Environmental Grantmakers Association

Overview

Mission

EGA is a member network that supports environmental philanthropy for collective impact for people and planet. EGA works with its members and partners to promote effective environmental philanthropy by sharing knowledge, fostering debate, cultivating leadership, facilitating collaboration, and catalyzing action. What unites EGA members is a commitment to a world with healthy, equitable, and sustainable ecosystems, communities, and economies.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Environmental Grantmakers Association was formed in 1987 following a meeting of environmental funders in Washington, DC to discuss common interests and to learn about each others programs. As a result of the enthusiasm generated at the meeting, 12 member foundations from across the United States made plans for future gatherings, exchanged grants lists, and published a directory of foundation program interests. Subsequent meetings reaffirmed the groups interest in facilitating increased communication among grantmakers through EGA. Over 35 years later, our membership spans more than 230 foundations, donor and giving programs, from large and small in terms of giving level and staff size, and includes multiple types of foundations that are concerned with protecting the environment. In 2024 our programs operate in service of member needs for learning, leading and connection. Highlights include the launch of a groundbreaking fellowship and expanded training and capacity building.EGA's strategic focus is its member mandate for impact on race equity. EGA is a member association of grantmakers that offers impactful annual programming for environmntal foundations. Inside Philanthropy routinely cites EGA as a top Philanthrophy Serving Organizations that keeping environmental philanthropy going and growing! United Philanthropy Forum Racial Equity Capacity Assessment detrmine that EGAs internal and external racial equity practices are at the leading edge, and are best in class offering innovative and sector driving activites and programs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
208817646
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2128124310
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Quality, Protection, and Beautification N.E.C.

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.8%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 78.9%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -25%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.83; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.22; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.8% of revenue deployed · 78.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $279K · 15 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 annual filings from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • TAMARA TOLES O'LAUGHLIN (President): $278,677 total reported compensation
  • FRANCES CANFIELD (COO): $192,018 total reported compensation
  • ONIKA ABRAHAM LEE (BSFF Exec Dir): $156,436 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.