What Brighter Green does

Brighter Green is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit policy research and advocacy organization headquartered at 249 Smith Street #128, Brooklyn, New York (EIN 26-1380608), operating with a core staff of approximately 7 employees supplemented by regional associates. Its mission is to raise awareness of and encourage policy action on the intersections of industrial animal agriculture, climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and food systems, with a geographic focus on the global South spanning China, India, Latin America, and East Africa. Founded by Mia MacDonald, the organization has participated in UN climate change summits since COP15 Copenhagen in 2009 and has held Goldman Environmental Prize nominating rights since 2020.

Its core products are policy research publications, documentary films (including What's for Dinner?, Six Years On, and the 2025 Yale Environment 360 First Place winner Slaughter-land), the Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund (a journalism grant program launched in 2023), the Just Food Transition Roadmap (co-authored in 2024 with World Animal Protection, Center for Biological Diversity, Aquatic Life Institute, and Global Forest Coalition), the Good Food Fund and China Vegan Society in Asia, a young women's leadership initiative for Maasai girls in Kenya and Tanzania, and the Justice at the Intersections research project. Brighter Green distributes outputs through direct policy engagement, UN COP participation, media partnerships with the Guardian, Vox, Repórter Brasil, and Revista Raya, and coalition work with Global Forest Coalition, World Federation for Animals, Climate Action Network, Food Climate Action Group, and the Stop Financing Factory Farming Campaign.

The business model is donation- and grant-driven: Brighter Green does not charge for its services, accepts individual donations through PayPal and check, and is funded by a diversified base of 15+ institutional funders including Open Philanthropy, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Animal Welfare Trust, GRACE Communications Foundation, Bradley J. Goldberg Family Foundation, Columbus Foundation, Elmo Foundation, Head Family Charitable Trust, Humane America Animal Foundation, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Karuna Foundation/Vegan Fund, Santa Barbara Community Foundation, Stray Dog Institute, Tiny Beam Fund, and A Well-Fed World. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven, with no direct sales motion.

Name

Brighter Green

Legal name

Brighter Green

Website

https://brightergreen.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brighter Green is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit producing policy research, documentary films, journalism grants, and coalitions on industrial animal agriculture, climate, biodiversity, and food systems, with a focus on the global South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Policy advocacy research
• Environmental conservation
• Food systems transformation
• Animal welfare advocacy
• Climate change research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn, New York

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. Individual Donations: Brighter Green accepts individual donations through PayPal and check. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States with tax-deductible donations.
2. Grants and Foundation Support: Brighter Green receives support from various philanthropic organizations and foundations including Animal Welfare Trust, Bradley J. Goldberg Family Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Columbus Foundation, Elmo Foundation, GRACE Communications Foundation, Head Family Charitable Trust, Humane America Animal Foundation, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, Karuna Foundation/Vegan Fund, Open Philanthropy, Santa Barbara Community Foundation, Stray Dog Institute, Tiny Beam Fund, and A Well-Fed World.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brighter Green is a nonprofit policy research and advocacy organization that generates and incubates research and project initiatives on the environment, animals, biodiversity, and the climate crisis. It produces publications, websites, documentary films, and programs to illuminate public debate among policymakers, activists, communities, influential leaders, and the media, with the goal of social transformation at local and international levels. The organization is supported by grants from foundations and individual donations, and operates as a registered 501(c)(3) in the United States.

Product overview

Brighter Green is a non-profit policy research and advocacy organization that produces publications, documentary films, grant programs, and educational initiatives focused on environmental sustainability, animal welfare, biodiversity, and climate action. The core offerings include policy research papers and reports, documentary films, the Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund (supporting investigative journalism), the Good Food Fund and China Vegan Society (food systems transformation programs in Asia), a young women's leadership initiative in East Africa, the Justice at the Intersections rights research project, and the Just Food Transition Roadmap policy framework. The organization functions as a unified advocacy and research entity rather than a commercial product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund: A fund established by Brighter Green in 2023 to educate and support journalists producing stories on the negative consequences of large-scale animal agriculture for publication in news outlets worldwide.
• Just Food Transition Roadmap

