About Earth Day Network

Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide.

Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists connect, interact, and have an impact on their communities, and create positive change in local, national, and global policies. EDN's international network reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries, while the domestic program engages 5,000 groups and over 25,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environmental protection activities throughout the year. Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in our campaigns every year.

Our mission is to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. We pursue our mission through education, politics, events, and consumer activism.

Earth Day Network’s Mission Statement

EDN seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. We pursue these goals through education, politics, events, and consumer activism.

Earth Day Network’s programs and activities are guided by the following goals:

Promote Civic Engagement — EDN works with partner organizations to provide opportunities for all citizens to become active at the local, state, national and global levels.

Broaden the Meaning of "Environment" — EDN is committed to expanding the definition of "environment" to include all issues that affect our health, our communities and our environment, such as air and water pollution, deteriorating schools, public transportation and access to jobs, rising rates of asthma and cancer, and lack of funding for parks and recreation. We have included all of these issues in a unique and comprehensive research document, the Urban Environment Report, which ranks the health of 72 U.S. cities by more than 200 environmental, health and quality of life indicators.

Mobilize Communities — EDN and our Campaign for Communities (C4C) partners successfully educated and motivated new and infrequent voters in eight states to pass strong environmental laws during the 2006 election. We are continuing this effort for the 2008 election with the goal of creating reliable and consistent environmental citizens among low-income and minority communities. All this follows our success during the 2004 presidential election when EDN and our C4C partners registered and turned out one million voters. In 2006 and 2007, EDN helped create a solid environmental platform for the National Latino Congreso.  The 2007 Congreso established a long-term environmental agenda for Latino leaders that includes EDN’s call for a moratorium on coal-fired power plants and a substantial increase in funding and support for renewable energy and green schools.

Groundbreaking Environmental Education Programs — Earth Day Network’s new GREEN Schools Campaign will seek to green all of America’s k-12 schools within a generation.  EDN uses innovative education tools to promote civic participation and to develop a sense of environmental responsibility among all citizens.  Our programs and activities inform and inspire young people and people of color to become environmental leaders. In its pilot 2005-2006 school year, the National Civic Education Project empowered students in Cincinnati to push their school board to adopt green building practices.  This powerful program continues to grow, providing young people with the skills, pride and passion they need to address environmental health issues affecting their communities.

Support Earth Day Events and Actions around the World — From greening schools in post-Katrina New Orleans to improving water and sanitation services in a refugee community in Ghana, EDN supports and coordinates thousands of Earth Day events worldwide each year.  Earth Day, April 22, is the largest secular holiday in the world, now celebrated by more than one billion people.

Our Membership in Earth Share means you can donate at work:

Earth Share, a nationwide network of America's leading non-profit environmental and conservation organizations, works to promote environmental education and charitable giving through workplace giving campaigns. Earth Share is an opportunity for environmentally conscious employees and workplaces to support hundreds of environmental groups at once through a charitable giving drive.

Since Earth Share's founding in 1988, thousands of employees across the nation have generously pledged their financial support for the important work of Earth Share's member organizations. As more and more businesses are opting to offer environmental giving options alongside other approved charities, Earth Share now participates in campaigns at hundreds of public and privates sector workplaces, including the federal government's Combined Federal Campaign (CFC); American Airlines; Dell; American Express; Hewlett Packard; Aveda; Sears; and many more.