There are now over 8 billion people on the planet, with an increase of 1 billion taking place between 2011 and 2022 alone. Furthermore, wild animal populations have declined by two-thirds in the time that the human population has doubled. This exponential growth has put a strain on natural resources and is caused by a variety of factors, particularly a lack of access to contraception and sexual reproductive education. Fortunately, many charities around the world are now trying to tackle this problem head-on. So, we had to ask: What are the best charities for population research & control?

The best charities for population research & control are Population Matters and the Population Council. Other charities such as the United Nations Population Fund and Population Action International work to improve family planning services and advocate for women’s rights around the world.

Whether you want to ensure that every person has access to family planning services, advocate for a woman’s right over her own body, or invest in the field of population analysis to protect our natural planet, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities for population control are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to make a contribution.

Here’s What All the Best Charities for Population Research & Control Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact and transparency ratings, and achievements. 

They operate all over the world, from North America to Africa, advocating for improved immigration policies and women’s rights on both localized and international levels. 

Many of these charities work to expand the scientific field of population analysis to better understand the effect of population growth on the natural resources of our planet.

Other charities focus on advocating for women’s rights through education and improving access to family planning services, empowering them to make decisions about their own bodies.

Yet, they all share the same goal; to research and/or control human population growth and improve the lives of all inhabitants on Earth. 

These Are the 9 Best Charities for Population Research & Control in 2024

Below are our favorite charities for population control (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

Best Charities For Population Research & Control

Population Matters

Population Council

United Nations Population Fund

Population Action International

Population Connection

Population Association of America

Californians for Population Stabilization

Negative Population Growth

Conservation Through Public Health

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

Population Matters: Every Choice Counts

Population Matters was founded in 1991 as the Optimum Population Trust by David Wiley and other concerned citizens, with the objective of achieving a more sustainable world and controlling population growth. Today, the charity is dedicated to promoting the concept of a human population that lives in harmony with nature rather than against it. 

According to their financial report, Population Matters spent 85.4% of their expenditure on charitable activities and 13% on fundraising.

“We promote positive, practical, ethical solutions – encouraging smaller families, inspiring people to reduce excessive consumption and helping us all to live within our planet’s natural limits.”

Population Matters

Population Matters works to achieve a sustainable human population to protect our natural world and all its inhabitants through their various campaigns. For example, their Insect Population Matters campaign highlights the importance of protecting various insect species by creating wild havens for them to thrive. Moreover, through their Empower to Plan initiative, they partner with like-minded organizations to deliver family planning services to vulnerable women around the world. Furthermore, they analyze research on population statistics and assess their impact. This information is published twice yearly in their Population and Sustainability Journal.

Since their founding, Population Matters has built a global network of passionate individuals to promote and implement practical solutions to the issue of population control. For example, in 2021, 9,245 campaign actions were taken by the charity, and their website attracted 908,000 visitors across 236 countries. Furthermore, in response to their Change Champions Awards, 600 stories were featured in over 50 national and international media outlets, expanding the reach of their message on a global scale. 

You can donate directly to Population Matters through their website. You can also support the charity by fundraising or by joining one of their campaigns.

Population Council: Ideas. Evidence. Impact.

The Population Council was founded in 1952 by John D. Rockefeller III to encourage family planning and improve the health of developing nations. Today, the charity is a leading research organization working to create an equitable and sustainable world for everyone.

The Population Council holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, as well as a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We generate ideas, produce evidence, and design solutions to improve the lives of underserved populations around the world.”

Population Council

The Population Council highlights critical health and development issues surrounding population control through social science, public health, and biomedical research. For example, through their Population, Environmental Risks, and the Climate Crisis initiative, the charity works directly with vulnerable communities and governments to formulate effective plans to deal with changing landscapes caused by global warming. Furthermore, they collaborate with climate experts to understand future patterns of climate change and population dynamics. In addition, through their Center for Biomedical Research (CBR), they develop innovative contraception methods to lower the risk of unplanned pregnancies in developing countries. 

Today, the Population Council works with underserved communities across 30 countries to develop innovative solutions to the population crisis. More than 170 million people worldwide now use contraceptive products developed at the Center for Biomedical Research. For example, in 2021, the charity partnered with a nonprofit pharmaceutical company to develop the first dual pill to prevent both pregnancy and HIV. In the same year, they also integrated family planning services into worker health and livelihood programs in Egypt. 