Products and services

• Policy Research and Publications

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 readers for Guardian investigation on pig megafarms in Yucatán
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Goldman Environmental PrizecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Since 2020, Brighter Green has been a nominator for the Goldman Environmental Prize, seeking to highlight courageous work on industrial animal agriculture, wildlife protection, biodiversity, forests, and environmental justice. Brighter Green nominated Marcel Gomes (winner 2024) and Sharon Lavigne (winner 2021), as well as five finalists.
• Global Forest CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green has partnered with the Global Forest Coalition on research and policy proposals, co-hosting conferences, panels, and webinars, and advocating for action on intersections of industrial animal agriculture with environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and threats to Indigenous peoples.
• World Federation for AnimalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green works with the World Federation for Animals on animals, climate crisis, and biodiversity issues at the global level.
• Climate Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green collaborates with Climate Action Network on global climate action initiatives.
• Stop Financing Factory Farming CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green partners with the Stop Financing Factory Farming campaign on financing and agribusiness issues.
• Food Climate Action GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green works with the Food Climate Action Group on food systems and climate action.
• Repórter BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund, Brighter Green has worked with Repórter Brasil on investigative journalism including the 'Trapped' series on agribusiness impacts on Brazilian wildlife and the 'Disputed Land' series on SLC agricultural operations.
• Revista RayacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund, Brighter Green partnered with Revista Raya on investigative journalism including coverage of paramilitary connections to deforestation and livestock farming in the Colombian Amazon.
• GuardiancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrighter Green collaborated with the Guardian on investigative journalism about pig megafarms in the Yucatán, which received strong readership with over 100,000 readers.
• VoxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrighter Green worked with Vox journalist Sophie Kevany on UN data about animal agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Good Food FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green co-founded the Good Food Fund, now the leading sustainable food systems organization in China. Brighter Green has partnered with the Good Food Fund on plant-based chef roadshows, Food Forward Forum, and Good Food Academy.
• China Vegan SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green helped create the China Vegan Society, the first national network on plant-based eating in China.
• Simba Maasai Outreach Organization (SIMOO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green partnered with SIMOO and Indigenous Information Network on a young women's leadership initiative providing funds for ten Maasai girls to attend school with the goal of encouraging new generation of young women's leadership on environmental issues.
• Indigenous Information NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green partnered with Indigenous Information Network on young women's leadership initiative for Maasai girls in Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on climate resilience and environmental leadership.
• Tribal LinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green partnered with Tribal Link on the young women's leadership initiative.
• Africa Network for Animal Welfare (ANAW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green has partnered with ANAW and the Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organizations (CAAWO) on animal welfare initiatives in Africa.
• Coalition of African Animal Welfare Organizations (CAAWO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green works with CAAWO on animal welfare initiatives across Africa.
• World Animal ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green joined World Animal Protection, Center for Biological Diversity, Aquatic Life Institute, and Global Forest Coalition to create the Just Food Transition white paper and Roadmap.
• Center for Biological DiversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green co-authored the Just Food Transition white paper and Roadmap with Center for Biological Diversity, providing a global framework for food system transformation.
• Aquatic Life InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green partnered with Aquatic Life Institute on the Just Food Transition white paper addressing industrial aquaculture.
• Global Alliance for Rights of Nature (GARN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green became a GARN member in a joint effort to end expansion of mega-farms in the Yucatán, stop exploitation of farmed animals, and advance nature's and human rights. Submitted the case of industrial animal mega-farms in the Yucatán to GARN's Rights of Nature Tribunal.
• More-Than-Human Life (MOTH) ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green presented its 'Justice at the Intersections' paper at MOTH conferences, an interdisciplinary initiative at NYU Law School advancing rights for humans, nonhumans, and web of life.
• Green Belt MovementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrighter Green collaborated with Wangari Maathai and the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, working on environmental protection and women's empowerment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Food Empowerment Project: A small vegan advocacy nonprofit working on food systems, animal rights, and worker justice with overlapping governance (Brighter Green leadership has served on its board). Directly comparable size, scope, and mission profile.
• A Well-Fed World: A grantmaking and advocacy nonprofit focused on plant-based food systems and reducing industrial animal agriculture — comparable in scope, mission, and grant-based funding model, and is itself a Brighter Green funder.
• Farm Sanctuary: U.S. farm-animal protection organization with overlapping leadership (Mia MacDonald has served on its board) and similar advocacy orientation toward industrial animal agriculture reform.
• Repórter Brasil: Brazilian investigative journalism organization that documents agribusiness impacts on workers, Indigenous peoples, and the environment — Brighter Green's main Latin American investigative partner via the Animals and Biodiversity Reporting Fund.
• Global Forest Coalition: International coalition focused on forests, biodiversity, industrial animal agriculture, and Indigenous rights — overlapping mission with Brighter Green and a formal partnership for co-hosting conferences, panels, and webinars. The most direct mission-aligned peer.

Broad incumbents

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Established global animal welfare and conservation organization operating across wildlife protection, marine conservation, and animal rescue. Comparable in cross-continental animal/wildlife advocacy but at significantly larger scale.
• World Animal Protection: Global animal welfare organization operating across species protection and cruelty reduction with significant international footprint. A formal partner on the Just Food Transition Roadmap and an obvious comparable in the animal-agriculture advocacy space.
• Climate Action Network: Global network of more than 1,800 civil society organizations working on climate policy. Brighter Green is a member/partner; comparable in international climate-advocacy posture though vastly larger and broader in scope.
• Center for Biological Diversity: Large U.S. environmental advocacy organization with much broader species/climate/ocean scope. Co-authored the Just Food Transition Roadmap with Brighter Green; comparable in policy advocacy style but operates at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Sinergia Animal: Latin America-focused animal protection organization working on factory farming and corporate campaigns. Similar animal-agriculture advocacy focus with regional emphasis overlapping Brighter Green's Latin America work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brighter-green

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Brighter Green