EarthPercent

Charity Number: 1188391

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Quick Stats

  • Total Grants Awarded: Over $2.5 million (cumulative)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - no public application process
  • Geographic Focus: International (UK and US registered)
  • Funding Model: Trust-based funding

Contact Details

Website: https://www.earthpercent.org

Registered Charity Number: 1188391 (England & Wales)

Key Contact: For general inquiries about EarthPercent's work and mission, contact through their website. Note: They do not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

Founded in 2021 by musician Brian Eno alongside co-founders Adam Callan and Hiroki Shirasuka, EarthPercent is a fundraising and grant-making charity focused on channelling music industry income to environmental organisations. The charity has awarded over $2.5 million in cumulative grants to environmental organisations since inception, and broke the £1 million annual distribution mark for the first time in recent years. EarthPercent practises “proactive philanthropy,” with their world-leading Expert Advisory Panel actively identifying and approaching organisations rather than accepting unsolicited applications. The charity aims to raise $100 million from the music industry by 2030. Thanks to founding donors covering operational costs, 100% of artist and music industry donations flow directly to grant partners.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

EarthPercent provides trust-based funding to environmental organisations across five action areas. They regularly award continuation grants to existing partners, demonstrating their commitment to long-term relationships rather than one-off funding.

Funding Mechanism: Proactive identification and invitation only - the Expert Advisory Panels identify organisations aligned with their mission and approach them directly.

Priority Areas

EarthPercent focuses funding across five key action areas:

1. Greening Music

  • Helping events, festivals, and venues become more sustainable
  • Supporting cultural and operational changes across the music industry
  • Grant partners include: A Greener Future, Julie's Bicycle, Music Declares Emergency, Vision: 2025, LIVE

2. Just Energy Transition

  • Supporting rapid rollout of renewable energy
  • Opposing oil and gas expansion
  • Grant partners include: Uplift, Critical Frequency

3. Protect & Restore Nature

  • Rainforest conservation and community partnerships
  • Ocean advocacy and deep-sea protection
  • Grant partners include: Cool Earth, The Ocean & Us

4. Legal & Policy Change

  • Using legal mechanisms to protect environmental rights
  • Climate policy advocacy
  • Grant partners include: ClientEarth

5. Climate Justice

  • Supporting grassroots climate activists
  • Youth-led climate movements
  • Community-based environmental justice
  • Grant partners include: Youth Climate Justice Fund, Global Greengrants Fund UK, Trust for Public Land

What They Don't Fund

As EarthPercent practises invitation-only grantmaking, they do not fund organisations through open application processes. Their focus is specifically on climate and biodiversity crisis solutions, so organisations working outside these areas would not align with their mission.

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Governance and Leadership

Co-Founders

  • Brian Eno - Co-founder
  • Adam Callan - Co-founder / Director, Juicebox
  • Hiroki Shirasuka - Co-founder / Director, Giant Artists Management

Executive Team

  • Cathy Runciman - Co-executive Director
  • Joel Gardner - Co-executive Director

Expert Advisory Panel

EarthPercent's grant decisions are vetted by internationally recognised experts across five specialised panels covering: Legal & Policy Change, Climate Justice, Just Energy Transition, Protecting Nature, and Greening Music.

Leadership Quotes

Brian Eno (Founder): "Many within the music industry want to do something to address the climate crisis but simply don't know how, which is why EarthPercent is working with scientists and experts to identify and fund the most promising solutions."

Brian Eno on their approach: “We wanted EarthPercent to be a place that sort of sucks in a little bit of all this vast amount of money that goes through the music business and feeds it back out to these people who are, in fact, the people protecting our future.”

How to Apply to Earthpercent

How to Apply

EarthPercent does not have a public application process. They practise proactive philanthropy, meaning their Expert Advisory Panels identify organisations doing impactful work and actively approach them with funding opportunities. Organisations cannot submit unsolicited grant applications.

As stated on their website: “For the moment, they do not accept unsolicited grant applications.”

Grant Selection Process

  1. Expert Advisory Panels identify promising organisations through their professional networks and sector knowledge
  2. Panels vet potential grant partners based on alignment with EarthPercent's five action areas
  3. Selected organisations are invited to submit funding requests
  4. 100% of artist and music industry donations flow to vetted grant partners
  5. Many grants are continuation grants, indicating long-term partnerships

Decision Timeline

Not applicable for public applications. Organisations identified by the Expert Advisory Panels are approached directly. The charity awards continuation grants periodically to existing partners.

Success Rates

Not applicable as there is no public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable as there is no public application process. However, EarthPercent regularly awards continuation grants to existing partners, demonstrating that they maintain ongoing relationships with grant partners and provide multi-year support.

Application Success Factors

Since EarthPercent does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding what EarthPercent values can help organisations position themselves within the climate sector and potentially come to the attention of their Expert Advisory Panels:

What EarthPercent Values in Grant Partners

Impact and Evidence-Based Work: Grant partners are vetted by climate scientists, researchers, policymakers, and activists who prioritise organisations with proven impact or innovative approaches to climate solutions.

Alignment with Five Action Areas: All funded organisations clearly align with one or more of EarthPercent's focus areas: Greening Music, Just Energy Transition, Protect & Restore Nature, Legal & Policy Change, and Climate Justice.

Grassroots to Systemic Change: EarthPercent funds organisations working at various levels, from grassroots community organising to systemic legal and policy change.

Trust-Based Partnership Philosophy: Grant partners describe EarthPercent's support as “trust-based funding that empowers them to be both resilient and strategic” and praise the “flexible support” that enables them to respond to community priorities.

Types of Organisations Funded

  • Legal and policy organisations (e.g., ClientEarth)
  • Grassroots climate justice groups (supported through Global Greengrants Fund UK and Youth Climate Justice Fund)
  • Music industry sustainability organisations (e.g., Julie's Bicycle, Music Declares Emergency, A Greener Future)
  • Conservation organisations (e.g., Cool Earth)
  • Climate advocacy groups (e.g., Uplift, The Ocean & Us)
  • Community transformation projects (e.g., Trust for Public Land)

Grant Partner Testimonials

Global Green Grants Fund: “The flexible support... enables us to continue to respond to the priorities of the communities we seek to support.”

The Ocean and US: "EarthPercent's support has given us the confidence and motivation to be the voice of the deep-sea."

Trust for Public Land: “Your contribution... has helped transform more than 250 schoolyards from asphalt to welcoming community spaces.”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: EarthPercent cannot be approached through traditional grant applications - they identify and approach organisations themselves
  • Expert-led selection: Their world-leading Expert Advisory Panel includes climate scientists, researchers, activists, and policymakers who identify promising organisations
  • Long-term partnerships valued: Continuation grants demonstrate commitment to multi-year relationships rather than one-off funding
  • Music industry connection: Organisations working at the intersection of music/culture and climate may have particular relevance
  • Trust-based funding model: EarthPercent provides flexible, unrestricted support that empowers organisations to be strategic
  • Intermediary funders: Some EarthPercent funding flows through organisations like Global Greengrants Fund UK and Youth Climate Justice Fund, which may have their own application processes
  • 100% of donations to grants: Founding donors cover operational costs, meaning all artist and music industry donations go directly to environmental work
  • Visibility in the sector matters: Since panels identify organisations through their professional networks, having strong visibility and reputation in climate and environmental sectors is important

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References

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