ClimateWork Maine

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271436307
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2022, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Portland, ME, USA
Phone
2079561264
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health - General and Rehabilitative N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$256,081
Expenses
$271,067
Assets
$60,928
Liabilities
$20,718

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Jeff Marks (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jeff Marks (Executive Director): $126,046 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

ClimateWork Maine (CWM) is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Maine that serves as a support network for businesses and business leaders that are taking action on climate change, to meet its challenges and to seize the opportunities it presents to build a more sustainable economy for the future. Its purpose is to provide services and networking to support and promote Maine companies with products, services, or projects related to climate solutions, and to support and assist companies that want to do more on climate change, clean energy, and related work. CWM's overall objective is to strengthen the image or brand of Maine as a place to bring and build businesses focused on climate impacts with a network of businesses who share similar ideas and a workforce and economy prepared to support the industry.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025, ClimateWork Maine was involved in the following activities and programs: Membership - Recruited and renewed 75 member companies and organizations.Climate Connection Business Webinar - Efficiency Maine's Commercial & Industrial Program Manager updated attendees on energy incentives still available and their 2026 outlook.COP30 - As countries convened at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, CWM was featured in a letter and media statements delivered to the Presidency of Brazil to affirm their commitment to support doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.American Sustainable Business Network - CWM was a Partner at Annual Conference, a three-day virtual experience uniting business leaders, policy advocates, and changemakers to explore the role of business in strengthening democracy. We provided free registration for Maine attendees.Blue Economy Investment Summit - CWM exhibited at this GMRI/Roux event designed to explore where climate tech and the blue economy meet and how shifting market conditions are creating new challenges and opportunities for innovation and investment. Climate Connection Business Webinar - Our 2nd session in the Autumn series, titled Not Another Solar & Wind Webinar" explored other alternative energy resources, current & future, like biofuels, hydro, nuclear, renewable natural gas and wood pellets. GrowSmart Maine 2025 Summit - CWM sponsored and exhibited at this annual event focused on rural opportunities.Sustainability Council - ReVision Energy hosted "Commercial Solar Opportunities and Incentives under a Changing Regulatory Landscape" in October. CWM has a winning format that complements our successful Annual Summit & Fall Webinar Series.Economic Impact of Sustainability - Lucas Boucher, a UMaine student in Dr. Sharon Klein's ECO489 class, joined CWM to develop his Capstone project. Lucas focused on the economic power of climate action in Maine. Climate Connection Business Webinar - The 3rd Autumn series season kicked off with "Current State of Play State & Federal Incentives for Renewable Energy Projects". Climate Week NYC 2025 - CWM joined the Alliance to Save Energy, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, and 150 US businesses in support of doubling global energy efficiency. Our statement was included in both organizations' media statements.SBIR - CWM signed a letter to Congress supporting a one-year extension of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are set to expire on September 30. The Senate declined to approve.Beyond Efficiency - Circular Thinking as Your Next Competitive Edge - Through small group activities and a guided tour of a workplace designed around circular principles, attendees experienced firsthand how circular thinking can: unlock innovation and reduce waste; apply across industries from manufacturing to services; and inspire practical change and systems-level impact. Lisa Whited led the tour and event at Woodard & Curran's new Portland offices.Maine Climate Council - As a Member of the Buildings, Infrastructure, & Housing Working Group, Jeff attended and participated in meetings throughout the year.Dirigo Labs - CWM completed its 1-year Executive-in-Residence role with Central Maine Growth Council & Dirigo Labs. Jeff Marks and Bob Martin provided support for clean energy and cleantech startups in refining their concepts, scaling their operations, and accessing strategic resources crucial for market entry and growth. The program has served 26 startups and companies have raised $6 million in investment capital, grants, and seed funding.Narrative Food - Just launched a new program making it simple for Maine companies to create climate-conscious corporate gifts. Build-Your-Own For Good Box: Easy online builder featuring new impact-driven products like Coffee for Community, Chocolate for Change, and Caramels for the

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 17
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 68%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 64.3%; rating input score 64
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96.7%; rating input score 97; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.22; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.34; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 46.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 26% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 46.6% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 68% of revenue deployed · 64.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 29 of 30 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $174K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $126K · 31 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 13/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.