TOBACCOFREE EARTH
Motivating youth to stay vape & tobacco free and empowering nicotine users to quit
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Smoking is now causing 7 million deaths around the world each year. Tobacco is still the world’s leading cause of preventable death, according to the World Health Organization. Increasingly, the burden is greatest in low and middle-income countries which have been targeted by the tobacco industry using deceptive marketing practices. In the US, however, from 2011 to 2016, use of e-cigarettes among our nation’s kids skyrocketed from 1.5 percent to 11.3 percent, with only 8% of kids now smoking. In 2017, the youth e-cigarette rate among US youth doubled again to 25%. Because of this, the Foundation is adding new emphasis to fighting the e-cigarette companies. We are also expanding our efforts internationally on tobacco use, preventing youth from starting to smoke traditional cigarettes and, through our web outreach, empowering smokers around the globe to quit successfully. 90% of all smokers became addicted before reaching age 19, and smoking now causes 1 in 10 deaths worldwide.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Internet Outreach
Thanks to a major in-kind grant awarded by Google in the form of free global advertising, our outreach on the Internet has widened to include most nations in the world. Because of our extensive international presence, in 2019 we changed our name from the Foundation for a Smokefree America to Tobaccofree Earth, and added strong emphasis to fighting youth vaping to both our mission and website.
In 2019, a major upgrade of the Foundation's website was completed. Our executive Director Patrick Reynolds continues to speak in North America and internationally. Our Google grant of $10,000 per month has continued uninterrupted since it was first awarded in 2005, and brings tremendous traffic, especially for search terms like 'quit smoking' and 'anti-smoking videos'. Our organic traffic has been strong as well due to our ongoing SEO campaign. The Foundation has been able to reach thousands of people daily around the world, and with our new emphasis on vaping, we are an effective organization fighting e-cigarette and tobacco addiction.
Vaping prevention and e-cigarette education of youth in school
In the US, from 2011 to 2016, use of e-cigarettes among our nation’s kids skyrocketed from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 11.3 percent by 2016, while smoking declined to only 8% among teens. Then in 2017, the vaping rate among US youth doubled again, to 25%. Because of this, the Foundation added new emphasis to fighting the e-cigarette companies and to its programs for vaping prevention.
We are also redoubling our efforts internationally on tobacco use, preventing youth from starting to smoke traditional cigarettes and, through our web outreach, we continue to empower smokers around the globe to quit smoking successfully.
90% of all smokers became addicted before reaching age 19. That means only one in ten became addicted after 19. Once addicted, 95% of those who quit with no program go back to smoking within a year, and even with the best programs available, there is still an 85% recidivism rate within a year. Smoking now causes 1 in 10 deaths worldwide, and 90% started when they were children.
Because of the recent alarming rise of vaping among youth, we have increased efforts to combat it. See our Executive Director Patrick Reynolds' editorial of June 2018, published in the San Francisco Chronicle, congratulating San Franciso for being the first city to ban the sale of e-cigarettes and menthol-flavored cigarettes citywide. Other cities have followed since then. Our editorial may be found toward the top of our webpage https://www.Tobaccofree.org/news/
We will also work to remind the public that this can be done in other cities too if State Legislatures are slow to take action.
Where we work
Awards
To Patrick Reynolds, for outstanding service to the tobacco free cause 1987
World Health Organizaton
Affiliations & memberships
White House's Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama 2015
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Adolescents, Preteens, Children, Social and economic status
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our continuing $10,000 per month, in-kind grant from Google supports our global advertising on Google, and gives us tremendous visibility on the Internet among adults and youth around the world.
Number of Google Grants ad clicks
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Substance abusers, Adults, Children and youth
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The US has made major progress against tobacco, but other nations are still burdened with high rates of tobacco use. While fully continuing our fight at home to combat vaping and other issues, the Foundation felt it was important to extend the Foundation's work internationally.
