What nonprofit did Yvon Chouinard co-found in 2002 to promote donating 1% of sales?

The nonprofit Yvon Chouinard co-founded in 2002 to promote donating 1% of sales is 1% for the Planet.

Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, created the organization with Craig Mathews, owner of Montana fly-fishing business Blue Ribbon Flies. Their idea was that companies benefiting from nature should help protect it. The organization encourages businesses to contribute 1% of annual sales—not 1% of profits—to approved environmental causes.

The pledge grew out of Patagonia’s own environmental giving, which began in 1985. That distinction between sales and profits is an important part of the model: companies contribute even during years when their profits are small or nonexistent.

A common mix-up is treating 1% for the Planet as a single environmental charity. It is better understood as a membership network and certification community connecting businesses with environmental organizations. It is also unrelated to Green America, EarthShare, and the Climate Group, which are separate organizations with different structures and missions.