by Monica Dao

No strangers to the Palm Beach scene, Amanda Hearst Rønning and Breanna Schultz co-founded WELL/BEINGS, a non-profit rooted in climate action, in 2018 after working together for almost a decade at New York City animal welfare organizations. As their work continued, there was a stark realization that for animals to be healthy and happy, so must their humans and their human habitat as well. They founded WELL/BEINGS on the belief that environmental issues, as part of a connected ecosystem, have ripple effects and consequences that necessitate holistic solutions for resolution.

Female-founded, including their Chief Marketing Officer, Shanin Molinaro, WELL/BEINGS is a fairly young non-profit working to scale sustainable solutions to reverse climate change and animal welfare issues.

Each campaign is part of a broader, interconnected effort – ranging from equine welfare initiatives in both the Hamptons, New York, and Puerto Rico, to emergency care for manatees in Florida, and the protection of jaguars in the Bolivian Amazon from poaching, illegal trade, and tourism. Their work also extends to emergency fire relief, beginning with the devastating fires of 2000 in the Bolivian Amazon and continuing through to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles. Together, these efforts reflect a holistic model rooted in the belief that animals, people, and the planet are interconnected.

Every three years, WELL/BEINGS selects one critical area to raise funding and awareness while working with their on-the-ground partner organizations. Their goal is to create connections with other thought leaders, experts, and innovators working at the intersection of animal welfare and environmental protection.

WELL/BEINGS works on a 100% model. One hundred percent of all proceeds raised by WELL/BEINGS goes back to their program efforts. Their current campaign, Save the Mangroves, Save the Ocean, raises funds to support the restoration and conservation of mangroves, seagrass, and marine ecosystems – vital not only for the health of our oceans but also for the survival of marine life, including the beloved manatee.

Mangroves are the unsung heroes of climate change. They are saltwater-rooted trees that line the coasts of more than a hundred countries and provide habitat to millions of animals. They absorb up to five times more carbon than the rainforest and ten times more carbon than any terrestrial forest. They also trap pollutants headed for the ocean and protect coastal communities from extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tsunamis.

Unfortunately, like much of our ocean’s ecosystem, the rate of mangroves destruction is substantial. Since the late 60’s and early 70’s, mangroves have declined at a rapid loss of over 50%.

So far, WELL/BEINGS has planted over 13,000 mangrove seedlings, captured over 150 tons of carbon, restored over 1,300 lives from domestic violence and economic poverty, conserved over 3 hectares of the Bolivian Amazon, and protected over 11 million sea life, wildlife and companion animals.

WELL/BEINGS raises funds through private donations as well as multi-annual events. From intimate lunches in Los Angeles, a large-scale luncheon in Palm Beach or a celebrity-backed gala event in New York, these events are patroned by notable guests in philanthropy, business, fashion, media and more all coming together in support of our planet’s health.

Additionally, WELL/BEINGS hosts an annual Programmatic Event that brings together all its program partners to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and identify ways to strengthen research, education, local initiatives and on-the-ground impact. This level of cross-organizational collaboration is rare in the nonprofit sector. The unified collective doesn’t end there. WELL/BEINGS also leads immersive trips to Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and the Dominic Republic, inviting donors to witness the program work firsthand.

WELL/BEINGS looks forward to what they hope will be a robust fundraising year.

To donate and learn more about Save the Mangroves, Save the Ocean Campaign, please visit www.wellbeingscharity.org