The National Religious Partnership for the Environment was founded in 1993 by four major religious organizations and alliances that together serve tens of millions of Americans.

• The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, comprising the bishops of the United States and the Virgin Islands, which participates in the Partnership through its Environmental Justice Program.
  
  
• The National Council of Churches of Christ (NCCC), a federation of 34 Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and African-American denominations, which participates in the Partnership through its Eco-Justice Program.
  
  
• The Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), an alliance of agencies and organizations across all four Jewish movements.
  
  
• The Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN), a coalition of 23 evangelical Christian programs and educational institutions.

Rather than being guardedly committed to a strained coalition, member groups have found in the Partnership a way to be themselves, together. While the Partnership has identified common messages and priorities, each faith group has found its own points of entry and prepares and distributes its own materials.

The secretariat, based in Amherst, Massachusetts, provides the Partnership groups with:

• Assistance in strategic planning and visioning,
• Program development,
• Communications,
• Public information,
• Liaison to other societal sectors,
• Fund-raising, and
• Technical support to local initiatives.