A home for grassroots
ecological work.
Fertile Ground Conservancy provides fiscal sponsorship to grassroots initiatives working at the intersection of ecological protection, Indigenous rights, and social justice. We offer the legal and administrative infrastructure of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so that your group can focus on the work itself.
We are not a neutral platform. We sponsor projects that share our biocentric orientation — projects rooted in the understanding that the living world is not a resource to be managed, but a community of relations to be defended.
We work with projects that are:
- Biocentric in their values and approach
- Grassroots and community-led
- Working on ecological protection, habitat defense, Indigenous land rights, or related social justice issues
- Operating in good faith with affected communities
- Not duplicative of existing well-funded efforts
We have sponsored projects across the western United States and internationally, including efforts focused on mining resistance, urban permaculture, climate grief, Zen ecological practice, and rural agroforestry.
Our administrative fee is 5% of funds received. Sponsored projects receive:
- 501(c)(3) status — tax-deductible donations; eligibility for foundation grants
- Financial administration — we receive, hold, and disburse funds with full accounting
- Tax compliance — 990 inclusion; donor acknowledgment letters
- Quarterly financial reporting — clear statements of income and expenditure
- Grant writing support — drafting and reviewing grant applications
- Donor communications support — appeals, acknowledgments, and updates
- Organizational policy templates — conflict of interest, whistleblower, document retention
- Annual report preparation — narrative and financial summary for your funders
- Protect Thacker Pass Grassroots resistance to lithium mining on Northern Paiute sacred land, Nevada
- Pinyon-Juniper Alliance Defending native forests in the intermountain west from industrial removal
- Rural Watch Africa Initiative Partnering with smallholder farmers in Nigeria to restore ecosystems and build livelihoods
- Viveros Farm Urban permaculture, aquaculture, and environmental education
- Mountain and Waters Alliance Zen Buddhist initiative for right ecological engagement
- Good Grief Group Climate grief processing and community building as a pathway to action
- Sovereign Housing Project Funding a center for environmental and cultural work for the Ahousaht First Nation
Before applying, read through our vision and approach to make sure there's genuine alignment. We review applications on a rolling basis and typically respond within three weeks.