You can donate directly to the Population Council through their website. You can also support the charity by attending one of their education and awareness events. In addition, you can sign up to receive regular updates on their work through their mailing list.

United Nations Population Fund: For Every Woman and Girl

The United Nations Population Fund, also known as USA for UNFPA, was founded in 1969 under the United Nations Development Fund as a sexual and reproductive health rights agency. Today, the charity tackles population issues by ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted and every girl can reach their fullest potential.

The United Nations Population Fund has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We use our voice passionately to bring women and girls across the world access to sexual and reproductive health care and to keep them safe from violence and harmful practices.”

United Nations Population Fund

The United Nations Population Fund works to give every woman and girl around the world the ability to plan their pregnancies and stabilize the human population. For example, they offer family planning services to women in underserved communities, including short-term and long-term contraceptive options. They also provide comprehensive sexuality education to ensure women are knowledgeable about their rights and bodies. Furthermore, they support victims of gender-based violence and work with communities to raise awareness about women’s rights. 

Today, the United Nations Population Fund works in more than 150 countries to ensure every pregnancy is wanted and to empower women and girls to make their own choices when it comes to family planning. For example, in 2021, they offered prevention or protection services to 3 million girls at risk of child marriage. They also reached 13.3 million women with quality contraceptive methods and prevented 5 million unsafe abortions through their family planning services. 

You can donate directly to the United Nations Population Fund through their website. You can also support the charity by hosting a fundraiser.

Population Action International: Advancing Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health

Population Action International (API) was founded in 1965 by William Henry Draper Jr., Hugh Moore, and Lammot Du Pont Copeland to improve global access to family planning and reproductive health care. Today, the charity is a global network advocating for women’s rights to equality and tackling growing population issues.

Population Action International holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“We work to ensure that country governments enact and implement the policies necessary to expand access to health care and provide sufficient resources for these services, including sexual and reproductive health care.”

Population Action International

Population Action International works with policymakers in Washington DC and their network of like-minded partners to improve access to quality healthcare and advocate for the sexual and reproductive rights of women. They also invest in family planning services in vulnerable communities to control population growth. For example, through their Opportunity Fund and Primary Health Care Initiative, they support local organizations in low and middle-income countries to engage with policymakers to improve vital contraceptive and family planning services with the purpose of meeting the needs of surrounding communities. 

Today, Population Action International works with 77 partners across 31 countries worldwide to improve women’s reproductive rights and tackle exponential human population growth. For example, within 10 years, the charity has awarded over $4.1 million in advocacy support to civil society organizations to improve access to contraception and family planning services. This has resulted in 65 global and localized policy wins for family planning. Furthermore, since 2016, their Primary Health Care Initiative has helped to advance global advocacy efforts and policies in 10 countries worldwide to ensure women are in control of their own bodies. 

You can donate to Population Action International through their website. You can also show your support for #ReproRights on your social media profiles. 

Population Connection: America’s Voice for Population Stabilization

Population Connection was founded in 1968 by Paul R. Ehrlich, Richard Bowers, and Charles Remington to raise awareness of population challenges. Today, the charity is the largest grassroots population organization in the US. 

Population Connection holds a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Silver Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“We have more than 40,000 members and hundreds of thousands more supporters and participating educators working together to build a more sustainable future for the planet and all its inhabitants.”

Population Connection

Population Connection educates young people and advocates heavily across America for progressive action to stabilize the human population. For example, they provide a comprehensive education program for K-12 students on human population trends and the potential environmental impacts. They also offer free academic resources on their website, covering topics such as sustainable development solutions and the links between population dynamics and climate change. Furthermore, through their Population Connection Action Fund, the charity advocates for improved reproductive health policies to ensure that everyone has access to contraception and safe abortion care. 

Since their founding, Population Connection has provided lesson plans and training on population dynamics to over 12,000 teachers and 3 million students annually across North America. For example, in 2021, the charity engaged with over 1,500 supporters through their virtual awareness events and held 618 educational webinars for educators across 45 US states, 5 Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and South Korea.

You can donate directly to Population Connection through their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering or by attending one of their virtual events.

Population Association of America: Tackling the Population Crisis Through Research

The Population Association of America was founded in 1930 by a small group of passionate individuals to support population research. Today, the charity is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the underlying causes and potential consequences of human population growth. 

The Population Association of America holds a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“Our common purpose is to advance knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of population composition, processes, and change.”

