Sierra Club Foundation

Overview

Mission

The Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy.

What it reported doing in 2025

Chapter and group education project - this project supports the state and local chapters and groups of the sierra club in their work to advance all of the sierra club's strategic framework goals through public education, organizing, administrative advocacy, communications, litigation, and other charitable activities. The specific goals are to enable local grassroots activists across the country to actively engage in their own communities; design and implement conservation campaigns to protect the natural and human environment; inform the public and members and supporters about environmental issues of local interest; engage in public interest lawsuits; and grow a broader base of volunteers and leaders contributing to community-inspired and-led programming, including to increase opportunities for youth, children, and families to develop and enhance personal connections to nature.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 99% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
946069890
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2022, Form 990-N 2021
Headquarters
Oakland, CA, USA
Phone
4159951780
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

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: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 96
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 84%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 50th 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -66.3%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.61; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 8 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 84% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $44.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 21 people listed
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 12 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

21 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.