Walking Softer

Walking Softer is an operating foundation — not a traditional grantmaker — which fundamentally reshapes how prospective applicants must position themselves. Rather than issuing open RFPs and distributing general operating grants to outside organizations, it runs three proprietary programs: the Young Leaders program (its premier funding vehicle for early-career climate founders), the Education Program for high school students and teachers, and an annual Summit series. The foundation was launched by Victoria and Vinny Smith — listed in IRS filings as founding directors — with a mission to "inform, inspire and support Changemakers to take bold and immediate action in the conservation and regeneration of our planet."

The Young Leaders program is the primary funding opportunity for external applicants, but it operates as a nomination-based fellowship-accelerator hybrid: individuals cannot apply directly — they must be nominated by a partner organization within Walking Softer's network. Walking Softer's nominating partners identify candidates over a roughly three-month window each year, and only the first 100 qualifying nominations advance to review. This gatekeeping structure makes relationship-building with Walking Softer's nominating partners the single highest-leverage strategic action for prospective participants.

Walking Softer favors founders, co-founders, CEOs, and Executive Directors in their 20s or 30s who are 1–4 years into building an early-stage climate or sustainability venture. The organization must be legally incorporated with a minimum $30,000 annual operating budget. Selection is not purely merit-based: Walking Softer explicitly curates a well-rounded cohort diversified across geographies, problem-solving approaches, and demographics — selecting both for-profit and nonprofit leaders. A strong candidate may not advance in a given year simply because cohort balance is already met in their niche.

For first-time nominators: frame submissions around what is unique about the candidate relative to the existing pipeline. Walking Softer's selected cohorts consistently reflect an equity and intersectionality lens — leaders working at the intersection of climate, race, and community sovereignty receive strong representation. The Education Program and Summit are less accessible paths for most grant seekers: the former targets K-12 institutions and teachers directly (not individual nonprofits or leaders), and the latter is an invitation-only convening. Walking Softer's IRS contact is listed as Blake Oswalt; the organization's Jackson, WY headquarters operates with a California area code (949), reflecting West Coast organizational roots.

Walking Softer's financials document one of the more striking growth trajectories in small-to-mid environmental philanthropy. Total giving rose from $614,314 (FY2021) to $1,920,504 (FY2022) to $6,096,245 (FY2023) — a tenfold increase in two years. Total assets climbed from $5.9M (FY2021) to $11.7M (FY2022) to $32.0M (FY2023) to $34.5M (FY2024), driven primarily by contributions received ($12.8M in FY2023 alone), consistent with a family-funded operating foundation in its growth phase. Revenue reached $17.2M in FY2024, and net investment income of $2.0M in FY2023 indicates a maturing endowment.

The Young Leaders program is the primary direct-award vehicle. Cohort 1 recipients received up to $50,000 each; Cohort 2 recipients received up to $75,000 each — a 50% increase between cycles. With 10–15 leaders selected per annual cohort, direct award giving per cycle runs between $500,000 and $1.1M. Funding is disbursed in tranches: 50% at program start, 45% upon program completion, and 5% upon documentation submission — a structure that rewards consistent engagement over the six-month program arc.

The Education Program distributes smaller amounts across a broader base: up to $2,000 per student project team, $1,000 teacher stipends, and scholarships of up to $20,000 for qualifying high school juniors and seniors. IRS program expense filings for FY2023 show: Education Program at $695,596, Annual Summit at $361,214, and Young Leaders at $278,236 — reflecting operational delivery costs, not direct award totals. Officer compensation totaled $343,473 in FY2023 (Tighe Brown, President: $233,749; Ali Dunford-Milburn, Secretary/Treasurer: $103,251 plus $42,308 in a secondary filing entry).

One critical distinction: grants paid per IRS filings were only $6,250 in FY2023. The vast majority of the $6.1M in reported giving is program-service expenditure. Walking Softer does not write large unrestricted general operating grants to outside nonprofits. The value proposition for selected Young Leaders is the cohort infrastructure, executive coaching, retreat access, and non-dilutive cash award bundled into a six-month accelerator — not a standalone check.

The five peer foundations identified by asset size all operate in the Environment NTEE category, providing a useful benchmark for Walking Softer's positioning and accessibility.

