Third Act

What Third Act does

Third Act is a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit founded in 2021 by climate author and 350.org founder Bill McKibben, organized around mobilizing Americans over the age of 60 for climate action and democracy protection. Its affiliated 501(c)(3), Third Act Education Fund (EIN 93-4139858), supports complementary educational activity. The organization reports a membership base in the 70,000–95,000+ range, a staff of approximately 44, and a network of 35+ Working Groups organized along both geographic and affinity-based lines (Faith, Creatives, Educators, Lawyers, Union) operating across more than 30 states.

The operational model centers on a member-driven organizing infrastructure. Core products include a set of national campaigns — One Third Project, Stop Data Centers, Solar Advocates Project, Move Your Money, Simplify Solar, and Safeguarding Democracy — alongside an Actions Hub, Resources Library, events platform, and a postcarding program that converts members into distributed campaign actors. The technology stack referenced is conventional for digital advocacy organizations: Zoom for member convening, Action Network for member data and email mobilization, and Shopify for merchandise revenue. The organization partners with the League of Women Voters, Progressive Turnout Project, Sierra Club, and other progressive allies to extend campaign reach.

Third Act is funded primarily through individual donations, supplemented by donor-advised fund grants, qualified charitable distributions, stock gifts, and merchandise sales. Headquarters are located in New York, NY (45 W 36th St), with a mailing address in Nassau, NY. No government contracts, paid membership tiers, or fee-for-service revenue lines are described in the input data.

Name

Third Act

Legal name

Third Act Initiative

Website

https://thirdact.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Third Act is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit founded in 2021 by Bill McKibben that organizes Americans over 60 through 35+ Working Groups and national campaigns focused on climate action and democracy protection, funded primarily by individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Advocacy and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK), Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying (BPAFADAB)

Keywords

• Climate advocacy organizing
• Grassroots community organizing
• Voter engagement programs
• Democracy protection initiatives
• Nonprofit advocacy campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Nassau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Third Act raises funds through one-time and monthly online donations, mail-in checks, Donor Advised Fund grants, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs, gifts of stock, vehicle donations, and legacy giving through bequests. The organization offers both tax-deductible (via Third Act Education Fund, EIN 93-4139858) and non-tax-deductible giving options (via Third Act Initiative). Monthly recurring donations are encouraged for sustainable planning.
2. Membership and Program Participation: Working Group membership is free for anyone over sixty, removing financial barriers to participation. The organization monetizes through merchandise sales (tote bags, t-shirts, baseball caps) via their Shopify store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Third Act is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organization that mobilizes Americans over 60 through a network of volunteer-led Working Groups to organize for climate action and democracy protection. The organization runs campaigns (One Third Project, Stop Data Centers, Solar Advocates, Move Your Money, Simplify Solar, Safeguarding our Democracy), provides advocacy tools through an Actions Hub (postcarding, petitions, letter writing), hosts educational programming (All-In Calls, Eldering Series, workshops), and sells branded merchandise to support the movement.

