2025 ANNUAL REPORT
2025 ANNUAL REPORT DEAR CHILDREN AND NATURE CHAMPIONS, Today’s children and the natural world are facing unprecedented challenges. Throughout 2025, we offered hope and measurable impact through a powerful, proven solution found all around us: nature. We reached our Nature Everywhere goal of engaging 100 communities in connecting children to outdoor experiences that support health, wellbeing and healing from trauma – and inspire a lifelong connection to the natural world. We awarded $1.75 million in grants to help 41 communities propel their visions for equitable access to nature for kids and families. We also finalized a new ten-year strategic framework designed to create a healthy, joyful and nature-filled childhood for 20 million youth in the U.S. – roughly one-third of the nation’s children and a tipping point for societal change. At a time when kids and nature need each other more than ever, your support will help us reach this ambitious goal. With gratitude,
Sarah Milligan-Toffler President & CEO, Children & Nature Network
Jesús Aguirre Board Chair, Children & Nature Network
HOW WE WORK OUR THEORY OF CHANGE We work to increase equitable access to nature everywhere children live, learn and play by fostering the belief that nature is essential for healthy development; growing an inclusive global movement of nature connection advocates; and changing the big systems that impact children’s daily lives.
2025 HIGHLIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS
100 We reached our goal of engaging 100 communities in connecting children to outdoor experiences that support health, well-being and healing from trauma – and inspire a
$1.75 Million
lifelong connection to the natural world.
We awarded $1.75 million in seed grants to help 41 communities propel their visions for equitable
6 x $50k We awarded catalytic grants of $50,000 to six communities who are ready to implement game-changing nature connection strategies.
access to nature.
15:1 For every $1 in grants we award, communities leverage (on average) an additional $15.
650+ We brought together more than 650 leaders from around the world for our Nature Everywhere Conference to advance best practices for helping children and communities thrive.
10k in 10
2x
Our Benefits of Nature toolkit
Participation in the 2025 Vitamin N
makes it easy to advocate for nature
Challenge doubled, as we launched
connection. It was visited more than
new resources for families,
10,000 times in the first 10 months
including our “10-weeks of ideas”
following publication.
newsletter series.
476k Our reach continues to grow, with nearly 500,000 followers across our social media channels, website and publications like Finding Nature News.
bit.ly/4cP1BTi
HELP US BRING THE BENEFITS OF NATURE TO CHILDREN EVERYWHERE. DONATE TODAY!
IMPACT STORIES We partner with communities and key sectors to grow opportunities for kids to get outside – with a focus on places with the biggest nature gaps. We serve as a pollinator, bringing people and partners together for greater impact. This is systems change work, which may sound complex, but it’s really about building relationships, shifting policies and funding, and helping communities think differently about what nature connection can look like. Here are some examples:
CINCINNATI, OHIO After joining our Nature Everywhere Green Schoolyards Cohort in 2021, Cincinnati has moved from greening individual school grounds to districtwide impact in a remarkably short time. As part of our Nature Everywhere initiative, the community’s Green Schoolyards Action Network is on its way to transforming all 65 Cincinnati Public School campuses with outdoor learning spaces that offer nature-based curriculum, expand green career pathways, and connect students to fresh food through a garden-to-cafeteria program. Twenty new green schoolyards were completed in 2024 and 2025; more are underway.
LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS Since becoming a Nature Everywhere community two years ago, nature access has become a shared community value in Lowell. The city received one of our $50,000 implementation grants to increase the use of existing green spaces – and bring nature-based play and learning to schools, parks and natural areas. A new nature play area at the Pawtucket Farm and Wildlife Sanctuary will directly benefit more than 30,000 youth and families. Youth are at the center of Lowell’s Nature Everywhere effort, assisting with programming, participating in focus groups, and helping with data collection.
15:1 For every $1 in grants we award, communities leverage $15 or more.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA Project One Health JAX is tapping into our proven Nature Everywhere strategies and skilled community facilitators to help four urban core neighborhoods launch youth programs and expand outdoor opportunities that get kids outdoors and off screens. This includes a citywide “Less Screen, More Green Challenge” that encourages people to spend 30 minutes outside, every day for 30 days, to improve mental health. Project One Health JAX is an initiative led by the Winston Family Foundation that will invest $6 million over three years to improve the health of children and the environment in Jacksonville.
MOBILIZING THE MOVEMENT We brought 650 leaders together from around the world for our Nature Everywhere Conference to advance best practices for helping children and communities thrive. Support from funders, partners, sponsors and the global children and nature movement made this annual event possible. Our reach continues to grow, with nearly 500,000 followers across our social media channels, website and publications like Finding Nature News.
STATEWIDE IMPACT In Nevada, our Nature Everywhere team helped pass legislation, based on recommendations from the Nevada Outdoor Education Advisory Working Group, that will bolster statewide outdoor education through teacher training, nature-based standards and green schoolyards. In Michigan, we partnered with the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, with support from the Kresge Foundation, to create the Michigan Children & Nature Coalition. The coalition – made up of statewide and regional organizations and agencies, school districts, early learning and childcare centers, tribal leaders, and community partners – is focused on creating more nature-filled schoolyards and opportunities for outdoor learning and play in early childhood.
UPTAKE IN KEY SECTORS We equipped mental health and family service providers with nature-based interventions that support child, family and community well-being and trauma recovery through our Nature as Healer Roundtable and Community of Practice. We also led the Outdoor and NatureBased Early Care and Education Collaborative, which is advancing local, state and federal policies that bring nature’s benefits to young children. The Collaborative’s policy focus areas include early childhood facilities and environments; prenatal to age three programming; and support for families.
2025 FINANCIALS 2025 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
AUDIT STATEMENT
STATEMENT OF POSITION Assets Cash and Cash Equivalents Grants Receivable Prepaid Expenses Property and Equipment – Net
Our 2025 financial information has
TOTAL ASSETS
$
4,133,946 120,000 100,814 60,000 4,414,760
38,755 89,204
TOTAL LIABILITIES
127,959
3,372,259 914,542
TOTAL NET ASSETS
4,286,801
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
4,414,760
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
Expense Program Services Support Services Management and General Fundraising Total Support Services TOTAL EXPENSE Change in Net Assets Unrealized Gain (Loss) Net Assets Beginning of Year NET ASSETS END OF YEAR
financial statements, audited by Carpenter, Evert & Associates. This information should be read consolidated financial statements
NET ASSETS Unrestricted Temporarily Restricted
TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE
& Nature Network’s consolidated
in conjunction with our audited
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities Accounts payable Payroll Liabilities Deferred Revenue
Support and Revenue Grants and Contributions Government Grants Program Income Other Income Special Events
been derived from the Children
1,164,167 959,000 202,338 2,325,505
3,032,511 554,443 499,220 1,053,663 4,086,174 (1,760,669) 6,047,470 4,286,801
and related notes. To obtain copies or to request a copy of our 990, please contact us at admin@childrenandnature.org.
FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS The Children & Nature Network is grateful to ALL of the donors, funders, partners and members who make our work possible. Special thanks to the following funders, partners and donors who made contributions of $5,000 or more to support our work in 2025: Anonymous Audacious Foundation Brandwein Institute Hayden & Lynn Brooks Casey Family Programs Mike Eberstadt and Nina Beattie Env ironmental Stewardship Fund, a fund of Tides Foundation Olivia Farr FEMSA Foundation Fund for Lake Michigan George B. Storer Foundation Hunter Family Foundation ICU Fund Kikkerland Design Inc. L.L. Bean The Kim Larson & Gary Knell Impact Fund Macy’s Mission Every One Sam and Mary Lawrence Foundation The Kresge Foundation Minneapolis Foundation Doug and Therese Moore Har old M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation Nature’s Way
STRATEGIC PARTNERS We thank these strategic partners with whom we align resources to deepen our collective impact: Alana Foundation American Library Association Blue Sky Funders Forum Casey Family Programs International School Grounds Alliance Int ernational Union for the Conservation of Nature, Commission on Education and Communication and #NatureForAll Green Schoolyards America Hello Insight KABOOM! Learning through Landscapes Learning Planet Institute Let’s Move in Libraries No rth American Association for Environmental Education Na tional Caucus of Environmental Legislators Na tional Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) National League of Cities Na tional Wildlife Federation - Early Childhood Health Outdoors (NWFECHO) Natural Start Alliance Nature and Health Alliance Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project Outdoor Alliance for Kids Percent for Place Coalition [Re] Building America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) Reinvestment Fund
Outdoor Foundation
Rob Grunewald Consulting LLC
Pisces Foundation
Salzburg Global Seminar
PlayCore
The Big SandBox
The Hannah B. Quimby Gift Fund REI Cooperative Action Fund Kathryn and Robert Riddell Fund Swantz Family Foundation Betsy & Charles Townsend Wilderness River Foundation
Texas Children in Nature Network Trust for Learning Trust for Public Land UNESCO Urban Libraries Council Trust for Public Land UNESCO Urban Libraries Council
TEAM CHILDREN & NATURE The Children & Nature Network is grateful for the leadership of our Board of Directors and Founders’ Council – and the strategic work of our staff. Together, they are increasing equitable access to nature for children around the world. You can learn more about our Board, Founders’ Council and staff on our website: childrenandnature.org/about/our-team/
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