Our goals include expanding our outreach on the Internet. Because of our tremendous outreach around the globe, in 2019 the group elected to change its name from the Foundation for a Smokefree America to Tobaccofree Earth. We continue our programs to locate and educate key government officials in nations with the highest rates of smoking and vaping. We inform them about six government policies that have successfully reduced smoking in every nation which has implemented at least three of them. These include ad campaigns in the media, higher tobacco taxes, workplace smoking bans, raising the purchase age to 21, and stronger regulations tobacco advertising, or banning it altogether, when constitutionally permissible.
For a more detailed plan, see below for our strategies to realize these goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Mr. Reynolds wishes to plan and attend a series of meetings with Ministers of Health and world leaders to inform them about the six government policies which have successfully reduced smoking rates in nations that have implemented three or more of them. The six policies are: education programs in schools, TV and radio ad campaigns, workplace smoking bans, strengthened regulations on the advertising of vape and tobacco products, higher e-cigarette and tobacco taxes, and raising the purchase age to 21. Our strategy is to fully inform leaders at the highest levels about these policies, to encourage them to implement them.
We have successfully done this previously. When the Greek Minister of Health Avramopoulos invited Mr. Reynolds to speak in Athens, he met with him and his team to advocate the policies outlined above. This resulted in the Greek government running a major TV ad campaign following his visit, and Greece also proceeded with a plan to ban smoking in most public places. For a letter documenting this from the Greek Ministry of Health, see https://www.tobaccofree.org/support/.
There was also strong coverage by the Greek newsmedia of Mr. Reynolds' visit. His background as a grandson of a tobacco company founder against tobacco use captivated the Greek public. For evidence of this, please see https://tobaccofree.org/intl.pdf
Because of Mr. Reynolds' success in his meeting with the Greece's Minister of Health and the attending national media coverage, the Tobaccofree Earth is seeking funding to send him on additional international speaking tours of countries with high rates of smoking. Proposed nations include Japan, the Middle East, Russia, India and China; these will be approached first. Tobaccofree Earth will enlist the support of the World Health Organization in Geneva to help coordinate his visit in each nation. An international public relations firm may be hired to publicize his tours, or we may rely on the communications executive within the Ministry of Health. See below for a detailed plan.
It is anticipated that Mr. Reynolds' tours of these nations will result in over one billion people getting a powerful reminder about tobacco use and vaping. This will be attained through news coverage of Patrick Reynolds' visit to these nations, and his meetings with their leaders, whether in public or in private, will help speed the implementation of new government policies which have been proven effective at reducing smoking rates in nations which have passed laws implementing them.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
As the grandson of RJ Reynolds against tobacco and vaping, Mr. Reynolds has unique access to officials at the highest levels of government. He has an extensive history of speaking internationally and will enlist the support of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Control unit to plan and promote his international tours. His letters of support are posted at https://tobaccofree.org/support/ and these will further help open doors.
The Foundation will also contact the Directors of Health Promotion within Ministries of Health in each target nation, and request a public meeting with the Minister of Health or other official. Private meetings are also an option. Health Promotion units will also be helpful in booking his speaking dates and venues, and inviting the press in every city.
The Foundation will also seek a partnership with the US State Department as a partial funder, sponsor and organizer of his tours.
At this time, the Foundation is seeking corporate, private and government sponsors for international speaking tours. In China and India alone, it is anticipated that one billion people would get a powerful reminder about tobacco use from news coverage of Mr. Reynolds' visits to those nations.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Patrick Reynolds' meetings with the Minister of Health of Greece resulted in a national TV ad campaign against tobacco use. Strong national news coverage of Mr. Reynolds' visit helped increase public awareness about smoking and second hand smoke, and supported a national workplace smoking ban implemented in Greece following his visit.
Our video The Truth About Tobacco has been purchased by over 11,000 schools and health departments, and has now been seen by over 1 million youth aged 11 - 18.
Our websites continue to reach thousands of people every week, and our $10,000 per month grant from Google for free advertising on Google continues to maintain and expand our outreach around the globe.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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TOBACCOFREE EARTH
Board of directorsas of 1/28/2022
Mr. Patrick Reynolds
Tobaccofree Earth
Term: 1989 - 2021
Alexandra Reynolds
Alex Maddaloso
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: