We bring in money by supporting artists of all kinds and harnessing the power of the art community to help us raise awareness and grow our impact. We have long been inspired by the ability of artists to use their voices to bring people together for a cause. Many of us remember the incredible power of Live Aid in the 1980’s, for example. Despite some of the controversy surrounding that event, it is estimated that nearly 40% of the world’s population tuned in to watch it! Similarly, you might remember the 1985 release of the single “We Are the World”, which raised more than $63 million ($156 million today) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States. We want to give people an easy and effective way to make a difference and we believe art can help make that happen.

Earthtopia is a non-profit that will represent both blue chip artists (artists whose art is expected to reliably increase in economic value regardless of economic conditions) through auctions, as well as emerging and mid-career artists via e-commerce. Each sale will allocate a significant percentage to support climate and humanitarian causes.

Each blue chip artist we select has the option to list or donate work for auction. An artist can retain whatever percentage of the sale they choose with a minimum donation of 13%, and as much as 100%. The artist can choose for their donation percentages to be transparent or anonymous. 

Emerging and mid-career artists are promoted within the Earthtopia site and afforded the autonomy to choose what percentage of each sale they retain up to 57%. Artists always have the option of donating 100% if they choose. Percentages can be transparent and/or posted within the Earthtopia community as well as social media or remain anonymous. The money we raise is then given to a specific set of well-vetted organizations. The charities we support are hand-selected based on the following criteria: 

Are they using the donations they receive efficiently?  We’ve all heard stories of organizations that receive millions in donations, but funnel very little of that to effective action. We believe people are far more likely to donate if they feel confident in the organizations they’re supporting.

Are they transparent and accountable? One way to ensure that an organization is using its funding to make a meaningful impact is to only work with organizations that are known to be transparent and accountable regarding how they work.

Are they doing work that is known to have a meaningful impact on climate change? We use the six-sector solution framework of the UN Environment Programme to guide our selection of supported charities. We’re also committed to following the science. With a situation as urgent as climate change, no one wants to waste time or money on something that doesn’t work.

Are they committed to helping marginalized communities? This is important because, as many have recognized, those who have contributed least to climate change are also those most impacted by its devastating effects. We care deeply about the people who are bearing the brunt of climate change and believe they deserve our help.