Past Winners

2010 Socially Responsible For-Profit: girltank

girltank is a movement of young women changemakers from six continents and nearly 30 countries who are making an impact in their communities and on the planet. We will design and build a creative, collaborative online space for the first official class of Girltank entrepreneurs to connect, share resources, participate in online trainings, and pave the way for the hundreds of girls who will follow in their footsteps each year.

2010 Non-Profit: Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Greater Yellowstone Coalition brings many strengths to its first ever national outreach campaign — a catchy campaign name, millions of acres of stunning wildlands and wildlife, a passionate staff, and months of thinking and planning. Free Range is honored to bring our branding smarts and knack for fun storytelling campaigns to RU4YNP? to connect audiences to their role in the story of Yellowstone’s future.

2009 Non-Profit: Earth University

EARTH University’s Youtopia campaign made it clear that they have a hugely loyal base of activists — and a large goal. We helped this Costa Rican sustainability leader inspire alumni to plant 1.3 million trees in 34 countries on a single day. Our 30-second CNN spot got the word out and empowered the campaign to quadruple their original goals.

2009 Socially Responsible for Profit: Indigenous Designs

Gorgeous clothing, sustainable manufacturing and a deep commitment to the health of artisan cooperatives — why can’t all businesses be run like Indigenous Designs? Today, nearly every mainstream brand is offering “responsible” products, even as many continue to pollute and plunder. It’s time to set the record straight and tell the stories of the real heroes, like Indigenous, who weave the healing of culture and the planet into everything they do. A new spin on their story and a look at the power of shopping mindfully is coming your way soon!

2008: Green for All

Green for All is a national organization founded by Van Jones that is working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.

They are dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through a clean energy economy that will move America past some of our most pressing challenges. By making us energy independent, it will improve our national and economic security. By radically reducing pollution, it will improve the health of our families and neighborhoods, as well as repair our deteriorating atmosphere. And by creating millions of quality jobs and careers, it will pull America out of the current recession, better protect us from future economic turmoil, and save lives here and abroad.

More than that, building a clean energy economy is a chance to reinvigorate and reinvest in the best part of the American dream: the idea that everyone gets a chance to succeed and be happy. By ensuring that every community has equal access to the opportunity of the new economy, we can lift millions of people out of poverty. Free Range is proud to partner with Green for All in this vital work.

2007: Changing the Present

Thanks to the rise in popularity of alternative gift-giving, thousands of people have chosen to demonstrate their affection by donating a calf to an impoverished family or purchasing an acre of rainforest in someone special’s name. ChangingThePresent.org brings all different types of non-profits and important causes into one marketplace, which means a higher percentage of each sale goes directly to the cause. Through our strategic consulting and branding services, we helped ChangingThePresent.org become a central player in the rising meaningful gift movement, bringing them brand awareness in communities well beyond their former reach.

2006: Global Footprint Calculator

Launched in 2003, the Global Footprint Network aims to make ecological limits central to the decisions made by governments, businesses, households and individuals worldwide. To accomplish this goal, the Network is advancing the scientific rigor and practical use of an Ecological Footprint calculator, a tool that quantifies humanity’s demands on the planet and compares them to the Earth’s capacity to meet these demands. Free Range contributed to the online strategy and interactive web design of the calculator tool, making it vastly more engaging and viral.

2005: NCC EcoJustice Campaign

After the 2004 elections, it became ever more apparent that if we were to make social change, we needed to reach beyond the choir of the usual activists. National Council of Churches EcoJustice Campaign provided a great opportunity for Free Range to assist in fulfilling their mission to “heal and defend creation, working to assure justice for all of creation and the human beings who live in it.” Free Range assisted with assessing outreach needs and building a forum to activate youth in NCC’s 100,000 congregations nationwide.

2004: Slam Bush

During the 2004 presidential elections, Free Range teamed up with The League of Young Voters and Public Enemy’s Chuck D. to organize rhyme battles and poetry slams across the country. The goals were to engage urban youth in speaking their minds about the Bush administration and to encourage their communities to vote. The contest drew hundreds of participants and tens of thousands of fans online and off. Slam Bush culminated in a live national championship battle in Miami, FL the day before the pivotal Florida debates. Ultimately, Slam Bush energized thousands of young people and brought many into the political process for the first time. » Watch the Movie!

2003: The Meatrix

We awarded the first Gratitude Grant to the Global Resource Center for the Environment (GRACE) to assist them in publicizing their anti-factory farming campaign. The result was one of the Internet’s best known cult-classics, The Meatrix. The short cartoon has educated over 20 million viewers on the horrors of the factory farming industry, been translated into more than 10 languages and was decorated with dozens of awards including a 2004 Webby. Years later, The Meatrix continues to serve GRACE as the central educational tool in its campaign. » Watch the Movie!