Virgin Unite

Virgin Unite is a left-of-center organization sponsored by billionaire Richard Branson that advocates environmentalist and soft-on-crime policies. In addition, Virgin Unite provides grants to individuals and businesses that seek to provide market-oriented solutions to large-scale societal problems.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Criminal Justice Policy
Website: unite.virgin.com/unite
Formation:

2005

President:

Jean Oelwang

Location: New York, NY View on map
Tax ID: 20-3963486
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $6,360,027 Revenue: $6,792,734 Expenses: $5,964,114

Contents

    Funding

    In 2019, Virgin Unite received $4,299,702 in contributions, 1 $4,506,648 in total revenue, 2 incurred $12,594,065 in expenses, 3 and held $11,932,159 in net assets. 4

    Carbon War Room

    Carbon War Room was formed in 2009 to promote market based pathways to shifting from non-weather dependent to weather dependent sources of energy. 5 In 2014, the Carbon War Room’s resources were merged with the Rocky Mountain Institute, 6 a left-of-center environmentalist think tank. 7

    Between 2009 and 2014 the Carbon War Room attempted to propose various market-oriented pathways to shifting to weather dependent sources of energy, 6 including establishing a free shipping vessel efficiency index that measured vessel greenhouse gas emissions and advocating for the expansion of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. 6 PACE is a program that allows state governments to finance the purchase of weather dependent energy production, such as solar panels, and then recoup the loan by assessing an enhanced property taxes on the property owner. 8

    Policing and Crime

    Virgin Unite has supported soft-on-crime policies, including eliminating cash bail requirements for individuals held awaiting trial. 9 In 2017, Virgin Unite raised $1.5 million to support what it referred to as “front line” organizations advocating for soft-on-crime positions, 10 and listed the left-of-center Bail Reform Project as one of its partners. 10 The Bail Reform Project advocates for both the wholesale elimination of cash bail, and raises funds to release individuals that are held in jail and awaiting trial. 11

    Leadership

    Jean Oelwang is the founding CEO and president of Virgin Unite. 12

    Oelwang’s background is in the telecommunications industry, 12 she has worked for a number of mobile phone companies. 12 Prior to joining Virgin Unite, Oelwang was the CEO of Virgin Mobile’s Australia office. 12

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $6,360,027 $6,792,734 $5,964,114 View
    2023 $6,201,136 $5,758,929 $4,233,214 View
    2022 $3,634,382 $4,383,907 $4,807,153 View
    2021 $4,075,760 $3,415,307 $6,512,717 View
    2020 $7,244,056 $1,676,699 $7,724,487 View

    Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $15,167,153
    • Number of Grants: 177
    • Number of Funders: 82

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,346,8332024 The Beatitude Foundation IncPAYMENT FOR SUPPORT
    $811,5002021 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $527,8502022 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $501,2502023 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $500,7502024 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $433,3332025 Community Foundation of LouisvilleT30 PUBLIC FOUNDATIONS
    $363,3332024 National Philanthropic TrustPUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $333,3342025 National Philanthropic TrustPUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $333,3332024 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $333,3332023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $246,0002024 Legacy Global ProgramsGeneral Program Support
    $166,5002020 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $122,0002023 Community Foundation of LouisvilleT30 PUBLIC FOUNDATIONS
    $100,0002024 Avatar Alliance FoundationVIRGIN UNITE WAS FOUNDED IN 2004 AS THE NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION OF THE VIRGIN GROUP, TO UNITE PEOPLE AND ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BETTER WORLD. SINCE LAUNCH, TOGETHER WITH SOME GREAT PARTNERS, VIRGIN UNITE HAS INSPIRED AND INCUBATED A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL COLLABORATIONS LIKE THE ELDERS, OCEAN UNITE (NOW ORRAA), CARBON WAR ROOM (NOW MERGED WITH RMI), THE B TEAM, CARIBBEAN CLIMATE SMART ACCELERATOR, UNITE BVI, 100% HUMAN AT WORK AND THE BRANSON CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP WHICH HAVE SPURRED MUCH-NEEDED CHANGE IN THE WORLD. WE CONTINUE TO CATALYSE RADICAL COLLABORATION TO CHALLENGE THE UNACCEPTABLE AS WE WORK FOR A WORLD WHERE ALL THE PLANET AND ALL PEOPLE THRIVE.
    $100,0002023 Silicon Valley Community Foundation
    $100,0002023 Gates FoundationTo support the secretariat of the Africa Donor Collective
    $100,0002023 THE SKOLL FUNDGeneral Nonprofit Support
    $74,0002024 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $70,0002024 Community Foundation of Greenville
    $61,7502025 Donor Advised Charitable Giving, Inc.PUBLIC, SOCIETAL BENEFIT
    $58,8382025 Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift FundFor grant recipient's exempt purposes
    $55,0022023 Elizabeth Pang Fullerton FoundationUNDECLARED
    $50,0002024 Elizabeth Pang Fullerton FoundationUNDECLARED
    $50,0002021 Inmaat Foundation C/o Presti & NaegeleTHE ELDERS
    $50,0002021 Noblelight FoundationGENERAL PURPOSE

