Breakthrough Energy Catalyst Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
853677542
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Kirkland, WA, USA
Phone
4254974300
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Energy Resources Conservation and Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,378,697
Expenses
$40,879,386
Assets
$380,609,008
Liabilities
$2,432,782

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARIO FERNANDEZ (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • RODI GUIDERO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • GREG NELSON (DIRECTOR)
  • JEANNINE SARGENT (DIRECTOR)
  • RICH HOSSFELD (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Breakthrough energy catalyst foundation funds the critical development and demonstration phases of new emissions-reduction technologies to help transform research-stage innovation into real-world impact, producing significant and measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation supports high-potential demonstration projects and early adoption of transformational emissions reduction technologies by providing funding for first-of-a-kind climate projects at critical phases in their development. To date, the foundation focuses on funding the development and demonstration of four specific areas: -sustainable aviation fuel -clean hydrogen -direct air capture -long duration energy storage -manufacturing

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 86% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 93% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99.7%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -230.2%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.31; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 52.4% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -21.4% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $40.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.5M reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes foreign activity and related organizations
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: 4 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.