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THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT INTERNATIONAL- NORTH AMERICA

BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 943178913 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Small ($100K-$1M) · greenbeltmovement.org
revenue
$101K
expenses
$137K
net assets
$104K
employees
0
volunteers
5
program ratio
84%
mission · from form 990

EMPOWER COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA TO CONSERVE THE ENVIRONMENT.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Green Belt Movement empowers communities, particularly women, to conserve the environment and improve livelihoods through tree planting, forest conservation, and climate resilience initiatives. Founded in 1977 by Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai in Kenya, the organization integrates environmental sustainability with gender advocacy and democratic engagement. It operates primarily in Kenya, focusing on reforestation, water harvesting, and sustainable livelihoods.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Advocacy & Policy Influence
Program promoting environmental rights, democratic participation, and policy change to protect ecosystems and amplify marginalized voices.
Restoration of Ecosystems and Forest Conservation
Community-driven tree planting program guiding activities from awareness creation to long-term stewardship, including nursery establishment, planting, and follow-up.
Sustainable Livelihoods & Nature-Based Enterprises
Initiative fostering nature-based enterprises that improve food security, clean energy access, and income generation for rural communities.
activities · 5 groups

What they do

  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Capacity building for environmental and democratic engagement
      Develops tools and educational resources to inspire public action on environmental sustainability, good governance, and democratic engagement as part of broader community empowerment initiatives.
  • Tree Planting and Reforestation Initiatives 1 activity
    • Community-based reforestation and environmental conservation
      Implements a structured, community-driven tree planting process that includes awareness, planting, and long-term stewardship, with a focus on empowering women and marginalized communities to conserve forests and watersheds.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Development of the Wangari Muta Maathai House
      Is developing a physical center dedicated to environmental education and community empowerment, honoring the legacy of Wangari Maathai and expanding programmatic reach.
  • Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
    • Environmental advocacy and policy engagement
      Champions advocacy efforts to defend ecosystems, uphold environmental rights, and ensure marginalized communities shape environmental policy in Kenya, integrating gender advocacy and democratic participation.
  • Smallholder Agricultural Development 1 activity
    • Integrated climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods programs
      Operates grassroots programs that combine reforestation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, water harvesting, soil conservation, and sustainable livelihood creation to improve food security and rural resilience in marginalized communities.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$101K
Contributions & grants$93K91%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$9K9%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$137K
Program expenses84%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$105K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$742K
Cash$742K
Investments$0
Liabilities$639K
Net assets$104K
Liquid reserves64.9 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -25.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 5
  • JEN CULLERTON JOHNSON — BOARD MEMBER
  • LISA MERTON — CHAIR
  • SARAH BOECKMANN — BOARD MEMBER
  • VERTISTINE MBAYA — TREASURER
  • WANDIA MBUVI — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 6

Who they work with

  • Green Belt Movement Partner — Invites organizations to partner with GBM to make a difference.
  • National Council of Women of Kenya Partner — Founded under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya in 1977
  • National Council of Women of Kenya Partner — Founded under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya in 1977.
  • National Council of Women of Kenya Partner — Hosted the Green Belt Movement at its founding in 1977.
  • Norwegian Nobel Committee Government — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Wangari Maathai in recognition of her contributions to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
  • The Green Belt Movement Network — International liaison organization for the Green Belt Movement.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Led Conservation with Integrated Livelihoods and Gender Advocacy
    methodology: community-led_conservation
    By empowering local communities—particularly rural women—as primary stewards of environmental restoration, we achieve sustainable conservation outcomes because integrating gender equity, livelihood development, and local ownership increases community resilience, engagement, and long-term environmental impact.
  • Community-Led Environmental Advocacy for Policy Change
    methodology: community-led_advocacy
    By centering the voices of marginalized communities in environmental decision-making, we drive policy change because lived experience and grassroots leadership lend moral authority and legitimacy to advocacy efforts, increasing their effectiveness.
  • Exemplar-Based Mobilization through Legacy Leadership
    methodology: exemplar-based_mobilization
    By drawing on the moral authority and legacy of Wangari Muta Maathai, we inspire sustained environmental and social justice action because her example provides a powerful symbolic and ethical foundation that motivates individuals and communities to act.
  • Integrated Community Resilience through Environmental, Social, and Economic Interconnection
    methodology: integrated_community_resilience
    By addressing climate resilience, environmental sustainability, gender advocacy, and democratic rights as interconnected systems, we produce more durable community outcomes because holistic interventions respond to the complex, overlapping challenges faced by marginalized populations.
  • Nature-Based Enterprises for Sustainable Livelihoods
    methodology: nature-based_enterprises
    By linking environmental conservation to income-generating nature-based enterprises, we increase community participation in reforestation and sustainability because economic incentives improve long-term engagement and reduce dependency on external funding.