Walking Softer stands out within this peer group on two dimensions. First, its giving-to-assets ratio is notably high: $6.1M disbursed on $32.0M in assets represents approximately 19% annual payout — far exceeding the IRS 5% minimum for private foundations and well above most peers at this asset tier. Second, its nomination-based Young Leaders program is the most clearly documented and accessible external funding pathway among these five peers, several of which operate without any publicly listed open-application or nomination programs. For early-career climate founders in their 20s–30s, Walking Softer is the most structurally accessible opportunity in this peer cohort, provided the nomination relationship is secured.

Walking Softer published its 2025 Impact Report in early 2025, marking the organization's third full year of operations and documenting rapid growth across all three program verticals. The most significant programmatic development during 2024–2025 was the announcement of Cohort 2 of the Young Leaders program, which selected 12 leaders: Wawa Gatheru (Black Girl Environmentalist), Suzanne Pierre Ph.D. (Critical Ecology Lab), Win Cowger (Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research), Sage Lenier (Sustainable & Just Future), Serena Mendizabal (Sacred Earth Solar), Lauren Castelino (Green Career Centre), Jack Hanson (Run On Climate), Keenan Adams (Hacienda Agrobosque), Tez Steinberg (United World Challenge), Miswar Syed (Swish), Brayan Cruz, and Abhay Singh Sachal (Break The Divide). Each received up to $75,000 plus the full six-month accelerator package, including an all-expenses-paid Lake Tahoe leadership retreat.

In 2025, Walking Softer formally rebranded the program from "Young Leaders Award" to "Walking Softer Young Leaders," shifting the identity toward alumni community membership. The organization presented at the NAAEE 2025 Annual Conference with a session titled "Empower Youth, Activate Change: Student-Led Sustainability Solutions in Action," expanding its visibility in formal environmental education networks. A notable new academic partnership launched with the UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers, producing the Students Actively Valuing the Environment (SAVE) program. Walking Softer also participated in San Francisco Climate Week and has launched Kosmos Farm, a regenerative agriculture operation in Costa Rica, expanding beyond education and leadership into land stewardship. As of early 2026, 2026 Young Leaders nominations have closed; the next open cycle is anticipated in 2027.

Secure a nominating organization before anything else. Walking Softer does not accept direct applications for the Young Leaders program. Every candidate enters through a nominating partner within Walking Softer's network. Begin by identifying which climate accelerators, environmental impact hubs, university sustainability programs, and aligned networks already serve as nominating partners — and build those relationships before any nomination cycle opens. Cold nominations from unknown partners are structurally weaker than those from established network members.

Match your organizational stage precisely. Walking Softer targets early-stage ventures typically 2–4 years old. The $30,000 minimum annual operating budget is a hard eligibility floor — document it clearly in the Project Readiness Form with financial records. Organizations that are pre-incorporation, pre-revenue, or conversely too mature and well-capitalized will not fit the stage profile. The sweet spot is a founder who has demonstrated proof of concept with real traction but still has significant runway ahead.

Lead with equity and intersectionality in all materials. Review the Cohort 2 selections: Black Girl Environmentalist, Critical Ecology Lab, Sacred Earth Solar, Break The Divide, Sustainable & Just Future. Walking Softer is deliberately selecting leaders who sit at the intersection of climate and social justice. Applications framing climate work exclusively in technical or market terms — without engaging racial, economic, or community-justice dimensions — are less competitive for cohort selection.

Invest in Pitch Deck design. Walking Softer's Creative Director has 15 years designing for Nike, Samsung, Disney, and Starbucks. The organization has professional aesthetic expectations. A polished, visually compelling pitch deck signals organizational maturity and communicates at the level Walking Softer operates. Treat design quality as a selection signal, not optional polish.

Submit nominations immediately when the form opens. Only the first 100 qualifying nominations advance. The 2025 cycle closed April 3, 2025. Watch walkingsofter.org and the newsletter closely — nomination windows open without extended advance notice and fill quickly.

Prepare specifically for the 30-minute virtual interview. External evaluators participate alongside Walking Softer staff. Prepare tight answers to: What is your theory of change? How does your work address equity in the climate crisis? What does organizational scale look like in five years? Practice under strict time constraints — 30 minutes passes fast when covering this ground.

For the Education Program (K-12 only): contact Walking Softer through the education channel at walkingsofter.org if you are a high school teacher or school program coordinator. The $2,000 student project fund and $1,000 teacher stipend require school enrollment in the program — this is not a separate grant application process for nonprofits.