Driven by Evidence.

Guided by Values.

Our Story

Giving Green was founded to fill a critical gap in climate philanthropy: helping donors navigate a complex landscape to direct their resources to make maximum impact.

Our founder, Dan Stein, Ph.D., spent over 15 years developing evidence-based strategies in global impact and philanthropy. He saw many people who were eager to fight climate change but overwhelmed by the scale and complexity
of the problem. The result? Too many good intentions stalled before reaching effective solutions.

In 2019, with support from our incubator IDinsight, Dan launched Giving Green to cut through the noise, rigorously evaluate high-impact climate solutions, and share clear guidance with the public. What began as a small side project quickly grew into a dedicated team of researchers and communicators helping direct tens of millions of dollars to effective climate initiatives.

But we can’t take all the credit—our impact is shared. Behind these numbers are donors and partners from all walks of life: from young fundraisers donating their carefully saved allowances, retirees who believe in a better world for their children and grandchildren, and avid academics enticed by Giving Green’s body of research. Our foundational belief is that anyone can start small and still make a huge impact on climate.

Thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey. The path to net zero is long, but we’re committed to pushing forward together.

Our Team

Dan Stein, Ph.D.
Dan Stein, Ph.D.
Founder & Executive Director
Dan Stein, Ph.D.
Founder & Executive Director

Dan champions evidence-based approaches to fight the climate crisis while leading Giving Green and serving as a senior advisor to IDinsight. He previously held the position of Chief Economist at IDinsight and worked as an Economist at the World Bank. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics and a BA from UC Berkeley.

Greer Gosnell, Ph.D.
Greer Gosnell, Ph.D.
Director of Research
Greer Gosnell, Ph.D.
Director of Research

Greer is an open science advocate and field experimentalist. As Senior Research Manager at Rethink Priorities, Greer led initiatives to inform philanthropists’ high-impact grantmaking. Previously, she held joint appointments as Senior Research Associate at the Payne Institute for Public Policy and as Research Assistant Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. ​She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics from the London School of Economics.

Jackie Ciraldo
Jackie Ciraldo
Associate Director of Growth
Jackie Ciraldo
Associate Director of Growth

Previously, Jackie worked at Elle Communications and DEY. Ideas + Influence, driving impact-driven communications for individuals, nonprofits, philanthropies, and brands spanning environmental justice, climate solutions, impact investing, global health, worker rights, democracy, and more. She began her career at Hawkins International. Jackie holds a Bachelor’s in Public Relations with minors in International Studies and Sociology from The Pennsylvania State University.

Emily Thai
Emily Thai
Chief of Staff
Emily Thai
Chief of Staff

Prior to joining Giving Green, Emily worked at the University of Chicago’s Center for RISC, managing behavioral science consultancies for social impact, and at Rhapsody Venture Partners, investing in sustainable technology. Emily holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and Women’s and Gender Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kimberly Huynh, Ph.D.
Kimberly Huynh, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Research
Kimberly Huynh, Ph.D.
Associate Director of Research

Kimberly previously worked as Content Editor and Summer Research Analyst at GiveWell and conducted environmental fieldwork in Canada, New Zealand, Chile, and the United States. Her PhD in Civil & Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley focused on estimating methane emissions from wetlands. She holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University.

Sunnie Huang
Sunnie Huang
Growth Officer
Sunnie Huang
Growth Officer

Sunnie began her career as a journalist at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, then at The Economist in London. After moving to the nonprofit sector, she worked with Generation Pledge to grow the community of ultra-high-net-wealth inheritors who want to do good with their resources. Sunnie holds degrees in journalism and environmental economics. She is passionate about helping impact-oriented organizations grow.

Diego Garrison
Diego Garrison
Senior Researcher
Diego Garrison
Senior Researcher

Diego has a strong background in climate policy, advocacy, and philanthropy. While working at Breakthrough Energy and Boundary Stone Partners, he designed and advocated for successful policies, including tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. He holds a Master's in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University and was named a global future climate leader by the Aspen Institute.

