The Jewish Climate Trust Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
991658287
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Palm Beach, FL, USA
Phone
2129310100
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection
Affiliation
Judaism

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,686,997
Expenses
$1,958,906
Assets
$6,170,243
Liabilities
$1,429,922

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL SONNENFELDT (CO-PRESIDENT)
  • STEPHEN BRONFMAN (CO-PRESIDENT)
  • NIGEL SAVAGE (INTERIM CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • NIGEL SAVAGE (INTERIM CEO): $150,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The jewish climate trust inc's mission is to maximize the jewish people's positive impact on climate. It is a central hub for climate philanthropy and action, strategically deploying the resources and ingenuity of the jewish people to address the climate crisis. Wherever we can, we seek additional co-benefits that touch people's lives for good.

What it reported doing in 2024

In the jewish climate trust's inaugural year, the organization focused on establishing a strong foundation for our programs. We dedicated our efforts to scoping out our overall strategy, mapping key stakeholders in our areas of focus, and developing a significant strategic framework grant in collaboration with our first major grantee.

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 85% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 48
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 22.3%; rating input score 22
  • Program expense ratio: 74.9%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $231.33 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 70.7%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.15; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 22.3% of revenue deployed · 74.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $150K · 8 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $103K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.