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $34,785,319
    • Number of Grants: 131
    • Number of Recipients: 56

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $2,952,3952021 Sightsavers Inc.TRACHOMA PREVENTION
    $2,870,7752022 Sightsavers Inc.TRACHOMA PREVENTION
    $2,000,0002020 LIVING GOODSRURAL COMMUNITY HEAL
    $1,272,0002020 Sightsavers Inc.IN SUPPORT OF PROJEC
    $1,207,1252024 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, ARUBA, BAHAMAS, Recipients2023 OPERATING SUPPORT FOR CARIBBEAN CLIMATE-SMART ACCELERATOR
    $1,120,5272021 LIVING GOODSRURAL COMMUNITY HEAL
    $862,4562023 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, ARUBA, BAHAMAS, Recipients2023 OPERATING SUPPORT FOR CARIBBEAN CLIMATE-SMART ACCELERATOR
    $800,0002020 Last Mile HealthRURAL COMMUNITY HEAL
    $569,7772023 Sightsavers Inc.TRACHOMA PREVENTION
    $558,6502022 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN RecipientsPROGRAMME GRANT TO UNITE BVI FOR 2022
    $550,2252021 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN RecipientsOPERATING SUPPORT
    $550,0002022 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Recipients2022 OPERATING SUPPORT FOR CARIBBEAN CLIMATE-SMART ACCELERATOR
    $504,2372021 Last Mile HealthRURAL COMMUNITY HEAL
    $500,0002020 Bail ProjectTO SUPPORT BAIL PROJ
    $486,3432023 Multiple EUROPE (INCLUDING ICELAND & GREENLAND) Recipients2023 OPERATING SUPPORT FOR VIRGIN UNITE FOUNDATION UK
    $344,8052021 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN RecipientsPOST IRMA RECOVERY
    $232,4632023 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, ARUBA, BAHAMAS, RecipientsPROGRAMME GRANT TO UNITE BVI FOR 2023
    $204,7812024 Multiple CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – ANTIGUA & BARBUDA, ARUBA, BAHAMAS, RecipientsPROGRAMME GRANT TO UNITE BVI FOR 2023
    $179,5882020 Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance IncOPERATING COSTS
    $166,9922021 Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance IncOPERATING COSTS
    $166,6672024 The B TeamOPERATING SUPPORT
    $166,6662022 B Team Headquarters IncOPERATING SUPPORT
    $153,8432023 The B TeamOPERATING SUPPORT
    $150,0002024 RMITO PROMOTE ADVANCEMENT OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH INTO THE PRECISE WARMING OR COOLING EFFECTS BY CONTRAILS IN AVIATION
    $150,0002023 RMITO PROMOTE ADVANCEMENT OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE'S RESEARCH INTO THE PRECISE WARMING OR COOLING EFFECTS BY CONTRAILS IN AVIATION

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Virgin Unite. Part I, line 8. 2019.
    2. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Virgin Unite. Part I, line 12. 2019.
    3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Virgin Unite. Part I, line 18. 2019.
    4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Virgin Unite. Part I, line 22. 2019.
    5. “Carbon War Room” Virgin Unite. https://unite.virgin.com/unite/carbon-war-room
    6. “Carbon War Room” Rocky Mountain Institute. https://rmi.org/carbon-war-room/
    7. “About” Rocky Mountain Institute. https://rmi.org/about/
    8. “Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs” Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/scep/slsc/property-assessed-clean-energy-programs#:~:text=PACE%20programs%20allow%20a%20property,property%20rather%20than%20an%20individual
    9. Kelly, Claire. “Ending cash bail in America’s Deep South” Virgin. May 24, 2021. Accessed January 20, 2023. https://www.virgin.com/virgin-unite/latest/ending-cash-bail-in-americas-deep-south
    10. “Virgin Unite Impact Report – 2017 – Criminal Justice Reform” Virgin Unite. October 2018. Accessed January 20, 2023. https://indd.adobe.com/view/12483d55-e07b-4f25-b490-2028ce8ca33b
    11. “After Cash Bail:A Framework for Reimagining Pretrial Justice” The Bail Project. https://bailproject.org/after-cash-bail/#endcashbail
    12.  “Jean Oelwang” Virgin Unite. https://unite.virgin.com/unite/person/jean-oelwang-0