The Bezos Earth Fund firmly believes that living in a city should not have to mean living without nature. Green spaces such as parks, community gardens, nature trails, and tree canopies along city blocks are vital to the health and well-being of all Americans. And as extreme weather events and record-breaking temperatures become more frequent, urban green spaces play an ever more crucial role in climate resilience for all communities.

Low-income areas have been disproportionately impacted by the unequal distribution of urban green space, and top-down solutions have largely failed to adequately address their needs. 

Recognizing that grassroots organizations have expert knowledge of the communities they serve, and are thus integral to devising urban greening solutions that will best support them, the Bezos Earth Fund launched the Greening America’s Cities initiative, which will award $400M primarily to community environmental justice organizations through 2030.

In the grant’s first year, $50M will support 24 urban greening organizations and 6 national organizations providing technical expertise and support. The inaugural cohort will focus on community projects in:

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Chicago, Illinois
• Los Angeles, California, and 
• Wilmington, Delaware

Each year through 2030, we will continue to build on this investment.

The Greening America’s Cities commitment is one of the largest-ever funding initiatives to put money directly into the hands of community organizations, where it can most effectively address urgent environmental and economic justice priorities. With missions that include land reclamation, native plant and tree cultivation, green workforce development, and urban farming support, these organizations are true leaders in their communities. The Bezos Earth Fund is proud to partner with them through this initiative.