Aspiration Launches Inaugural Climate Action Grants Program, Awarding $100,000 to Ten Grassroots Organizations Championing the Environment

The new grants program seeks to shine a light on recipients that share Aspiration’s mission of working together to save the planet

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aspiration, the global leader in “Sustainability as a Service” products for consumers and companies, today announced the winners of the first-ever Aspiration Climate Action Grants program, distributing $100,000 to 10 global and domestic grassroots organizations dedicated to nature-based climate action initiatives that protect both people and the planet.

Aspiration opened the program to the community this past August, asking its members to nominate a deserving non-profit dedicated to climate action, which resulted in over 500 entries. Nominations were intentionally inclusive, allowing community members to share stories of impact and help raise funding for grassroots organizations they love. The nominees were then narrowed down to 35 finalists before a diverse panel of judges then selected the final 10 winners. Judging was based upon the criteria that the nominees are verified and registered 501(c)(3)’s, their activities, operations and/or mission includes carbon reduction efforts, and they clearly demonstrate use of nature-based solutions to restore the environment.

The panel of judges included environmentalist drag queen Pattie Gonia / Wyn Wiley; actress and indigenous activist Nathalie Kelley; Future Earth Co-founders Stephanie Shepherd and Mahtab Max Moinian; VICE Media Group SVP of Global News and Special Projects Marsha Cooke; Refinery29 Executive Editor Connie Wang; and Aspiration Head of Sustainability Irfan Kamal.

The following 10 organizations, spread across five different regions -- Global, National (U.S.), East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast -- to ensure equitable distribution, have been awarded the 2021 Aspiration Climate Action Grants:

• Honor the Earth (Minneapolis, MN, operates globally)
• Rainforest Flow (Peruvian Amazon)
• Great Old Broads for Wilderness (Durango, CO, operates nationally)
• GRID Alternatives (Oakland, CA, operates nationally)
• Land to Learn (Hudson Valley, NY)
• GASP (Birmingham, AL)
• Plant Chicago (Chicago, IL)
• Louisiana Bucket Brigade (New Orleans, LA)
• HEAL Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)
• Asian Pacific Environmental Network (Oakland, CA)

“The news coming out of COP26 and the U.S. Congress shows us once again that progress in fighting the climate crisis will need to come from bottom up as well as top down,” said Andrei Cherny, Aspiration CEO and co-founder. “These grassroots environmental champions are mobilizing local action and we are pleased to be able to support their efforts.”

“Climate grants are a direct way to give resources to the change makers that deserve them the most,” said Pattie Gonia / Wyn Wiley, panelist and environmentalist drag queen. “I’m excited to see a company I LOVE, Aspiration, give back to the givers. The panel chose winning organizations that represent Native, BIPOC and Queer leadership and are approaching climate work with intersectional solutions. I’m so excited to see the work that the grants will allow funding for!”

Aspiration community members fight climate change every day by divesting deposits from fossil fuels with Aspiration Spend & Save and addressing their personal carbon footprint with the Aspiration Zero credit card. A certified B-Corporation and Member of 1% For The Planet, Aspiration has committed to donating 10% of the fees its customers choose under its Pay What is Fair model. Part of that giving commitment includes the Climate Action Grants, supporting grassroots organizations repairing and rebuilding broken ecosystems, reducing carbon in the atmosphere, and mobilizing for climate justice.

Restoration of the environment should involve everything that makes up our ecosystems, including all of us. Climate and environmental degradation impact is often not felt equally, with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) disproportionately affected in many ways by environmental destruction and climate change. In the U.S., exposure to fossil fuel particulate matter is responsible for roughly 350,000 deaths each year of people. Therefore, the Climate Action Grants serve to honor the grassroots organizations that are committed to not just the protection and restoration of the planet but the protection of people as well.

Aspiration recently entered into a merger agreement with InterPrivate III Financial Partners Inc. (NYSE: IPVF), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, which, upon closing, will result in Aspiration becoming a listed company.

About Aspiration Partners, Inc.

Aspiration is a leading platform to help people and businesses put automated sustainable impact into their hands and integrate it into their daily lives. Aspiration has earned the trust of its more than 5 million members by helping them spend, save, shop, and invest to both "Do Well" and "Do Good." Aspiration Partners, Inc. is a certified B Corp. For more information, visit Aspiration.com or Aspiration.com/business.

The Aspiration Spend & Save Account is offered through Aspiration Financial, LLC (AF), member FINRA//SIPC. The Aspiration Zero credit card is offered by Aspiration Card Services, LLC (ACS). AF and ACS are wholly owned subsidiaries of Aspiration Partners, Inc. (API). API, AF, ACS are unaffiliated with any other named entity unless otherwise stated.

About InterPrivate III Financial Partners Inc.

InterPrivate III Financial Partners Inc., led by Chairman & CEO Ahmed Fattouh, President Nicholaos Krenteras, and Vice Chairman Sunil Kappagoda, is a blank check company whose business purpose is to affect a business combination with one or more businesses in the financial services or fintech sectors. InterPrivate III’s Board of Directors includes globally recognized financial services leaders including: former BankOneChairman, John McCoy; former Lucent and Verifone Chairman, Rich McGinn; Pine Brook founder and former Warburg Pincus Vice Chairman, Howard Newman; and fintech investor Gordy Holterman.