Purpose Earth
Purpose Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that runs a global grant and mentorship program awarding $2,000 to $10,000 to grassroots community leaders tackling environmental, community, and cultural projects across 35 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersFlushing, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Purpose Earth does
Purpose Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2019 that operates a global grant and mentorship program supporting grassroots community leaders working on environmental protection, community activation, and cultural collaboration. The organization accepts applications annually (capped at 200 submissions), vets them through a volunteer Grants Council, and disburses grants of $2,000 to $10,000 per recipient alongside personalized mentorship, digital project spotlights, and a dedicated project page. To date, Purpose Earth has awarded more than $572,000 across 64 projects in 35 countries.
The organization is donation-funded, with stated pass-through economics in which 100% of donor contributions reach grant recipients and co-founders personally cover administrative and operational costs. Its distribution and outreach run through purposeearth.org, a monthly newsletter, social media, video storytelling, and curated in-person events such as the Bloom Experience, supported by the Chicago Creative Collective of volunteer designers and artists. The grant-making framework is organized around three thematic pillars: Environmental Protection, Community Activation, and Cultural Collaboration.
Purpose Earth was launched as a partnership between Greenheart International co-founders Laura Rose and Emanuel Kuntzelman and UNITY EARTH founder Ben Bowler, and was spun out as an independent 501(c)(3) in March 2024. Leadership includes a small core staff, a board of philanthropists, artists, and impact operators, and a volunteer Grants Council. Operations are anchored from Arizona (legal/payments) and Chicago (creative collective), with a defined geographic exclusion list for grantee selection.
Purpose Earth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Purpose Earth
- Legal name
- Purpose Earth
- Website
- https://purposeearth.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Purpose Earth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that runs a global grant and mentorship program awarding $2,000 to $10,000 to grassroots community leaders tackling environmental, community, and cultural projects across 35 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Purpose Earth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Grant Programs
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)
Keywords
Where Purpose Earth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Flushing
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Purpose Earth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Contributions: Purpose Earth operates as a nonprofit that receives donations from individuals and organizations. The co-founders financially support the operational and administrative costs, allowing 100% of donations to go directly to grant recipients.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Purpose Earth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Purpose Earth operates a global grant and mentorship program that awards micro-grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to grassroots project leaders and small organizations working in environmental protection, community activation, and cultural collaboration. Selected grantees receive paired mentorship, digital project spotlights, and website visibility. The program is funded by individual and organizational donations, with co-founders covering all operational and administrative costs so that 100% of donations flow directly to recipients.
Product overview
Purpose Earth is a global grant and mentorship program operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-with-modules architecture. The core product is the Grant and Mentorship Program, which provides funding (ranging from $2,000 to $10,000) combined with personalized mentorship, project spotlights, and promotional support. This program is structured around three thematic pillars—Environmental Protection, Community Activation, and Cultural Collaboration—that guide the selection and focus of grant recipients. The organization also provides an online Grant Application Portal for prospective recipients to submit their projects annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grant and Mentorship Program Annual grant and mentorship program that provides funding ($2,000 to $10,000 per recipient) alongside personalized mentorship, digital project spotlights, and a dedicated project page on purposeearth.org for grassroots leaders and small organizations working in environmental protection, community activation, and cultural collaboration.
Quantifiable outcome
- Awarded over $572,000 to 64 projects in 35 countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Purpose Earth
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Purpose Earth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Purpose Earth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Greenheart InternationalcoreGreenheart International co-founders Emanuel Kuntzelman and Laura Rose launched Purpose Earth in 2019 as an evolution of their earlier projects including Greenheart Transforms and Global Purpose Movement.
- UNITY EARTHcoreUNITY EARTH founder Ben Bowler aligned with Greenheart International co-founders to create Purpose Earth, embodying a pathway toward global change based on purpose and peace as transformative tools.
- HolomovementminorEmanuel Kuntzelman is the visionary in developing the theory of the Holomovement. Some staff members work as Projects Synergist for the Holomovement.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Purpose Earth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- charity: water: charity: water pioneered the 100% donor-pass-through model that Purpose Earth also leverages. While Purpose Earth grants to multiple causes (env, community, culture), the operational and donor-trust playbook is highly analogous.
- Tides Foundation: Tides is a major philanthropic partner and funder of environmental and social justice initiatives. It is a much larger, more institutionalized peer operating in the same grantmaking space as Purpose Earth.
- Patagonia (Holdfast Collective): Patagonia and its Holdfast Collective direct corporate environmental grants to grassroots activists. Comparable environmental grantmaking focus and similar small-grant, high-impact orientation.
- National Geographic Society (Explorer Programs): National Geographic funds global explorers and conservationists through grant programs with cultural and environmental pillars. Overlaps with Purpose Earth's environmental protection and cultural collaboration focus.
- RSF Social Finance: RSF Social Finance channels philanthropic capital to environmental and social enterprises through grants and loans. A larger, more established peer in the values-aligned grantmaking ecosystem.
Emerging players
- One Tree Planted: One Tree Planted is an environmental nonprofit funding reforestation projects worldwide. Comparable environmental funding model, though Purpose Earth is broader in scope and adds mentorship.
- NDN Collective: NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization providing grants and capacity-building to climate, justice, and cultural projects. Overlaps with Purpose Earth's environmental and cultural pillars and Indigenous grantee base.
Direct peers
- Thousand Currents: Thousand Currents funds grassroots groups tackling poverty and inequality across the Global South through long-term flexible grants. Comparable grassroots-led, multi-pillar philanthropic model with global reach.
- The Pollination Project: The Pollination Project provides daily $1,000 seed grants plus mentorship to grassroots social change leaders. It mirrors Purpose Earth's small-grant-plus-mentorship model applied to changemakers globally.
- Global Greengrants Fund: Global Greengrants Fund makes small direct grants to grassroots environmental and social justice groups worldwide. Purpose Earth is a near-direct functional equivalent focused on environment plus community and cultural pillars.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Purpose Earth social profiles
Digital presencePurpose Earth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Purpose Earth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Purpose Earth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Purpose Earth 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 Purpose Earth
What does Purpose Earth do?
Purpose Earth operates a global grant and mentorship program that awards micro-grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to grassroots project leaders and small organizations working in environmental protection, community activation, and cultural collaboration. Selected grantees receive paired mentorship, digital project spotlights, and website visibility. The program is funded by individual and organizational donations, with co-founders covering all operational and administrative costs so that 100% of donations flow directly to recipients.
Is Purpose Earth a public or private company?
Purpose Earth is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Purpose Earth founded?
Purpose Earth was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Purpose Earth based?
Purpose Earth is headquartered in Flushing, United States, in the North America region.
How does Purpose Earth make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Philanthropic Contributions.
Who are Purpose Earth's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are charity: water, Tides Foundation, Patagonia (Holdfast Collective), National Geographic Society (Explorer Programs) and RSF Social Finance. Emerging players are One Tree Planted and NDN Collective. Direct peers are Thousand Currents, The Pollination Project and Global Greengrants Fund.
Does Purpose Earth have an API?
No public API is recorded for Purpose Earth.
What industry is Purpose Earth in?
Purpose Earth's product category is Nonprofit Grant Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.