Enzia Schnyder
Enzia Schnyder
Research Associate
Enzia Schnyder
Research Associate

Previously, Enzia worked in research at the International Renewable Energy Agency, the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, and an alternative protein start-up. ​She holds an MEng in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford and a Postgraduate Diploma from the University of Nottingham, where she studied the use of microbes to produce alternative proteins made from carbon dioxide

Soemano Zeijlmans
Soemano Zeijlmans
Research Associate
Soemano Zeijlmans
Research Associate

Soem previously worked as a Policy Analyst at The Good Food Institute Europe and was a Fellow at Ambitious Impact's charity research program. He helped relaunch the Effective Environmentalism initiative. Soem holds an MSc in Environmental Economics from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, an MA in Environment, Development and Peace from the UN's University for Peace, and a BSc from Leiden University College.

Christina N. De Jesús Villanueva, Ph.D.
Christina N. De Jesús Villanueva, Ph.D.
Research Associate - Puerto Rico
Christina N. De Jesús Villanueva, Ph.D.
Research Associate - Puerto Rico

Christina brings a decade of research, grant management, and nonprofit work, most recently working as a U.S. Forest Service program leader. Christina holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in human-wildlife interactions, a Master’s in Genetics and Invasive Species Management from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, and a Bachelor’s from the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao.

Our Advisors

Dan Plechaty
Advisor

Dan Plechaty is a Strategist at ClimateWorks. As part of the Global Intelligence team, he provides actionable insights to climate grantmakers through emissions modeling and scenario analyses, coordinates projects on action, accountability, and progress tracking, and explores new topics that intersect with existing programmatic grantmaking areas.

Neil Buddy Shah, Ph.D.
Advisor

Neil Buddy Shah is the CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and previously the Managing Director of GiveWell. Buddy has a decade-plus track record of taking cutting-edge ideas from academia and industry and applying them to the needs of the social sector.

Shu Dar Yao
Advisor

Shu Dar Yao is the founder of Lucid Capitalism, an advisory firm that guides VC and PE funds and their portfolio companies on ESG issues, including climate change and social inequality. Her career spans finance and nonprofits, including roles at RSF Social Finance, Social Finance, Citigroup's Inclusive Finance, the World Bank Group's IFC, and JPMorgan.

Our Impact

Giving Green’s research has influenced over $37.2 million in donations
to high-impact climate nonprofits, with individual gifts ranging from $0.30
to $10 million.

For every dollar invested in our work, we’ve directed $21 to the most effective climate solutions by running a lean, high-impact team dedicated to providing the highest value information to climate-interested donors.

Giving Green is proud to assist an increasing amount of donors each year, with this year's donor count still rising.

This chart breaks down the funds Giving Green has moved: Contributions through the Giving Green Fund, which supports our Top Climate Nonprofits and other grantees, and additional donations made directly to the organizations in our Top Climate Nonprofits list.

Giving Green runs a lean operation to deliver maximum climate impact. Our strategic, cost-effective research
drives real-world results, helping more people give year after year while keeping our operating costs low.

Annual Impact Reports

2024 Giving Green Annual Impact Report

2023 Giving Green Annual Impact Report

2022 Giving Green Annual Impact Report

Our Values

Truth-seeking

We ask challenging questions and perform rigorous research, guided by evidence and reason.

Humility

We value different perspectives and acknowledge our own limitations.

Transparency

We share research and deliberations publicly to encourage dialogue.

Collaboration

We foster catalytic partnerships to amplify climate actions and maximize impact.

Our Mistakes

We believe in humility and transparency at Giving Green, and will be the first
to admit when we’ve made a mistake. As we learn, improve, and evolve over time, we are committed to openly sharing our mistakes in order to demonstrate our commitment to continual growth.

Our Funders

Ray & Tye Noorda Foundation
Australian

Ethical
Center for Effective
Altruism
Preston Werner Ventures

Support Our Work

Donate today to enable Giving Green’s continued climate solutions research.

Employment Inquiries

View our open positions and inquire about opportunities with Giving Green.

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