The Alliance for Climate Protection

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
870745629
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2025676800
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$21,072,350
Expenses
$23,651,037
Assets
$19,927,712
Liabilities
$3,566,286

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PHYLLIS CUTTINO (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • PHYLLIS CUTTINO (PRESIDENT & CEO): $464,401 total reported compensation
  • JAMIAH ADAMS (SVP, DIVERS. & JUSTICE (UNTIL 09/25)): $380,633 total reported compensation
  • VALDEREZ GONZALEZ (CFO): $279,932 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 corporation is organized for, but not limited to, the charitable and educational purposes of educating the public about the causes of and solutions to climate change, in the united states and throughout the world.

What it reported doing in 2025

Campaigns and field: the organization deploys its field work through global climate campaigns: emissions reduction, international cooperation & climate finance, all aimed to make climate reality a resource for solutions by engaging its global network of leaders, chapters, and branches. In the u.s., chapters serve as key platforms for collective action, engaging climate reality leaders and local communities in self-directed campaigns. Through this program, the organization provides the tools and support needed for local groups to pursue shared goals.in addition to chapters, the organization's international branches support climate action in their countries by helping local organizations implement and stay accountable to climate commitments and goals. Branches engage climate reality leaders, local partners, and build public support for climate action in regions where public awareness of climate action is growing. These branches operate in africa, australia & the pacific, brazil, canada, europe, india & south asia, indonesia, japan, latin america, and the philippines.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 86% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.8%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 77.1%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Pass
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 97.7%; rating input score 98; 38th 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; 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: -12.2%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.84; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.5%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.8% of revenue deployed · 77.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $18.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $464K · 27 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.2M reported
  • Consistency: 43 of 44 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.