Solutions Project Inc

Overview

Mission

The Solutions Project funds and amplifies climate justice solutions created by frontline community organizations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Narrative & Communications: Our narrative and communications programs amplify community voices and solutions to change mainstream climate narratives. In 2024, we produced 25 original stories with a potential audience reach of more than 1 billion people. Also in 2024, grantees benefiting from our communications capacity building efforts reached a potential audience of 85 billion with their content across media channels.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 64% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
463811348
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
5102555547
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Energy Resources Conservation and Development

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.6%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.34 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.3%; rating input score 99; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 0.5%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.24; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.9%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 25% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 16.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 27.3% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.6% of revenue deployed · 88.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $7.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $392K · 17 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $581K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 155 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 146 filed related-organization links
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Gloria Walton (CEO & President): $392,277 total reported compensation
  • Clare Winterton (Chief Programs & Operating): $312,730 total reported compensation
  • Sarah Shanley (Managing Director): $222,732 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.