Climate Cardinals breaks new ground as one of the first youth-led organizations funded by Google.org
New York City, April 22, 2024 — Climate Cardinals, a youth-led nonprofit focused on breaking language barriers in the climate movement, is proud to announce that it has received significant anchor funding from Google.org. This landmark initiative marks Climate Cardinals as one of the first-ever youth-led organizations supported by Google’s philanthropic arm. The shift underlines the importance of empowering young voices in the global fight against climate challenges.
“Because young people stand to lose the most if we fail to combat climate change, youth-led organizations like Climate Cardinals have to be at the forefront of the fight for climate justice,” explains Sophia Kianni, Founder and President of Climate Cardinals.
“So far, that hasn’t translated into adequate funding,” Vice President and Founding Partnerships Director Hikaru Wakeel Hayakawa adds. “We hope that this recognition from Google.org signals a broader understanding of the vital role young activists play and encourages others to redirect more resources towards empowering the next generation of environmental leaders.”
In a world where youth-led climate organizations receive only 0.76% of climate funding, Climate Cardinals has succeeded against the odds. Founded in 2020, the organization aims to educate and empower a diverse coalition of young people to tackle the climate crisis by translating climate information into more than 100 different languages. It has developed a global network of 14,000 student volunteers, who manage to dedicate their time to the cause amidst their busy schedules of lectures and exams.
Climate Cardinals is in the midst of broadening its vision, extending its activities beyond its foundational mission of translating climate information to grassroots climate education. The funding from Google.org will help to professionalize the organization and prepare it for future growth.
“We have already used the funding to onboard our first full-time employee,” says Sophia Suganuma, Special Projects Director. “It has also helped us to expand our translation program in partnership with Translators Without Borders, increasing our capacity to an estimated million words per year.”
The funding agreement marks the next chapter in Climate Cardinals’ ongoing partnership with Google. Since 2023, the nonprofit’s volunteers have been using Translation Hub, Google Cloud’s AI-powered self-serve translation platform, which has enabled the team to translate at a much faster pace.
For Google, supporting organizations like Climate Cardinals is part of a broader strategy of empowering individuals and organizations with the tools to drive positive action and accelerate innovation to combat climate change.
“Our aim is to ensure that we are diversifying, expanding, and ensuring the overall sustainability of climate solutions, and our funding for Climate Cardinals is a step in that direction,” Google Chief Sustainability Officer Kate Brandt adds.
This Earth Week, Climate Cardinals is gearing up for another year of action — excited to leverage the new funds to expand its roster of employees, keep growing its volunteer base, and sustain itself well into the future.
Interested in supporting Climate Cardinals? Click here to donate. Want to actively get involved and follow our work? You can visit our website to browse volunteering opportunities and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated.
For inquiries, please contact: executiveteam@climatecardinals.org.
About Climate Cardinals
Climate Cardinals is a youth-led nonprofit organization dedicated to making the climate movement more accessible to the global majority that doesn’t speak English. It aims to educate and empower a diverse coalition of people to address the climate crisis. The organization has mobilized more than 14,000 volunteers who translate and source climate information into more than 100 different languages.
About Google.org
Google.org is the philanthropic arm of Google, dedicated to addressing societal challenges by leveraging technology, funding, and expertise to support innovative nonprofits and social enterprises around the world.
