About World Resources Institute
WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Focus Areas
ClimateCitiesEnergyFoodForestsFreshwaterOceanEconomicsFinanceEquity & Governance
Who They Fund
frontline and historically marginalized communities (environmental justice communities)communities affected by transport and climate policies (urban and rural)ecosystems and wildlife (habitat beneficiaries)
About World Resources Institute
World Resources Institute’s largest recent grants point to a research-heavy environmental portfolio: $4.15 million to the University of Maryland in 2024 and $2.21 million to One Tree Planted in 2025, both for reversing rapid degradation of ecosystems. That pattern fits an organization that funds policy, science, and implementation across climate, cities, energy, food, forests, freshwater, ocean, economics, finance, and equity & governance. Recent awards also show support for urban mobility, climate mitigation, and socially equitable decision-making, with major grants to C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Inc and Environmental Defense Fund Inc. The foundation’s grantmaking includes repeated support for the same organizations across multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. Its work spans ecosystem restoration, habitat and biodiversity protection, and transportation solutions, often through large institutional grantees and collaborative intermediaries. World Resources Institute’s mission centers on helping society live in ways that protect Earth’s environment for current and future generations, and its grants reflect that systems-change orientation.
What World Resources Institute Funds
Forest and landscape work is a major thread in the portfolio. In 2025, World Resources Institute gave $875,285 to Environmental Investigation Agency for reverse rapid degradation of ecosystems, and in 2025 it awarded $359,844 to Wildlife Conservation Society for the same purpose. Urban climate and mobility are another clear area: it gave $1.55 million to C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Inc in 2025 for promoting environmentally sustainable transport solutions, and $512,664 to Environmental Defense Fund Inc in 2025 for the same theme. The foundation also backs policy and analytical work tied to equity and emissions, including $806,371 to Icct International Council on Clean Transportation in 2023 for supporting environmentally and socially equitable decisions, and $526,785 to International Development Enterpri (ide) in 2024 for that same purpose.
How World Resources Institute Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-six figures, with a p25 of $25,872, a median of $65,131, and a p75 of $145,638. The recent record also includes a small set of very large awards in the millions, alongside many grants below that level. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including University of Maryland, One Tree Planted Inc, Sdsn Association Inc, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Inc, Environmental Defense Fund Inc, and Icct International Council on Clean Transportation, indicating recurring relationships. World Resources Institute is a regular funder and does not fund individuals. No application process is stated in the data; one active program, Global Forest Watch’s Small Grants Fund & Tech Fellowship, accepts unsolicited applications.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$15M
Total Assets
$630.3M
Total Revenue
$267.4M
Total Expenses
$240.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $26K and $146K, with a median of $65K.
25th Percentile
$26K
Median
$65K
75th Percentile
$146K
Geographic Reach
National26 states funded
About 20% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ANIRUDDHA DASGUPTA
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