The Earth Elders
The Earth Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs Indigenous-led climate programs—Earth Shield (biocultural territory protection), Earth Schools (ancestral knowledge centers), and Earth Jurisprudence (Rights of Nature advocacy)—guided by a global Council of Indigenous Elders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Earth Elders does
The Earth Elders (legally incorporated as Grand Council of Eagle and the Condor) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in New York that delivers Indigenous-led climate action through three core programs: Earth Shield (protecting 52 vital biocultural territories holding the majority of the world's remaining biodiversity), Earth Schools (establishing 13 sacred learning centers anchored to Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, with a planned scale to 52), and Earth Jurisprudence (advancing legal recognition of nature as a living being with inherent rights, building on Rights of Nature frameworks already adopted in 23 countries). All programs are governed by a Council of Earth Elders—currently 13 members with plans to expand to 52—and are anchored by the Five Earth Mandates received from 100+ Indigenous Elders in a 2013 ceremony. The organization serves Original Peoples, environmental NGOs, academic institutions, legal/policy groups, and individual donors through global convenings at COP, the World Economic Forum at Davos, and the Harmony Summit at Highgrove Gardens with King Charles.
The Earth Elders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Earth Elders
- Legal name
- Grand Council of Eagle and the Condor
- Website
- https://theearthelders.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Earth Elders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs Indigenous-led climate programs—Earth Shield (biocultural territory protection), Earth Schools (ancestral knowledge centers), and Earth Jurisprudence (Rights of Nature advocacy)—guided by a global Council of Indigenous Elders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Earth Elders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indigenous-Led Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Land Use, Indigenous & Community Engagement Policy (EUAMANAL)
Keywords
Where The Earth Elders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Earth Elders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. Accepts online donations via PayPal, monthly recurring donations, checks, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, stocks/securities, and Donor Advised Fund contributions.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Earth Elders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Earth Elders is a global non-profit organization that delivers Indigenous-led climate action and biocultural regeneration through three core program initiatives: Earth Shield (safeguarding 52 vital biocultural territories), Earth Schools (establishing centers of ancestral wisdom rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge), and Earth Jurisprudence (advancing legal frameworks that recognize nature as a living being with inherent rights). All programs are guided by a Council of Earth Elders and anchored by the Five Earth Mandates received from over 100 Indigenous Elders in 2013, with revenue generated entirely through charitable donations.
Product overview
The Earth Elders is a global non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on Indigenous-led biocultural regeneration. The core offerings include: Earth Shield (protecting 52 vital biocultural territories through deep listening, legal advocacy, and support for local guardians), Earth Schools (establishing 13-52 sacred learning centers rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ancestral wisdom), and Earth Jurisprudence (advancing legal frameworks recognizing nature as a living being with inherent rights). These initiatives are guided by a Council of 52 Earth Elders and anchored by the Five Earth Mandates received in 2013. The organization also produces a documentary film releasing November 2026. All programs center on empowering Original Peoples to safeguard biodiversity and pass down ancestral knowledge for planetary restoration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Earth Shield
Quantifiable outcome
- 52 biocultural territories protected through Earth Shield initiative
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Earth Elders
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Earth Elders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Earth Elders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- The King's FoundationflagshipThe Earth Elders participated in the Harmony Summit hosted at Highgrove Gardens alongside King Charles and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, exploring pathways toward an ecocentric and regenerative future. This high-profile partnership positions the organization at the intersection of royalty, policy, and environmental leadership.
- Circular Bioeconomy AlliancecoreCo-hosted the Harmony Summit at Highgrove Gardens with King Charles and The Earth Elders. The alliance focuses on transitioning to circular bioeconomy models.
- World Economic ForumcoreMindahi Bastida presented at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, sharing how shifting from 'me' to 'we' can transform global systems and restore balance with the Earth. Earth Elders participated in bringing Indigenous wisdom into high-level dialogues on regeneration and planetary health.
- Minga IndigenacoreMelanie Pyne served as PR Lead for Minga Indigena, aiding in establishing the world's first Loss and Damage Fund for colonial reparations in Scotland, amassing campaign visibility across 19 countries worldwide.
- 350.orgminorThe Earth Elders participated in protests at climate talks in Bonn alongside 350.org, calling out hypocrisy at climate talks and urging world leaders to honor Indigenous rights ahead of COP30.
- One EarthminorCoverage and partnership on articles about Mindahi Bastida advocating for Mexican wetlands and Vatican renouncing Doctrine of Discovery in support of Indigenous rights.
- Stop EcocideminorMindahi Bastida called on the Vatican to acknowledge and renounce the Doctrine of Discovery through Stop Ecocide, working toward healing historical harm.
- Charles Eisenstein (Author)minorCharles Eisenstein references The Earth Elders in his essay 'World-renewal and the Indigenous,' affirming that Indigenous cultures are living knowledge systems and acknowledging the organization's work.
