Climate Equity Action Fund

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
883587010
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2025951061
Rating
91
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,593,121
Expenses
$10,361,856
Assets
$4,316,567
Liabilities
$2,913,515

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROGER KIM (PRESIDENT - UNTIL 04/2024)

People named in this filing

  • ROGER KIM (PRESIDENT - UNTIL 04/2024)
  • MICHELLE DEPASS (CHAIR)
  • JULIE FERNANDES (TREASURER)

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

The climate equity action fund (ceaf) works hand-in-hand with community-based partners in critical states across the country to secure and sustain policy wins for climate and clean energy. Building on over a decade of trust with leading independent advocacy organizations in each state, we deploy strategic grants and technical assistance to build a broad and diverse base of support that achieves results. The equity action fund also selectively helps elect clean energy champions to public office.

What it reported doing in 2024

Policy accelerator: donor advising and grantmaking that propels multi-racial voter support to elect climate champions and secure policy wins for climate action and clean energy by increasing the vote share, political power and policy responsiveness to black, indigenous, latinx, aapi, immigrant, and low-wealth multiracial communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 96% 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. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.7%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 94.8%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $104.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th 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: 10.6%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.67; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 199.7% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 192.2% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 180.3% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.7% of revenue deployed · 94.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $9.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 93 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 93 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 19/100.