Oregon Climate Trust

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
911829325
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5032381915
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Pollution Abatement and Control Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,165,269
Expenses
$17,115,455
Assets
$25,641,627
Liabilities
$3,118,534

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JULIUS PASAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JULIUS PASAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $291,800 total reported compensation
  • KAREN WARD (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $258,019 total reported compensation
  • VICTORIA LOCKHART (DIRECTOR OF REFORESTATION): $191,657 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The climate trust pioneers accessible carbon market solutions that benefit our climate through good land stewardship.

What it reported doing in 2025

The carbon offset program receives funds from the management of programs and the sale of voluntary and compliance offsets to third-party buyers. Implements, finances, monitors and administers contracts with third parties from project actions that produce measurable and verifiable greenhouse gas reductions "carbon offsets". Carbon offset contracts are awarded to other entities in accordance with the organization's mission.the organization's track record is based on over two decades of experience managing carbon offset projects. The organization invests and engages in the early stages of project development, when owners are seeking to reduce risk and need operational expertise to ensure their carbon projects are successful. The organization's carbon offset project development expertise and support for climate mitigation policies has encouraged mission-aligned partners to enter the carbon markets.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 98% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 88
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.7%; rating input score 92
  • Program expense ratio: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • 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: 5.8%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.5; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.6%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.7% of revenue deployed · 93.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $16M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $292K · 18 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $4.8M reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.