Minnesota is home to a diverse community of organizations, advocates, and citizens dedicated to protecting our health, safety, and natural resources. This list of organizations is not meant to be exhaustive, but features many of the groups that help keep Minnesota a wonderful place to live. You can sort the chart by organizational name or geographical focus by clicking each category.
To let us know of an organization that should be added to this list, please contact us at info@mepartnership.org
*denotes MEP member
Organization |
Office/HQ/Chapter Location(s) |
About/Mission |
|---|---|---|
| 100% Campaign | St. Paul |
Bringing together Minnesotans who believe we need an equitable clean energy future for everyone in our state.
|
| Advocates for the Knife River Watershed* | Duluth |
Neighbors and friends coming together to protect the Knife River and its watershed.
|
| Alliance for Sustainability* | Minneapolis | Brings together citizens, business, congregational, and government leaders to create sustainable communities. |
| Austin Coalition for Environmental Sustainability* | Austin | |
| Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota* | Minneapolis | To unite and strengthen bicycle advocacy, provide education, and work for a more bicycle friendly Minnesota. |
| BlueGreen Alliance | Minneapolis | Unites America’s largest labor unions and its most influential environmental organizations to solve today’s environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and build a stronger, fairer economy. |
| Clean River Partners | Northfield | Inspires people and organizations to value, protect and improve the Cannon River Watershed’s land and water. |
| Center for Biological Diversity* | Minneapolis, Duluth | Works to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. |
| Center for Energy and Environment | Minneapolis, St. Paul | To promote energy efficiency to strengthen the economy while improving the environment. |
| Citizens Climate Lobby* | Cities and Counties around Minnesota |
To create the political will for climate solutions by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power. |
| Clean Energy Economy Minnesota | Minneapolis | An industry-led nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Minnesota’s clean energy ecosystem. CEEM is focused on sharing the stories of clean energy businesses and employees and is committed to working across industries and political divides to support a prosperous economy for Minnesotans. |
| Clean Grid Alliance | St. Paul | A non-profit organization whose 40+ members include wind, solar and energy storage developers and manufacturers, non-profit environmental, public interest and clean energy advocacy organizations, farmer organizations, and other businesses that support renewable energy. |
| Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy* | Minneapolis | Dedicated to climate literacy, climate change education, youth leadership and citizen engagement for innovative climate change solutions. |
| Clean Up the River Environment (CURE)* | Montevideo | To protect and restore resilient rural landscapes by harnessing the power of citizens who care about them. |
| Clean Water Action – Minnesota* | Minneapolis | To protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life. Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups and coalitions, and campaigns to elect environmental candidates and to solve environmental and community problems. |
| COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) | Duluth | Dedicated to building, maintaining, and advocating for mountain bike trails in the cities of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI (the Twin Ports). |
| Conservation Minnesota | Minneapolis | Protecting the Minnesota you love by solving our state’s most important conservation problems. To succeed, Conservation Minnesota is focused on building a diverse and passionate statewide network and understanding each person’s unique interests. |
| Do it Green! Minnesota* | Minneapolis | To educate Minnesotans about green and sustainable living and promote building healthy local communities. |
| Ducks Unlimited Minnesota | Communities around Minnesota | Conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. |
| Duluth Audubon Society* | Duluth | To promote education, conservation, and research focused on birds and to preserve and enhance the ecological diversity of the greater Duluth area. |
| Duluth for Clean Water | Duluth | Seeking a healthy future for the St. Louis River and Lake Superior watershed. |
| Energy Cents Coalition | St. Paul | To promote affordable utility service for low and fixed income people, to ensure the basic necessity of energy to all citizens, and to encourage the participation of low and fixed income citizens in energy issues and energy related decision-making. |
| Environmental Initiative* | Minneapolis | Works with business, nonprofit and government leaders to develop collaborative solutions to Minnesota’s environmental problems. |
| Environmental Law & Policy Center* | Minneapolis | Develop and leads successful strategic advocacy campaigns to improve environmental quality and protect our natural resources. |
| Environmental Working Group* | Minneapolis | To empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. With breakthrough research and education, EWG drive consumer choice and civic action. |
| Eureka Recycling* | Minneapolis | To help individuals, organizations, and communities understand the significance of zero waste and to provide the resources and education needed to achieve their own zero-waste goals. Eureka’s services and policy work present real world solutions to the social, environmental, and health problems caused by wasting. |
| Fresh Energy* | St. Paul | To shape and drive realistic, visionary energy policies that benefit all. Working toward a vision for an economy we thrive in and energy that ensures our well-being. |
| Freshwater* | St. Paul |
Dedicated to preserving freshwater resources and their surrounding watersheds. |
| Friends of Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas* | St. Paul | To advocate for the establishment, use management, and perpetuation of Minnesota’s Scientific and Natural Areas in an undisturbed natural state. |
| Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge | Zimmerman | A grassroots nonprofit organization with a single purpose: to nurture an appreciation for, and the conservation of, the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. |
| Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness* | Minneapolis | A leading voice for the ongoing protection, preservation and restoration of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. |
| Friends of the Cloquet Valley State Forest* | Cloquet Valley | Dedicated to the protection and preservation of the natural and cultural resources of The Cloquet Valley State Forest and promotes responsible enjoyment of this unique treasure. |
| Friends of the Mississippi River* | St. Paul | Engages people to protect, restore and enhance the Mississippi River and its watershed in the Twin Cities region. |
| Friends of the Parks & Trails of St. Paul & Ramsey County* | St. Paul | To promote the public support and appreciation of parks and trails. |
| Great River Greening | St. Paul | Working throughout Minnesota with a mission to inspire and lead local communities in restoring and conserving the land and water that enrich our lives. |
| Honor the Earth* | Callaway | To create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities. |
| Institute for Local Self Reliance* | Minneapolis | Challenges concentrated economic and political power, and instead champions an approach in which ownership is broadly distributed, institutions are humanly scaled, and decision-making is accountable to communities. |
| Izaak Walton League – Minnesota Division* | Chapters around the state | To strive for the purity of water, the clarity of air, and the wise stewardship of the land and its resources; to know the beauty and understanding of nature, and the value of wildlife, woodlands and open space; to the preservation of this heritage and to our sharing of it. |
| Kids for Saving Earth* | North Branch | To educate, inspire, and empower children to protect the Earth’s environment. |
| Land Stewardship Project* | Lewiston, Minneapolis, Montevideo | To foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities. |
| League of Women Voters Duluth* | Duluth | A non-partisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. |
| League of Women Voters Minnesota* | Minnesota | A non-partisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. |
| Northern Waters Land Trust | Leech Lake Area | Working in the north central Minnesota in Counties of Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard and Aitkin primarily within the Leech Lake watershed to protect water quality and preserve environmentally sensitive lands and waters. |
| Lower Phalen Creek Project* | St. Paul | An East Side St. Paul organization whose mission is to engage people in honoring and caring for our natural spaces and the sacred sites and cultural value within them. |
| Lutheran Advocacy – MN* | St. Paul | A state public policy office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) advocating for justice in the areas of hunger, poverty and care of God’s creation. |
| Mankato Area Environmentalists* | Mankato | An ongoing voice for environmental quality, a resource to other environmental and community groups, and a source of action to shape environmental policies and practises in the Minnesota River Valley of south-central Minnesota. |
| Metro Blooms | Minneapolis | Providing ecological design, installation, maintenance, and education services to create resilient landscapes, protect clean water, and provide wildlife habitat. |
| Minnesota Association for Environmental Education | Bloomington | Strengthens the role of education as a solution to our environmental and societal challenges. Serves environmental education (EE) professionals, students, K-12 educators, and their allies. |
| Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy* | St. Paul | Uses law, science, and research to protect Minnesota’s environment, its natural resources, and the health of its people. |
| Minnesota Conservation Federation* | St. Paul | A conservation organization made up of hunters, anglers & others who are dedicated to the enjoyment, education & ethical use of natural resources. |
| Minnesota Council of Nonprofits* | St. Paul | Works to inform, promote, connect and strengthen individual nonprofits and the nonprofit sector. |
| Minnesota Environmental Fund | St. Paul | Engages workplaces and individuals to support leading nonprofit organizations that protect, conserve and restore Minnesota’s environment. |
| Minnesota Food Association* | Marine on St. Croix | To build a sustainable food system based on social, economic, and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships. |
| Minnesota Forestry Association* | Cloquet | Works on behalf of family forest owners, through education and advocacy, to promote stewardship and woodlands. |
| Minnesota Ground Water Association* | White Bear Lake | Promotes public policy and scientific education about ground water. |
| Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture | St. Paul | To bring together the diverse interests of the agricultural community with interests from across the University community in a cooperative effort to develop and promote sustainable agriculture in Minnesota and beyond. |
| Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light* | Minneapolis | An interfaith community co-creating a just and sustainable world. We work in partnership with faith communities to build transformative power and bring the lights of people’s unique gifts to addressing the climate crisis. |
| Minnesota Land Trust* | St. Paul | Works to protect Minnesota’s most treasured natural places, restore habitat that has been degraded, and engage people across our state in outdoor experiences. |
| Minnesota Native Plant Society* | St. Paul | Dedicated to the conservation and appreciation of Minnesota’s native plants and plant communities through education and public awareness. |
| Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union* | Hastings | The largest bird club in the state. It encourages the study of birds, and promotes the preservation of birdlife and its natural habitat. |
| Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance | Minnesota | The largest coalition of hunting, fishing, trapping and conservation organizations in the state, with the objective to involve all concerned outdoor groups in legislative, education and public awareness actions whenever necessary to help protect and enhance our hunting, fishing and trapping heritage. |
| Minnesota Renewable Energy Society* | Minneapolis | Promotes and advocates for the adoption of renewable energy in Minnesota through education and the demonstration of practical applications. |
| Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter* | Bloomington | Promotes environmental awareness, education and advocacy action, especially relating to the wildlife and habitats of the Minnesota River Valley |
| Minnesota Trout Unlimited* | Chapters around the state | To conserve, protect, restore, and sustain Minnesota’s cold water fisheries and their watersheds. |
| Mississippi Park Connection | St. Paul | Strengthens the enduring connection between people and the Mississippi River by enriching the life of the river and the lives of all who experience our national park, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. |
| MN350* | Minneapolis | Unites Minnesotans as part of a global movement to end the pollution damaging our climate, speed the transition to clean energy, and create a just and healthy future for all. |
| Move Minnesota* | St. Paul | Leads the movement for an equitable transportation system that puts people first. |
| National Parks Conservation Association* | St. Paul | The voice of America’s national parks, working to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for present and future generations. |
| The Nature Conservancy – Minnesota Office* | Minneapolis, Duluth | A global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. |
| North American Water Office | Lake Elmo | Focuses on electric utility wastes and the disproportionate adverse health and economic impacts of electric utility wastes on Indigenous Peoples, People of Color and those who live at subsistence levels. |
| Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness* and Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters | Ely | The region based wilderness advocacy group created by area residents to protect the BWCAW and other wild places. |
| Northland Sustainable Solutions* | Minneapolis | To inspire people to follow Nature’s lead in developing positive solutions and innovative strategies to the most pressing environmental and social issues of our day. |
| Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota* | St. Paul | To acquire, protect and enhance critical land for the public’s use and benefit. |
| Pesticide Action Network North America* | Minneapolis | Works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives. |
| Pollinate Minnesota | Minneapolis | To teach immersive education classes, establish educational hives with community partners, and advocate at the local, state and federal level for pollinator-friendly policies. |
| Pollinator Friendly Alliance* | Stillwater | To protect pollinators through habitat restoration, education and awareness, civic stewardship, pesticide reduction, and advocacy. |
| Project Sweetie Pie | Minneapolis | Project Sweetie Pie will be revitalizing North Minneapolis using scattered gardens to seed community agricultural businesses and ultimately a Food Corridor with 500+ liveable wage jobs within walking distance from home. |
| Recycling Association of Minnesota | St. Paul | Committed to increasing recycling in Minnesota to improve the social and economic health of our citizens, businesses, institutions and future generations. |
| Renewing the Countryside* | Minneapolis | Strengthens rural areas by championing and supporting rural communities, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, activists and other people who are renewing the countryside through sustainable and innovative initiatives, businesses, and projects. |
| Saint Paul Audubon Society* | St. Paul | To conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. |
| Save Lake Superior Association* | Two Harbors | The oldest citizen group working exclusively to preserve and protect Lake Superior. |
| Save Our Sky Blue Waters* | Duluth | Dedicated to protecting the waters, forests, wildlife and ecology of the Arrowhead Region and the Lake Superior basin. |
| Sierra Club North Star Chapter* | Minneapolis | Works through grassroots political action, pairing volunteer energy with full-time staff, to strategically address Minnesotans’ most pressing environmental issues. |
| St. Croix River Association* | St. Croix Falls, WI | To protect, restore and celebrate the St. Croix River and its watershed. |
| St. Louis River Alliance | Duluth | Working to oversee activities and practices that are helping to restore, protect and enhance the St. Louis River. |
| Sustainable Farming Association* | Minneapolis | Supports the development and enhancement of sustainable farming systems through farmer-to-farmer networking, innovation, demonstration, and education. |
| TakeAction Minnesota | St. Paul, Duluth | A statewide network of people working to realize racial and economic equity across Minnesota. |
| The Trust for Public Land* | St. Paul | To create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. |
| Tree Trust | St. Louis Park | Organizes efforts to increase the urban tree canopy through community and school plantings, municipal tree distributions, and other special forestry initiatives. |
| Vote Climate* | A a non-partisan organization dedicated to encouraging public awareness of climate and justice issues. | |
| Voyageurs National Park Association* | Minneapolis, International Falls | Works with the National Park Service to support recreation and conservation projects, enhance education and public engagement, and protect the wild nature of the park for future generations. |
| WaterLegacy* | Duluth | To protect Minnesota’s clean waters and the communities that rely on them, particularly from the threat of sulfide mining pollution in the Lake Superior and Boundary Waters watersheds. |
| Wilderness in the City* | Eagan | To ensure ecosystems are restored and preserved throughout the metropolitan regional parks system, providing high quality habitat for wildlife, and year-around Nature-based opportunities to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. |
| Wilderness Inquiry | Minneapolis | Provides opportunities for urban youth, families, and people with disabilities to discover and share the many benefits of outdoor experiences. |
| Wild Ones Natural Landscaping – St. Croix Oak Savanna* | Stillwater | To advocate for landscaping with native plants, to provide environmental education, and to restore natural ecosystems. |
| Women’s Environmental Network* | Minneapolis | Fostering professional networks for women working to protect the environment. |
| Women’s Congress for Future Generations* | Twin Cities |