Words by Tess Becker
Cherishing the natural world is essential for the survival of life on Earth. That means transforming everything from energy production to industrial waste management and individual lifestyle habits. That's exactly what Sacred Futures is about.
This community of climate "visionaries" reconnects the human and ‘more-than-human’ worlds, creating partnerships between the two that serve both longterm and immediate planetary needs.
“We have a couple of different ways to engage folks. We especially want to help drive a paradigm shift,” Sacred Futures founder, Charity May, tells Smiley News. “So when we're developing a new product or a new business process, we consider how to safeguard the future.”
Its members work to transform design philosophy and the core principles of businesses and organizations to make their endeavors more viable for the future of the planet.
“We need to bring reverence and honor to the living world,” Charity says. “So through these design journeys that we craft for business leaders and organizations, we really help them look and identify with their core purposes, but also, assess their relationships - not just with people, not just with stakeholders in the conventional sense; but also their relationships with the living world.”
One of Sacred Futures’ clients, Potlikker Capital, provides funds to farmers of color who are working to steward land while also growing food and fiber for their communities.
“The farmers they serve have a closer connection with the land so their decisions in terms of how they’re producing food may include adapting farming techniques to preserve water, improve soil health, and reduce chemical inputs that harm the environment,” Charity says.
The approach of Sacred Futures allows organizations to become more conscientious, giving them a leg up so they don’t have to go it alone. Charity believes it's vital to understand the links between social justice and environmental justice. She aims to embed that mindset in the organizations she works with.
“Nature has rhythms that include rest and repair and so for us to attend to nature, I think it's really important for us to reflect those patterns of rest and repair in our person, but also in our organizations,” Charity says. “So I bring that component into the organizations that I'm working with.”
Charity is also passionate about giving nature stronger legal rights - similar to those currently assigned to corporations.
“Corporations have been identified legally as persons,” Charity explains. “Why haven't we identified nature as persons and given nature rights is a question that I'd like to explore.”
Charity launched this advisory practice back in 2020 and has worked with a variety of mission-aligned organizations so far, from small enterprises to investment funds. She is dedicating herself full time to supporting other organizations on this journey to greater consciousness in how they connect with nature and with people.
“I’m excited to see where we go in the near future,” she says.
Charity check-in
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Beacon Food Forest. This is one of the largest food forests in the country. Find out more and support them here.
Cultural Survival. They are an indigenous-led nonprofit focused on empowering indigenous Americans and helping the planet. Find out more.
American Forests. A conservation organization focused on preserving and protecting American forests. Support them here.
