Synchronicity Earth is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that prioritizes funding organizations related to environmentalism and conservation. One of its main partners is International Rivers, a nonprofit environmentalist organization that supports the concept of “environmental personhood,” a legal concept that entails granting rivers, trees, and other natural entities the same status as human beings in court proceedings. ^{1 2}

Background

Synchronicity Earth is a left-of-center conservationist and environmentalist grantmaking organization based in the United Kingdom. The organization was created in 2009 when it merged with the Synchronicity Foundation. ³

The Synchronicity Foundation was founded in 2000 to provide funding to organizations that prioritized left-of-center solutions to issues including environmentalism, conservationism, and healthcare. The Synchronicity Foundation has provided, as of January 2017, more than $6 million to 70 projects in 40 countries around the world. ⁴

Synchronicity Earth was created and merged with the Synchronicity Foundation in 2009, and the conservation organization is now the primary beneficiary of the Synchronicity Foundation. Synchronicity Earth prioritizes funding organizations that focus on left-of-center projects related to environmentalism and conservationism. ⁵

Affiliated Organizations

Synchronicity Earth is partnered with 83 organizations around the world, including multiple U.S.-based organizations. American organizations affiliated with Synchronicity Earth include human rights organization Cultural Survival and International Rivers, a nonprofit environmentalist organization that supports the concept of “environmental personhood,” a legal concept that entails granting rivers, trees, and other environmental entities the same status as human beings in court proceedings. ^{6 7}

People

Adam Sweidan, a co-founder of the Synchronicity Foundation and Synchronicity Earth, joined the Arcus Foundation’s board of directors in December 2022. The Arcus Foundation is a left-leaning grantmaking foundation that, since its founding in 2000, has focused on promoting ethnic minority and LGBT interests and conserving great ape populations. In 2019, it prioritized its social initiatives to focus on issues related to the LGBT movement. ^{8 9 10}

Sweidan is also a founding member and chief investment officer of Aurum Research Ltd, an investment company. He is a “Patron of Nature” at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and was appointed an Honorary Conservation Fellow at the Zoological Society of London. ¹¹

Financials

Synchronicity Earth receives most of its revenue in the form of contributions, gifts, and grants. The organization received a total of approximately £4.2 million (around $5.6 million) in 2021 and had a total expenditure amount of just under £3.3 million (approximately $4.3 million) that year. ¹²

Synchronicity Earth also has an American national organization called Synchronicity Earth USA. The organization received $781,267 from contributions and grants in 2021. The organization also had a total expenditure amount of $937,121, $910,590 of which was spent as charitable funding. ¹³

The organization is listed as a grantee of the Tides Foundation, a major left-of-center grantmaking organization and a major pass-through funder to numerous left-leaning nonprofits. The Tides Foundation’s extensive use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) to funnel grants to center-left political nonprofits has led some right-leaning groups to criticize it as a “dark money” group. ^{14 15}

1. ^[1] “Partners.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/our-work/partners/.
2. “Commentary: EarthTalk by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss — Giving a voice to the rivers.” My Journal Courier. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/Commentary-EarthTalk-by-Roddy-Scheer-and-Doug-15962286.php.
3. “History.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/about-us/history/.
4. “History.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/about-us/history/.
5. “History.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/about-us/history/.
6. “Partners.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/our-work/partners/.
7. “Commentary: EarthTalk by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss — Giving a voice to the rivers.” My Journal Courier. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.myjournalcourier.com/opinion/article/Commentary-EarthTalk-by-Roddy-Scheer-and-Doug-15962286.php.
8. “Adam Sweidan Joins Arcus Foundation Board of Directors.” Philanthropy New York. January 12, 2023. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://philanthropynewyork.org/news/adam-sweidan-joins-arcus-foundation-board-directors.
9. “Arcus Culture.” Arcus. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.arcusfoundation.org/arcus-culture/.
10. McGill, Jason. “Arcus Refines Social Justice Strategy to Tackle Mounting LGBTQ Challenges.” Arcus. February 22, 2018. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.arcusfoundation.org/blog/social-justice-lgbt/arcus-refines-social-justice-strategy-tackle-mounting-lgbtq-challenges/.
11. “Adam Sweidan Joins Arcus Foundation Board of Directors.” Philanthropy New York. January 12, 2023. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://philanthropynewyork.org/news/adam-sweidan-joins-arcus-foundation-board-directors.
12. “Annual Report – 2021.” Synchronicity Earth. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.synchronicityearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Annual-Report-2021-Final.pdf.
13. Suozzo, Andrea. “Synchronicity Earth Usa Inc.” ProPublica. May 9, 2013. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/813758530/202233159349301793/full.
14. “Synchronicity Earth.” Tides. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.tides.org/project/grantee/synchronicity-earth/.
15. “Examiner Editorial: The Left’s Tides Foundation is leader in secret political money.” Washington Examiner. December 10, 2013. Accessed July 16, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/examiner-editorial-the-lefts-tides-foundation-is-leader-in-secret-political-money.