- BBC NewsminorCoverage of King Charles's Harmony Summit featuring The Earth Elders and their work in Indigenous-led climate action.
- The GuardianminorCoverage of Chief Ninawa Huni Kui joining global leaders in Paris for ChangeNOW summit, sharing Indigenous vision for planetary restoration and ecological justice.
- Ripple Effect ImagescoreLucy Martens is integral to Ripple Effect Images, a collective empowering women and children through storytelling. The organization focuses on urgent global issues including food, water, health, education, energy, economic empowerment, and climate.
- Le Ciel FoundationcoreLucy Martens is co-founder of Le Ciel Foundation, which reintegrates primordial wisdom. The foundation produced 'The Twelve,' a documentary about Indigenous Elders.
- Artists+Allies+HebroncoreMelanie Pyne and Rebecca Routman work with Artists+Allies+Hebron, contributing to legislative reports on Fortress Conservation and ethnoecological journalism.
- Credo Mutwa FoundationcoreRutendo Ngara serves as Chair of the Credo Mutwa Foundation, bridging Western and Indigenous medical knowledge systems and advancing consciousness.
- GroundedcoreJulia Jackson, Co-Chair of the Board, is also Co-Founder of Grounded, focusing on identifying and amplifying necessary solutions for ecosystem breakdown.
- Keystone Species AlliancecoreJulia Jackson, Co-Chair of the Board, is also Executive Board Chair of Project, Regeneration, and Co-Founder of the Keystone Species Alliance.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Earth Elders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Broad incumbent in global conservation; significantly larger scale and broader mandate but increasingly partners with Indigenous communities on protected-area management, overlapping with the Earth Shield initiative.
- Conservation International: Broad incumbent in global biodiversity conservation with growing Indigenous partnership programs; operates at much larger scale and broader geographic scope but overlaps on protecting high-biodiversity territories.
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Broad incumbent in sustainable forestry and Indigenous-rights certification; overlaps with Earth Shield on protecting forests stewarded by Indigenous Peoples, though FSC operates through market certification rather than direct protection.
- The Nature Conservancy: Broad incumbent in conservation land protection; operates at much greater scale but overlaps on territory protection and increasingly incorporates Indigenous-led stewardship into its model.
Direct peers
- 350.org: Direct peer in global climate mobilization and Indigenous-led climate advocacy; the two organizations have co-participated in protests at UN climate talks and align on pushing governments to honor Indigenous rights at COP30.
- Cultural Survival: Direct peer as an Indigenous-led NGO focused on Indigenous Peoples' rights, languages, lands, and traditional knowledge — closely aligned with The Earth Elders' Earth Schools and Earth Shield missions.
- Stop Ecocide International: Direct peer in Earth Jurisprudence and Rights of Nature advocacy; Mindahi Bastida has publicly collaborated with Stop Ecocide on the Doctrine of Discovery campaign, and both organizations target the same legal and policy frameworks for nature's rights.
- Minga Indigena: Direct peer in Indigenous-led climate organizing and global campaign communications; The Earth Elders' co-director Melanie Pyne served as PR Lead for Minga Indigena on the Loss and Damage Fund campaign across 19 countries.
- One Earth: Direct peer in climate and biodiversity advocacy with strong Indigenous-rights framing; the two organizations have partnered on coverage of Mindahi Bastida's work on Mexican wetlands and the Vatican's stance on the Doctrine of Discovery.
Emerging players
- Re-Earth Initiative: Emerging peer co-founded by Xiye Bastida, who leads Youth Empowerment at The Earth Elders; focuses on intergenerational climate and Indigenous leadership with overlapping activist networks and shared convenors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Earth Elders social profiles
Digital presenceThe Earth Elders compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
The Earth Elders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Earth Elders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The Earth Elders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Earth Elders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Earth Elders
What does The Earth Elders do?
The Earth Elders is a global non-profit organization that delivers Indigenous-led climate action and biocultural regeneration through three core program initiatives: Earth Shield (safeguarding 52 vital biocultural territories), Earth Schools (establishing centers of ancestral wisdom rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge), and Earth Jurisprudence (advancing legal frameworks that recognize nature as a living being with inherent rights). All programs are guided by a Council of Earth Elders and anchored by the Five Earth Mandates received from over 100 Indigenous Elders in 2013, with revenue generated entirely through charitable donations.
Is The Earth Elders a public or private company?
The Earth Elders is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Earth Elders founded?
The Earth Elders was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Earth Elders based?
The Earth Elders is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Earth Elders make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are The Earth Elders's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and The Nature Conservancy. Direct peers are 350.org, Cultural Survival, Stop Ecocide International, Minga Indigena and One Earth. Re-Earth Initiative is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Earth Elders have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Earth Elders.
What industry is The Earth Elders in?
The Earth Elders's product category is Indigenous-Led Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAH, Environmental Education & Outreach, with a secondary code of EUAMANAL, Land Use, Indigenous & Community Engagement Policy. Its NAICS code is 71219.