Population Association of America

The Population Association of America conducts and supports high-quality population research to raise awareness of the human population crisis. For example, they run numerous conferences and develop innovative communication strategies to build a network of population experts, such as their PAA Engage Online Community. Their findings are then presented to governmental institutions and federal agencies to highlight the issue of human population growth. They have also established an Online Career Center to advance the field of population research and to support early-year professionals.

Since their founding, the Population Association of America network has grown to include over 3,000 demographers, public health professionals, economists, sociologists, and other passionate individuals to advance the field of population research. For example, in 2022, they held a Virtual Advocacy Day event with 32 offices of the US Senate and US House of Representatives in attendance, to share recent research findings on population dynamics and to discuss funding support for key agencies that highlight the importance of population sciences. 

You can donate to the Population Association of America through their website. You can also support the charity by starting an Honor a Colleague Campaign.

Californians for Population Stabilization: Working to Stabilize the Population

Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) was founded in 1986 by a group of passionate professionals, including lawyers and environmentalists, to ensure future generations of Californians have the same opportunities as current residents. Today, the charity is one of the largest member-based population stabilization organizations in the US, working toward a more sustainable country.

Californians for Population Stabilization holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. The charity also holds a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Working to formulate and advance policies and programs designed to stabilize the population of California, the US, and the world at levels that will preserve the environment and a good quality of life for all.”

Californians for Population Stabilization

Californians for Population Stabilization formulate and advance policies that are designed to stabilize the human population of California and the US at large through advocacy, education, and research. For example, they campaign for the government to amend their immigration policy to better align with the economic needs and resources of the country. They do this via hard-hitting TV advertisements, research papers, publicity events, and meetings with legislators. They also mobilize their network of supporters to raise awareness of the negative impacts human population increases have had on the environment, such as extended periods of wildfires. 

Since their founding, Californians for Population Stabilization have passionately advocated for better policies to control population growth across America. For example, in 2023, the charity released an awareness video to commemorate Earth Day, which drew over 74,000 views. Furthermore, in 2022, the charity mobilized over 50,000 activists, leading to the passing of the Secure the Border Act. This legislation aims to control the number of illegal immigrants into the country by hiring and training 22,000 Border Patrol Agents and imposing stricter asylum seeker eligibility.

You can donate to Californians for Population Stabilization through their website. You can also support the charity by advocating or through planned giving.

Negative Population Growth: Working Together for a Liveable Future

Negative Population Growth was founded in 1972 by Donald Wright Mann to advocate for a gradual reduction in US and global populations. Today, the charity focuses on utilizing scientific research and student education to raise awareness of the effects of human population growth on resources. 

Negative Population Growth holds a 3-star rating from Charity Navigator. The charity also holds a Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“To educate American citizens and legislators regarding the damaging effects of population growth.”

Negative Population Growth

Negative Population Growth publishes scholarly articles that highlight the current events and policies that affect population growth. They then use this information to formulate solutions to the growing population crisis. For example, they advocate to halt all illegal immigration into the US through increased border security and propose the implementation of a tax credit system for families with 2 children or less. The charity also offers free Teacher’s Packets to educators that include population statistics and classroom resources on specific population issues. In addition, they have an online library of educational resources which are free to download. 

Today, Negative Population Growth distributes over 35,000 educational resources and population fact sheets to over 400 schools nationwide every year to highlight the growing issue of population control. Moreover, in 2023, they offered $30,000 in grants to further the field of population studies and education.

You can donate to Negative Population Growth through their website. You can also raise awareness in your area by downloading Activist Guides. In addition, you can support the charity by contacting your elected officials to promote change.

Conservation Through Public Health: A Humanitarian Approach to Conservation

Conservation Through Public Health was founded in 2002 by Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Lawrence Zikusoka, and Stephen Rubanga to conserve Mountain Gorillas. Today, the charity combines public health and conservation to prevent habitat encroachment and zoonotic disease transmission across Africa, which have worsened as human populations have increased. 

Conservation Through Public Health holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“We promote biodiversity conservation by enabling people, gorillas and other wildlife to coexist through improving their health and livelihoods in and around Africa’s protected areas.”

Conservation Through Public Health

Conservation Through Public Health tackles the issue of human-animal conflict, caused by population growth and habitat encroachment in specific areas of Africa, to protect the endangered Mountain Gorilla. They also work closely with local communities to solve related issues such as competition for food, the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, and livestock loss. They do this via their One Health approach. For example, through their Village Health and Conservation Team Network, they deliver community-based public health services such as family planning and infectious disease prevention to individual households that border protected areas. These teams also deliver information on gorilla conservation, as well as improved energy-saving advice on sustainable agriculture, cooking, and water conservation. 

