Earth Island Institute Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Earth Island Journal For nearly four decades, Earth Island Journal has been publishing a unique, wide-angle perspective, which strives to make the connections between the environment and other human rights and social justice issues. Over the course of publishing more than 145 issues, the Journal has broken ground on covering critical environmental topics and received a number of media awards for excellence in journalism. In past fiscal year, the Journal published a mix of hard-hitting investigative features and reports from around the world in its print issues, including an in depth-cover feature about the young American evangelicals fighting for climate action from within the church, which is better known for right-leaning politics and climate denialism; an on-the-ground report about poaching in Lebanon, where, despite recent legislation making it illegal to kill migratory birds, somewhere between 1.7 and 3.5 million birds are illegally shot down with military grade weapons each year; a report about Rikers Islands attempt to transition from one of the nations most notorious jail complexes into a place that embodies regeneration and growth; A look at anti-trans and anti climate policies in Florida and how the same ideologies of supremacy and colonialism underpin right-wing attacks on both body sovereignty and the environment. In addition to these features, the Organization also published a wide range of breaking news reports, commentary, essays, book and film reviews, podcasts, and news analysis. The Journals well-established track record of raising awareness about environmental and social justice issues and tackling controversial subjects has earned the Organization the reputation of being a small magazine with a big voice.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.6%; rating input score 76
• Program expense ratio: 84.9%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $17.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 46.5%; rating input score 46; 11th 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 12.1%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.21; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.1%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings