Tree planting and reforestation is a hot topic but not every program is effective. Jonas Philanthropies takes an evidence based and data-driven approach to identify the right trees, the right places and the right communities to create maximum social, economic and ecological benefit.

To Jonas Philanthropies, the right tree is a tree that benefits the community and fits within the regional flora and fauna. The right place means the project is designed with ecological and historical consideration of place. The right community means that tree-growing projects are determined and controlled by those who live closest to the project.

Many people and organizations focus narrowly on the potential impact trees can have on carbon dioxide, overlooking the many other ways in which trees are beneficial including promoting food security, engaging and supporting frontline communities, hydrology and bolstering water systems, biodiversity, and multi-functionality of species ensuring high survival.

The Trees for Climate Health Initiative of Jonas Philanthropies believes that while restoration and conservation approaches are both critical, conserving existing trees represents carbon stored out of the atmosphere, provides great benefits for health and biodiversity, and annually sequesters more carbon dioxide than fresh seedlings. On the other hand, reforestation allows for an enormous opportunity to grow forests and support community and ecological health. With both a $1M pledge to fund the growth of 1 million trees that compliment conservation efforts, plus the mobilization of additional funding from other philanthropic partners to catalyze the growing of a total of 10 million trees on Earth, Jonas Philanthropies hopes to provide a cost-effective solution to relieve human suffering and forestall or reverse species extinction.

Why Tree Growing?

Planting and growing trees en masse is one of the few approaches to addressing climate change that is known to be effective at reducing greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere and, depending on the type of trees, that can also directly provide for critical day-to-day human material needs.

Trees not only take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, but they also help regulate rainfall, filter particulate matter and improve air quality, reduce heat stress, and can provide food security and medicinal benefits. However, tree planting is not a panacea. We must also consider other actions and methods that can reduce fossil fuel emissions aside from tree planting.

Who are the other funders?

Through this approach, Jonas Philanthropies has built a powerful network of partner funders to support a diversity of tree-planting organizations both domestic and global. We have launched a Reforestation funder's network to help funder's evaluate projects for funding. Please contact erin (at) lifteconomy (dot) com for more information around joining that network. We have quarterly webinars and an open-source database of tree-growing partner projects.

Which organizations are growing the trees?

Our Tree-Growing partner organizations focus on engaging and supporting vulnerable communities, promoting food security and biodiversity, and focusing on tree species with efficient carbon sequestration