Product overview

Third Act is a nonprofit social welfare organization that functions as a grassroots advocacy platform, not a software product company. It offers a portfolio of organizing programs including Working Groups (volunteer-led geographic and affinity-based groups), National Campaigns (One Third Project, Stop Data Centers, Solar Advocates Project, Move Your Money, Simplify Solar, Safeguarding Democracy), an Actions Hub (letter writing, petitions, postcarding), a Resources Library (trainings, toolkits, recordings), Events programming, a Postcarding Program for GOTV, and an Align Your Money With Your Values educational series. These programs work together to mobilize Americans over 60 for climate action and democracy protection through community organizing, advocacy, and individual behavior change campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Working Groups Volunteer-led groups organized by geographic location or affinity (Faith, Creatives, Educators, Lawyers, Union) that carry out Third Act campaigns on climate and democracy at the local level. Open to any American over 60 at no cost.
• National Advocacy Campaigns Organized advocacy initiatives including One Third Project, Stop Data Centers, Solar Advocates Project, Move Your Money, Simplify Solar, and Safeguarding our Democracy that mobilize elders for climate and democratic action.
• Actions Hub Online platform providing advocacy tools including letter writing, petitions, postcarding, volunteering, donations, and workshops for voter engagement and democracy defense.
• Postcarding Program Electoral outreach initiative partnering with Progressive Turnout Project, Activate America, and Environmental Voter Project to write Get Out the Vote postcards in key swing states.
• Align Your Money With Your Values Monthly interactive learning series teaching members how to align banking, credit cards, insurance, and investments with climate values through credit unions and community banks.
• Resources Library Educational materials including All-In Calls recordings, Eldering Series, Hope & Joy content, Toolkits, Trainings, Teach-Ins, and Press materials organized by topic and type.
• Events Platform Calendar of national community-wide calls, workshops, trainings, and facilitated conversations that build skills and mobilize members on climate and democracy issues.
• Merchandise Store Online store selling branded merchandise including tote bags, t-shirts, and baseball caps to support the movement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95,000+ Americans over 60 organized for progressive action
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• League of Women VoterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act launched a national partnership with the League of Women Voters to mobilize Third Actors and older Americans around voter outreach, voting rights, and protecting the democratic process. The partnership includes sharing Third Act's Vote411.org page with key election information.
• Progressive Turnout ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Progressive Turnout Project for postcarding programs. They provide free Get Out the Vote postcards, voter lists, and instructions proven to boost Democratic turnout by up to 1.3%. Also running news-boosting postcarding program.
• Activate AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Activate America for postcarding, having sent hundreds of thousands of postcards since 2022. Partner provides voter lists and messages for outreach across the country.
• Environmental Voter ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Environmental Voter Project for postcarding, focusing on identifying and mobilizing climate voters through research and targeting.
• Stop The Money PipelinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act coordinates campaigns through strategic partnership with Stop The Money Pipeline to advocate against fossil fuel financing by financial institutions.
• Rainforest Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act coordinates climate finance campaigns through partnership with Rainforest Action Network, supporting efforts to stop money pipeline to fossil fuels.
• Fossil Free MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Fossil Free Media for campaign communications and media strategy supporting climate finance advocacy.
• Sierra ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act co-sponsors VS. GOLIATH documentary screening series alongside Sierra Club, uniting members across environmental organizations to watch documentaries of ordinary people fighting fossil fuel industry.
• Food and Water WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Food and Water Watch for documentary screenings and ongoing advocacy coordination against fossil fuel industry.
• People Vs. Fossil FuelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner for documentary screening series and ongoing fossil fuel fight coordination.
• Center for Biological DiversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization participating in VS. GOLIATH documentary screening series.
• 350 Local GroupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 350.org local groups participating in documentary screening collaboration.
• Greenlight AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with Greenlight America for utility-scale solar and battery storage project advocacy. Collaborates on pro-solar narrative development and strategic campaign support for local solar permitting efforts.
• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with SEIA state affiliates to identify critical solar projects and mobilize grassroots advocacy for permitting approval.
• Coalition for Community Solar AccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act partners with CCSA for community solar project advocacy, helping mobilize volunteers for grassroots support of community solar initiatives.
• Community Power GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar developer partner for grassroots advocacy mobilization, with Third Act mobilizing volunteer support for their projects.
• EDF RenewablesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolar developer partner receiving grassroots advocacy support from Third Act volunteer cadres.
• Hip Hop CaucusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act advisor Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. serves as President and CEO of Hip Hop Caucus, creating informal partnership alignment on climate and democracy issues.
• Middlebury CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill McKibben serves as Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College, creating institutional connection.
• Clean Energy Credit UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Energy Credit Union featured in Banking on our Future campaign blog, providing loans for rooftop solar installations that Third Act highlights as responsible finance example.
• Ground ControlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act references Ground Control as a one-stop shop for voter engagement opportunities from democracy organizations near supporters.
• All Voting Is LocalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Act promotes All Voting Is Local resources for learning about defending voting rights and election monitoring training.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: One of the largest and oldest US environmental nonprofits, partnering with Third Act on the VS. GOLIATH documentary series. Overlaps significantly on climate and democracy advocacy but operates at vastly larger scale and a much broader issue portfolio.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Major US environmental advocacy organization with overlapping climate and clean-energy missions. Much larger established player that overlaps in climate policy advocacy but operates more through litigation, policy expertise, and lobbying than grassroots elder mobilization.
• Greenpeace USA: Large environmental advocacy organization with overlapping climate, fossil fuel divestment, and democracy-adjacent campaigns. A broader incumbent with a wider portfolio than Third Act's elder-focused model.

Direct peers

• League of Women Voters: Established nonpartisan civic engagement organization that is a core national partner of Third Act on voter outreach, voting rights, and democracy defense. Highly comparable as a membership-driven advocacy platform operating through local affiliates.
• Hip Hop Caucus: Movement-based nonprofit working at the intersection of climate, democracy, and racial justice, led by Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., who sits on Third Act's Advisory Council. Comparable movement-organizing model and dual climate + civic mission.
• Stop The Money Pipeline: Coalition campaign pressuring financial institutions to stop financing fossil fuels; a core strategic partner of Third Act. Comparable advocacy model and overlapping climate finance campaign slate.
• 350.org: Global grassroots climate organization founded by the same person (Bill McKibben) who founded Third Act. Highly comparable movement-based, donor-funded model focused on climate advocacy and member mobilization, though 350.org targets a broader age range and global footprint.
• Environmental Voter Project: Nonprofit focused on identifying and mobilizing environmental/climate voters through targeted outreach; a direct postcarding partner of Third Act. Comparable mission and toolset, narrowly focused on the climate-voter intersection.
• Rainforest Action Network: Campaign-focused climate and human rights nonprofit; a core partner of Third Act on climate finance advocacy and Stop The Money Pipeline coordination. Directly comparable campaign model and donor-funded nonprofit structure.

Emerging players

• Sunrise Movement: Youth-led climate and political movement with grassroots organizing model and democracy/climate intersection similar to Third Act, but explicitly targeting a younger demographic. Indirectly comparable as a movement-style peer on the opposite end of the age spectrum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ThirdActOrg
• YouTubevimeo.com/thirdactorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThirdActOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/third-act-org
• Instagraminstagram.com/thirdactorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Third Act