Why Women?
When climate-related disasters occur, women are the ones left to pick up the pieces. They are the displaced. They deal with the ensuing repercussions including increased poverty, violence and disease. The situation is exacerbated in regions of the Global South, where women often shoulder the responsibility for their families’ food, water, and energy needs. Despite these challenges, women’s contributions, work and leadership often go unnoticed, unappreciated, and underfunded.
The narrative needs to change and it begins with addressing women’s vulnerabilities.
Daughters for Earth recognizes that supporting women’s power is the key to achieving climate justice. By acknowledging, celebrating, and funding women-led initiatives around the world, we are sparking a movement for positive change that will unlock our shared future’s full potential.
What We Do
Fund Daughters
Women and girls globally are spearheading environmental initiatives for a sustainable future for all of us. Despite their contributions, organizations led by women receive less than 2 cents of every philanthropic dollar dedicated to the environment. Daughters for Earth is rewriting this script by swiftly providing funding to women on the frontlines. In our inaugural year, we disbursed over $1.2 million to support 50 women’s projects spanning 24 countries. Now, our goal is to raise $100 million to back more than 500 endeavors.
Daughters for Earth is addressing a critical flaw in our approach to combatting the climate crisis: the marginalization of women. When women are given equal opportunities and the right resources to participate in climate action, entire communities and ecosystems experience positive outcomes.
The Hummingbird Effect serves as a rallying call, urging individuals to proactively endorse and champion women’s leadership in addressing climate change. By embracing varied perspectives and fostering cooperation, we can shape a world where women’s voices and contributions are fully acknowledged, and integrated in our efforts to reverse climate change.
Toolkit to Mobilize Action
Daughters for Earth is mobilizing women and girls from all corners of the globe to help build this movement from the ground up. We are actively working on forming Daughterhood Circles where we will be collaborating with existing women’s circles globally to channel our collective power. Our engaging Toolkits will provide accessible scientific information, localized solutions, eco-friendly suggestions, and sample projects tailored to specific cultures. We are shifting from dialogue to solutions, nurturing positivity and engaging with individuals on their own terms. Join us in establishing a community that will drive enduring change.
Our Team
Leadership Team
Our leadership team comprises a devoted and diverse group of women who are fully committed to the mission of preserving the planet.
Wise Daughters Council
Our Wise Daughters Council is an autonomous grant-giving entity made up of prominent figures in the climate and conservation fields. The council’s role is to engage and rally women at the grassroots level to drive meaningful change.
Advisory Council
Our Advisory Circle members come from diverse backgrounds and bring distinct skills to the table, yet they share a common purpose: safeguarding the environment and promoting sustainability.
Our Leadership Team

Zainab Salbi
Daughters Co-Founder, Humanitarian; Athor; Founder of Women for Women International
Zainab is the co-founder for Daughters for Earth, Chief Awareness Officer at Find Center, and host of Redefined podcast. Zainab started her career when she was 23 years old as the founder and former CEO of Women for Women International, an organization to help women survivors of conflicts. She built the group from helping 30 women to reaching nearly half a million women and raising 146 million dollars in aids and micro-loans to help them and their families rebuild their lives. Zainab is also the author of a few books, including the national bestseller Between Two Worlds and her latest Freedom Is an Inside Job. She is also the creator and host of several shows, including #MeToo, Now What? on PBS, and Through Her Eyes with Zainab Salbi at Yahoo News.

Taran Gehlot, Kenya
Founder of Soul Safaris

Sofia de Meyer, Europe
Co-Founder and Chair of the Board, Opaline SA

Rachel Rivera
Chief Operating Officer, Wild Lives Foundation

Justin Winters
Co-Founder and Executive Director, One Earth

Jody Allen
Daughters Co-Founder, Philanthropist, CEO of Wild Lives Foundation
Wise Daughters Council

Bianca Pitt
Co-founder, SHE Changes Climate

Farwiza Farhan
Founder and Chair at HAkA

Dr. Gladys Kalema
Founder, Conservation Through Public Health

Helena Gualinga
Climate justice and human rights defender

Jade Begay
Policy Director, NDN Collective

Leela Hazzah
Executive Director and Cofounder of Lion Guardians, Cofounder and Leadership Council Member of Women for the Environment Africa (WE Africa), and Cofounder of PRIDE Lion Conservation Alliance
Advisory Council

Xiye Bastida
Co-Founder of Re-Earth Initiative

Virginia McKenzie
Elder of the Anishinaabe Tribe

Trea-Yip
Philanthropist; CEO of TY Commercial Group

Tjada D'Oyen McKenna
President and CEO of Mercy Corps

Susan Flood
Wildlife Photographer, Global Ambassador White Feather Foundation

Sally Ann Ranney
President, Co-Founder of Global Choices and the Arctic Angels

Peggy Dulany
Founder and Chair of Synergos Institute
Peggy Dulany is Chair of Synergos, a global organization helping solve complex issues around the world by advancing bridging leadership, which builds trust and collective action. Drawing from her experience living and working in Rio de Janeiro as a young woman, she realized that the people most affected by adverse living conditions also have the greatest energy and motivation to solve their problems. The resources they lack are connections to the economic and political realms where necessary changes can affect whole communities. Peggy founded Synergos in 1986 to promote trust and collaboration among grassroots groups and government or business leaders and organizations, people who otherwise would not have access to each other so that they can develop long-term relationships and forge new paths in overcoming poverty. In 2001, she co-founded Synergos’ Global Philanthropists Circle with her father, David Rockefeller, to support philanthropic families in using this approach.

Paula Kahumbu
CEO of WildlifeDirect

Nina Simons
Bioneers Co-founder & Chief Relationship Officer

Nikki Eslami
Founder and CEO of New Theory Ventures and Wild Elements

Nicole Rycroft
Founder and Executive Director, Canopy

Nemonte Nenquimo
Co-Founder of Ceibo Alliance, 2020 Goldman Prize Winner

Mary Robinson
Former President of Ireland and Founder of the Mary Robinson Foundation

Lynn Mento
CEO, Conservation Nation

Leymah Gbowee
Founder and President of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Leila Salazar Lopez
Executive Director, Amazon Watch

Leah Thomas
Founder of Intersectional Environmentalism

Laurie Adams
Chief Executive Officer, Women for Women International

Kristine Zeigler
Co-Founder and CEO of Planet Women

Kristine Tompkins
President and Co-founder of Tompkins Conservation

Kristina Liliana Nova
Public Figure, Activist, Actress & TV Host

Katie Frohardt
Executive Director, Wild Earth Allies

Kate Horner
Deputy Executive Director, Amazon Frontlines

Karen Korponai
CEO and Founder, Konscious Konsulting llc and Sr. Advisor to Purpose Driven Visionary Private Equity Group

Kahea Pacheco
Co-Director, Women's Earth Alliance

Jessica Sweidan
Founder, Synchronicity Earth

Jean Oelwang
Founding CEO and President of Virgin Unite

Inge Relph
Executive Director and Co–Founder of Global Choices

Helena Gualinga
Climate justice and human rights defender

Heather Grady
Vice President and Practice Lead on Environment and Climate Change, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Halla Tómasdóttir
CEO & Chief Change Catalyst, The B Team

Ginger Cassady
Executive Director, Rainforest Action Network

Geraldine Patrick Encina
Member of Grand Council of the Eagle and the Condor and member of Earth Timekeepers

Fern Shepard
President of Rachel’s Network

Erin Axelrod
Partner at LIFT Economy

Ella Robertson McKay
Managing Director, One Young World

Sylvia Earle
President and Co-Chair of Mission Blu

Dr. Kirsten Dunlop
Chief Executive Officer, EIT Climate-KIC

Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
President of the Republic of Mauritius (2015-2018)

Dianne Dain
Chief Innovation Officer for the World Humanitarian Forum

Dana Rice
VP of Philanthropy, Lever for Change

Connie Nielsen
President and CEO of Human Needs Project; Actor; Producer; Writer

Casey Rogers
Director of The Ellen Fund

Carly Vynne Baker
Conservation Biologist and Strategic Partner, RESOLVE

Betsy Taylor
President of Breakthrough Strategies & Solutions

Atossa Soltani
Director of Global Strategy for the Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative

Ashley Judd
Acclaimed humanitarian, writer and actor

Amira Diamond
Co-Founder and Co-Director, Women's Earth Alliance

Alyse Nelson
President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership

Alexandra Lunt
Armonia

Alexandra Zimmermann
Chair, IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict & Coexistence Specialist Group

Farwiza Farhan
Founder and Chair at HAkA