Philanthropy Central

Inspired by the MacArthur Fellows “Genius Grants” and the Nobel Prize, Richard and Rhoda Goldman created a distinct organization, the Goldman Environmental Foundation, to administer a new award, to be given annually to six “environmental heroes” from around the world. The Goldman Environmental Prize is given “for sustained and important efforts to preserve the natural environment, including but not limited to protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice.” Laureates are honored with a bronze sculpture and a monetary prize at an awards ceremony in San Francisco that is timed each year on or around Earth Day, and at a reception in Washington, D.C., at the National Geographic Society. The Goldman Environmental Prize is the largest award in the world honoring grassroots environmental activism.