Climate Central Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261797336
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Princeton, NJ, USA
Phone
6099243800
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
General Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$22,272,608
Expenses
$11,535,677
Assets
$16,002,936
Liabilities
$1,059,874

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR BENJAMIN STRAUSS (CEO & CHIEF SCIENTIST)
  • MONIVETT ACEVEDO (VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR BENJAMIN STRAUSS (CEO & CHIEF SCIENTIST): $391,991 total reported compensation
  • SCOTT ANDREW KULP (PRINCIPAL COMPUTATIONAL SCIENTIST): $329,731 total reported compensation
  • DANIEL DODSON (CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER): $307,689 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Climate central, inc. (the organization") is an independent not-for-profit organization of leading scientists, technology experts and communication professionals that are dedicated to researching and reporting on climate change and its impacts and solutions. The organization surveys and conducts scientific research on climate change and informs the public and decision makers of key findings. The organization is not an advocacy organization and does not lobby or support any specific legislation, policy or bill regarding climate change.

What it reported doing in 2025

Sea level rise: the organization's program on sea level rise strives to provide science-based, clear and granular information about sea level rise and coastal flood hazards both locally and globally, today and tomorrow. Anchored in rigorous primary research, the organization's work distinguishes itself by its user-friendly maps and tools, extensive datasets, and high-quality visual presentations. The program dedicates its efforts to helping journalists, citizens, communities, businesses, organizations, and governments at every level to understand the consequences of different carbon pathways and to navigate the shifting waters of our warming world. Floodvision: floodvision, an innovative tool developed by climate central, uses advanced data collection techniques, ai-based algorithms, and intuitive software to produce science-based augmented-reality photos of specific locations. Users can choose optional views to contrast meaningful scenarios in their neighborhoods, such as projected sea levels based on different carbon pathways or local storm surge forecasts from approaching hurricanes. Floodvision is designed to empower the organization's broad media networks, as well as local governments, agencies, ngos and other coastal stakeholders, such as emergency managers who can use the imagery to strengthen evacuation warnings and other safety measures. This helps the public and other stakeholders better visualize and understand the impacts of climate change.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - Most voting board members are independent and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 54
  • Transparency & Controls: 51
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 41.2%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 78.4%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.81 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 48.2%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.39; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 41.2% of revenue deployed · 78.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $392K · 18 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.2M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.