Founded in 1967 · Mill Valley, California
Point Foundation
Point Foundation delivers public education programs that expand access to science, technology, environmental, and economic knowledge, equipping individuals and communities to understand and shape a rapidly changing world.
Our purpose
Point Foundation supports cutting-edge, creative, and innovative thinking, projects, and enterprises that work to enrich or improve cultural, educational, social, and ecological conditions.
As the former publisher of the Whole Earth Catalog and other publications, Point Foundation carries forward a legacy of practical tools, systems thinking, ecological awareness, and self-directed learning.
Organization details
Location:
Mill Valley, CA, United States
Founded:
1967
EIN:
94-2147154
Today, Point Foundation supports innovation programs that advance the concepts found in the Whole Earth Catalog and related publications, connecting historic ideas with the needs of the present and future.
Carrying the Whole Earth legacy forward
Creative inquiry
Encouraging original thinking, experimentation, and practical imagination.
Public education
Expanding access to knowledge across science, technology, environment, and economics.
Ecological awareness
Supporting work that enriches cultural, social, educational, and ecological conditions.
Historic publications, digitally accessible
Digital versions of historic Whole Earth content are available through the Whole Earth archive. The 50th anniversary of Whole Earth was celebrated in 2018, with a dedicated site preserving the spirit and community of that milestone.
In the News & Resources
Over the last five decades, the Whole Earth Catalog and related publications have been recognized as influential works connecting environmental thinking, technology, systems theory, learning, and culture.
1971
The New York Times
Peter Collier's contemporaneous New York Times coverage described the Whole Earth Catalog as both a publication and a cultural phenomenon.
1971
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone documented the cultural impact and final days of the original Whole Earth Catalog era.
2005
Steve Jobs — Stanford Commencement
In his Stanford commencement address, Steve Jobs described the Whole Earth Catalog as “Google in paperback form” and “one of the bibles” of his generation.
2011
MoMA Exhibition
The Museum of Modern Art recognized the cultural importance of the Whole Earth Catalog through its “Access to Tools” exhibition.
2013
The Guardian
Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth Catalog were described as “the internet before the internet,” helping define a new relationship between tools, ideas, and culture.
2018
Smithsonian Magazine
The Smithsonian framed the Whole Earth Catalog as a landmark in environmental history and accessible ecological thinking.
2024
Wired
Wired covered the release of the nearly complete digital archive of Whole Earth publications online.
2024
Whole Earth Index
The primary digital archive containing Whole Earth publications from 1968–2002, freely available online.
Donations help support public education, innovation programs, and the preservation of historic Whole Earth content and ideas.
Support Point Foundation
Mailing address for direct support
Point Foundation
104 East Manor Drive
Mill Valley, CA 94941