students, young leaders, changemakers) into real-world projects within Living Labs. Participants pay program fees to join the immersive experience, which funds the operational costs of the Living Labs and community collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Earth Rights Institute (ERI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers consulting, design, Living Labs, and the Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP) to bridge grassroots movements with institutional stakeholders in climate action and sustainable development. The organization co-creates solutions with local communities in regions such as northern Senegal, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Americas, and operates a fiscal sponsorship program for aligned grassroots projects.

Product overview

Earth Rights Institute operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on sustainable development, climate action, and community empowerment. The core offerings include Consulting Services (bridging grassroots movements with institutional stakeholders), Design Programs (creating scalable sustainable systems), Living Labs (community co-creation spaces for piloting initiatives), and the Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP, an immersive educational experience for young leaders). Supporting programs include a Fiscal Sponsorship Program for aligned projects, past online courses, and climate conferences. The organization functions as a service-based nonprofit rather than a technology product company, with all offerings designed to advance ecological harmony, social equity, and community resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consulting Services Expert guidance for governments, corporations, and organizations engaged in climate action, including climate action strategies tailored to local contexts, policy development ensuring inclusivity and equity, and partnership-building to foster trust and long-term collaboration.
• Design Programs Innovative design services that create adaptable, scalable sustainable systems and models, including programs promoting ecological harmony and social equity, tools for education, entrepreneurship, and community empowerment, and solutions integrating cutting-edge technology with traditional knowledge.
• Living Labs Dynamic regional spaces that serve as hubs for experimentation and co-creation with local communities, piloting new initiatives, gathering data to optimize outcomes, and acting as models for scaling successful projects to neighboring regions.
• Global Regenerative Immersion Program (GRIP) A 3-phase immersive educational program (Introduction, Immersion, Integration) that places participants directly inside real-world Living Lab projects to collaborate with communities on regenerative solutions while building skills in ecology, fair trade, and social innovation.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Program Program that enables aligned projects (such as Metamorphosis and Community Threads) to operate under ERI's 501(c)(3) status, providing administrative support, tax-deductibility for donations, and institutional legitimacy to grassroots initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land regeneration: Arid lands in Lahel, Senegal transformed into regenerated ecological spaces with shady trees, fruit species, and diverse crops.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UCLAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010ERI collaborated with UCLA in 2010 on a landmark Living Lab program in Africa, facilitating cross-cultural exchange between villagers, students, researchers, and experts. This collaboration is highlighted as foundational to ERI's Living Labs methodology and legacy.
• REDES (Network for the Emergence of the Sahel Ecovillages)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2009, ERI has maintained an active partnership with REDES in northern Senegal focused on the Eco-Villages movement and land regeneration initiatives. The collaboration has transformed once-arid lands in Lahel (Gamadji Saré, Podor Department) into regenerated ecological spaces with trees, fruit species, and diverse crops. ERI's Executive Director has visited Senegal four times as part of this partnership. The partnership is hailed by international partners and highlights community engagement combined with international cooperation.
• Hemp Innovation CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHemp Innovation Center is listed as a partner of Earth Rights Institute. The nature of the partnership appears focused on sustainability and innovation in the hemp sector.
• Global Learning CollabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Learning Collab is a partner supporting ERI's educational and experiential programs, likely contributing to the Living Labs and GRIP program which involve cross-cultural collaboration and global academic partnerships.
• DevconiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevconia is listed as an affiliate partner, contributing to ERI's network of development and innovation-focused collaborators.
• Team 54 ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam 54 Project is listed as an affiliate/advisor partner, contributing expertise and advisory support to ERI's initiatives.
• United Nations (UN) Departments and International AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERI is a former UN NGO collaborating with many UN departments and international agencies. The organization has co-organized the ARCC (Africa Roundtable for Climate Change) Conference and participates in various UN-affiliated initiatives, bringing together African and international leaders, grassroots activists, academics, and youth for climate collaboration.
• Metamorphosis ProjectminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMetamorphosis is a fiscally sponsored project of ERI — an immersive climate storytelling initiative created to amplify hope, visualize potential futures, and inspire learning, critical thinking, and activism. ERI provides 501(c)(3) status and administrative support.
• Community ThreadsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity Threads is a grassroots initiative using fashion to strengthen community, reduce waste, and make quality clothing accessible through sustainable pop-up events. It is a fiscally sponsored project of ERI, receiving 501(c)(3) status benefits and administrative support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Forum for the Future: Forum for the Future is a sustainability nonprofit running programs and partnerships with businesses and governments on regenerative and inclusive systems — a direct analog to ERI's holistic sustainability methodology.
• BSR (Business for Social Responsibility): BSR is a global sustainability consultancy that advises corporations, governments, and NGOs on climate strategy, ESG, and inclusive business — directly overlapping with ERI's sustainability consulting offering for institutional clients.
• Proforest: Proforest is a sustainability consultancy specializing in responsible land use and ethical supply chains — overlapping with ERI's design programs and regenerative development work, particularly in tropical geographies.
• EcoAct: EcoAct is an international climate consultancy helping businesses and governments develop net-zero strategies — directly comparable to ERI's climate action strategy and policy development consulting offerings.
• South Pole Group: South Pole is a major climate solutions provider and consultancy offering carbon strategy, climate policy, and sustainability services to governments and businesses — closely matching ERI's climate action consulting model.
• Rare: Rare combines community-based social marketing with conservation programming across developing economies — closely matching ERI's model of community-driven ecological regeneration and partnership with grassroots actors.
• Root Capital: Root Capital invests in the growth of agricultural enterprises in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia to drive sustainable development — comparable to ERI's work with rural communities and sustainable supply chains in emerging markets.

Regional players

• NetHope: NetHope is a consortium of NGOs partnering with technology and development organizations to deliver programs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America — overlapping with ERI's international development programs and UN/NGO collaboration model.

Emerging players

• Third Sector: Third Sector provides fiscal sponsorship and nonprofit infrastructure services to small charitable projects — comparable to ERI's fiscal sponsorship program that supports grassroots projects like Metamorphosis and Community Threads.

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Conservation International is a large established environmental NGO delivering conservation programs, policy advisory, and nature-based solutions globally — overlapping with ERI's Living Labs and ecological regeneration work at greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EarthRightsInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/earthrightsinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5074908
• Instagraminstagram.com/earth_rights_institute
• Xx.com/EarthRightsIn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Earth Rights Institute