How to raise money for environmental charities

October 17, 2024 | 8 min read Crowdfunding

Australia is home to some of the most incredible landscapes and unique species in the world. However, whether it’s the nation’s lush rainforests or mesmerising coral reefs, Australia’s ecosystems are increasingly under threat from climate change, extreme weather and biodiversity loss.

As many struggle to survive amid drastic changes to the climate, environmental charities need to continue their on-the-ground efforts now more than ever.

If you want to help these charities in Australia, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we explore the best environmental charity organisations, how you can support them and share top tips for raising funds.

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Why do environmental charities need your support?

Environmental charities play a crucial role in protecting wildlife, restoring habitats and championing sustainable best practices in Australia. Without adequate funding, their ability to tackle environmental damage caused by challenges such as rising temperatures, frequent bushfires and deforestation is limited.

Australia is one of the highest per capita carbon emitters in the world, which is why grassroots efforts from environmental charities are important for helping communities and individuals make more sustainable choices. Supporting these environmental charities ensures the protection of Australia’s natural heritage for future generations.

The best environmental charity organisations in Australia

There are dozens of brilliant environmental charity organisations to choose from in Australia. Whether you want a charity focused on climate change, wildlife, sustainability or marine conservation, there is guaranteed to be a worthy cause you wish to support.

Let’s explore some of the best environmental charities out there:

Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES): Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation, offering wildlife relief and rescue around the clock. WIRES not only provides financial support for its own services, but partners with state and national organisations.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC): Strives to conserve Australia’s native animal species and their habitats through practical land management and scientific research. Wants to see a world where Australia’s biodiversity is valued and effectively conserved by an engaged community.
Bush Heritage Australia: Aims to protect Australia’s landscapes and native species through the acquisition and management of land, focusing on habitat conservation and restoration. Uses the best science, conservation and right-way knowledge to deliver landscape-scale impact.
The Wilderness Society Australia: Wants to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across the country. Campaigns focus on forests, rivers and ecosystems that are crucial for biodiversity, ensuring that transnational corporations and rogue operators are held accountable.
World Wide Fund for Nature WWF Australia: Focuses not only on animal welfare and conservation but getting to the root of the issues driving several species off our planet – from helping Australians put an end to single-use plastics, to advocating for renewable energy sources.
Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF): Aims to protect the natural environment and promote sustainable policies. Strives to deliver climate action, biodiversity conservation and promote clean energy solutions. Influences governments and businesses to protect animals, rivers and reefs.
Clean Up Australia: Inspires and mobilises communities to improve and conserve our environment, eliminate litter and end waste. The focus is as much on preventing rubbish from entering the environment as it is on removing what has already accumulated.
Planet Ark: Works to create simple, positive actions that help individuals, communities and businesses reduce their impact on the environment. Their initiatives focus on recycling, reforestation and reducing carbon footprints to create a world where humans help nature to thrive.
Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS): Focuses on protecting ocean wildlife and their habitats. Their work includes advocacy, research and community engagement to safeguard marine ecosystems from threats. This includes pollution, overfishing and climate change.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation: Strives to protect and restore the Great Barrier Reef. Their work includes scientific research, conservation projects and community engagement. The organisation raises funds, invests in innovative ideas and designs real-world, scalable conservation programs.

How to help Australian environmental charities

First of all, you’ll need to choose the right environmental charity to support based on your values and interests. For example, if you’re looking for climate change charities, then the Wilderness Society Australia or AMCS could be great shouts

Once you’ve made a decision, you can focus on how you want to help. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Make a donation

If you find an environmental charity that resonates with you and accepts donations, you can simply send them some money. Most charities will have easy-to-follow sections on their website for donations, so you can rest assured that your funds are going to the right place.

2. Make sustainable life choices

While there are many amazing organisations out there helping reduce the impact of our daily activities on the planet, it’s not just sustainability charities that can make a difference. You too can play your part at home, at work and in your own community. Small changes in your everyday behaviour can help transform the way you live, and ultimately reduce your carbon footprint and impact on the planet.

This can include limiting waste, conserving water, consuming eco-friendly products, respecting the environment around you, reducing your carbon footprint, and so much more.

Here are some organisations, apps and resources that can help you on your journey:

Reducing Our Footprint: Offers personalised solutions to help launch projects that promote behaviour change in support of the environment.
One Small Step: This app is a good place to start if you want to take small steps at home to improve your longer-term impact on the planet. You can take its five-stage program to start transitioning to a more environmentally friendly home.
Australian Climate Council: Has a long list of tips, resources and ideas on its blog to help you become more aware of your carbon footprint, and take huge strides forward in reducing it.

3. Start a fundraiser

One of the biggest challenges charities and NGOs face is reaching new networks of donors. Why not use your networks and set up your own crowdfunding page to help fundraise on their behalf?

You can crowdfund for your favourite charity using GoFundMe and start your fundraising journey in a matter of minutes.

Do you have a birthday or big milestone coming up? You could choose an Australian environmental charity that is close to your heart and dedicate the occasion to fundraising for them.

How to raise money for environmental charities: Top tips

For some, leaders of nations around the world remain in denial about the urgency of tackling environmental challenges. That’s why there has been a notable bottom-up movement in recent years as people strive to make as big an impact as possible.

Fundraising through a platform like GoFundMe lends itself perfectly to this grassroots approach. If you plan and execute your fundraiser properly, you’re guaranteed to make your campaign a success.

Before you get started, here are some top tips for raising funds for environmental charities:

Raise awareness: The best environmental charity organisations haven’t become established without working hard to raise awareness for their cause. Make sure your fundraiser gets the attention it deserves; send it to families and friends, colleagues or classmates, community groups and use social networks.
Leverage social media: Use Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube to spread the word about your fundraiser. The more people you reach the better. You could even tag the charity you’re fundraising for in your posts.
Use hashtags: Be strategic with your hashtags. For example, if your fundraiser coincides with a national awareness campaign, you can use the hashtags they use for your social media posts. This will help people to find your fundraiser.
Introduce photos and videos: Clear, high-resolution photos will help to boost your fundraiser’s presence online and get it recognised. Videos are also great for storytelling and easy to share.
Post regular updates: Share regular updates on social media and to your other networks. This keeps people engaged in what you’re doing and can remind people to donate if they haven’t already.

Start your environmental charity fundraiser with GoFundMe

As Australia continues to battle through extreme weather and environmental incidents that pose ongoing threats to our habitats and wildlife, those at the heart of the relief efforts need your ongoing support.

Take action today to help environmental charities in Australia now, and in the future. Start a fundraiser and to your part to support this worthy cause.

Start a fundraiser