KEEP BIG SUR WILD Year Founded: 2021 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 26 volunteers Budget: $70,500 (562) 480-4439 keepbigsurwild.org BIG IDEA: Soaking in a majestic vista. Bonding at a campsite. Romping in a river. These unforgettable experiences are available to everyone who visits Big Sur. But none of it is guaranteed, the volunteers at Keep Big Sur Wild want to remind us. This group’s Big Idea is to protect the Big Sur Land Use Plan, the legal framework that preserves this internationally renowned, well-loved coastline. This lean nonprofit organizes Highway 1 cleanups, as well as stays involved with policy. Letter-writing campaigns and showing up at government meetings make sure community voices shape the future of Big Sur. “Keep Big Sur Wild is a wonderful organization. The main objective, along with fighting against over-commercialization of Big Sur, is to stay tirelessly dedicated to protecting the Big Sur Land Use Plan and keep this coast protected for all of us to enjoy.” -Rick Thau THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER Year Founded: 1975 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 138 paid, 1,300 volunteers Budget: $22,455,000 (415) 289-7325 marinemammalcenter.org BIG IDEA: The Marine Mammal Center’s Castroville facility has been busy during its first year of operation, serving as a vital hub to rescue, stabilize and transport marine mammals from Monterey Bay to the nonprofit’s hospital in Sausalito. The facility has space for 15 patients and houses specialized on-the-water rescue equipment, so that crews can respond quickly when seals, sea lions, otters and whales become tangled in ocean trash. Thanks to this Big Idea’s year-round efforts, hundreds of marine mammals are rescued each year. “Every week I get to help rescue and care for sick and injured marine mammals. The animals get a second chance at life in the wild and we get to learn from them how to take better care of our oceans. We couldn’t do any of it without [our community’s] help.” -Robert Levit MEARTH Year Founded: 2008 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 9 paid, 180 volunteers Budget: $943,316 (831) 624-1032 mearthcarmel.org BIG IDEA: MEarth’s expansive outdoor classroom and organic garden nurture the community in many ways. Free field trips and partnerships with youth organizations offer hands-on learning that helps build the next generation of environmental stewards. Students and volunteers help harvest the garden’s bounty of organic produce, but this Big Idea doesn’t stop there. Through Nourish Our Neighbors, the fresh produce is shared with more than 200 households facing food insecurity, primarily in Cachagua and Big Sur. “Watching our students explore MEarth’s garden was incredibly rewarding. The hands-on learning brings classroom lessons to life—students weren’t just hearing about habitats and sustainability, they were immersed in it. Making their own pizza with fresh ingredients deepened their appreciation for where food comes from and how nature supports us. These experiences inspire curiosity, responsibil114 Monterey County GIVES! 2026 mcgives.com ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM “Making their own pizza with fresh ingredients deepened their appreciation for where food comes from.” -Araceley Zavala-Ramirez, MEarth LANDWATCH MONTEREY COUNTY Year Founded: 1997 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 50 volunteers Budget: $500,000 (831) 759-2824 landwatch.org BIG IDEA: As the saying goes, a society grows great when people plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. LandWatch Monterey County’s Big Idea is to build a pipeline of young professionals who will carry Salinas Valley housing and climate advocacy into the future. Through workshops and mentorship, participants will gain practical land use skills, like how to interact with local government, read and analyze government staff reports, review development proposals and organize neighbors. “LandWatch has demonstrated time and again that knowledge is power. Monterey County would look entirely different without LandWatch—think cookie-cutter developments instead of rolling hills along Highway 68, or sprawled-out, centerless municipalities, instead of firm lines and policies directing development where it belongs— with existing development, infrastructure and resources. Support for LandWatch is not only an expression of gratitude for what our county is today, thanks to 29 years of hard work—it’s an investment in a future that considers the entire community while protecting open space and farmland.” -Mary Adams, retired Monterey County supervisor SPOTLIGHT
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