Since their founding, Conservation Through Public Health has strived to help African populations achieve a balance with their natural surroundings and protect the endangered Mountain Gorilla. For example, each Village Health and Conservation Team provides vital information and support to over 50 households that border Gorilla conservation areas across Uganda. They have also presented at numerous conferences, including the Wilson Center, influencing key policymakers and global conservation organizations on their innovative approach to sustainable conservation in the face of human population growth. 

You can donate to Conservation Through Public Health through their website. You can also support the charity by purchasing from their online shop or by volunteering.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities for population control. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the websites of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. The charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to population control – based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

• Population Matters: World Population Facts
• Worldometers: World Population by Year
• Population Matters: Home page
• Register of Charities Commission: Population Matters
• Population Matters: Campaigns
• Population Matters: Insect Populations Matter
• Population Matters: Empower to Plan
• Population Matters: Journal of Population and Sustainability
• Population Matters: Annual Report 2021-22
• Population Matters: Donate
• Population Matters: Fundraise For Us
• Population Matters: Appeals
• Population Council: Home page 
• Charity Navigator: Population Council
• GuideStar: Population Council
• Population Council: Population, Environmental Risks, and the Climate Crisis Initiative
• Population Council: Climate and Environmental Changes
• Population Council: Innovative Models of People and Climate across Time and Space
• Population Council: Center for Biomedical Research
• Population Council: Where we work
• Population Council: Annual Report 2021-2022
• Population Council: Donate
• Population Council: Events
• Population Council: Subscribe
• United Nations Population Fund: Home page
• UNDP: Home page
• Charity Navigator: United Nations Population Fund
• GuideStar: United Nations Population Fund
• United Nations Population Fund: Family Planning
• United Nations Population Fund: Ending Violence Against Women
• United Nations Population Fund: About Us
• United Nations Population Fund: Donate
• United Nations Population Fund: Host a Fundraiser
• Population Action International: Home page
• Charity Navigator: Population Action International
• Population Action International: Initiatives
• Population Action International: Strengthening Health Systems
• Population Action International: Opportunity Fund
• Population Action International: Primary Health Care Initiative
• Population Action International: Approach
• Population Action International: Donate
• Population Action International: Engage
• Population Connection: Home page
• Population Connection: About Us
• Charity Navigator: Population Connection
• GuideStar: Population Connection
• Population Connection: Population Education for K-12 Students
• Population Connection: Resources
• Population Connection Action Fund: Home page
• Population Connection Action Fund: About Us
• Population Connection: 2021 Annual Report
• Population Connection: Donate
• Population Connection: Volunteer
• Population Connection: Virtual Events
• Population Association of America: Home page
• Charity Navigator: Population Association of America
• Population Association of America: PAA 2021 Applied Demography Conference
• Population Association of America: Login
• Population Association of America: Jobs
• Population Association of America: Engage in Mentoring
• Population Association of America: About
• Population Association of America: Population Scientists “Log On” to Talk Data, Funding, and Research
• Population Association of America: Support
• Population Association of America: Honor a Colleague
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Home page
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Who We Are
• Charity Navigator: Californians for Population Stabilization
• GuideStar: Californians for Population Stabilization
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Ad Campaigns
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Solutions
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Action Center
• Californians for Population Stabilization: CAPS Summer Newsletter 2023
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Donate
• Californians for Population Stabilization: Planned Giving
• Negative Population Growth: Home page
• Charity Navigator: Negative Population Growth
• GuideStar: Negative Population Growth
• Negative Population Growth: Forum Papers
• Negative Population Growth: About Us
• Negative Population Growth: For Educators and Students
• Negative Population Growth: Library
• Negative Population Growth: NPG Awards
• Negative Population Growth: Donate
• Negative Population Growth: Order your Activists Guide to Protecting America’s Future
• Negative Population Growth: Make Your Voice Heard
• Conservation Through Public Health: Home page
• Charity Navigator: Conservation Through Public Health
• Conservation Through Public Health: Who We Are
• Conservation Through Public Health: Gorilla Conservation
• Conservation Through Public Health: One Health
• Conservation Through Public Health: Where We Work
• Conservation Through Public Health: Advocacy
• Conservation Through Public Health: Our Appeal
• Conservation Through Public Health: Shop to Support
• Conservation Through Public Health: Volunteer
• How Charities Work: Annual Reports