Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
“Protect public employees who protect our environment.”
The work
What they do
Whistleblower protection, accountability, and transparency for federal land management agencies. Exposes political interference in science and resource management.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “To educate the public and employees of government resource management and environmental protection agencies nationwide about environmental ethics; to assist those who speak out on behalf of environmental ethics; and to protect the integrity of individual employees and scientists within the government who dissent for ethical reasons.”
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Holding the line in court
$521KLegal: Peer provides legal counsel, assistance, and representation to public employees who may face retaliation for speaking out for higher standards of scientific integrity, environmental ethics, and accountability in g...
Read it as they filed it
Legal: Peer provides legal counsel, assistance, and representation to public employees who may face retaliation for speaking out for higher standards of scientific integrity, environmental ethics, and accountability in government. PEER engages in litigation and administrative processes to improve environmental outcomes. Peer has engaged in over 30 lawsuits and administrative actions in the past year.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Bringing people into the fight
$432KMembership and outreach: PEER helps employee members expose and remedy environmental problems within their public agencies and educate the public and policy makers on issues facing government employees who work to protec...
Read it as they filed it
Membership and outreach: PEER helps employee members expose and remedy environmental problems within their public agencies and educate the public and policy makers on issues facing government employees who work to protect the environment.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Pressing the policymakers
$338KResource Protection: Peer works with and on the behalf of public employees who serve as stewards of our nation’s public lands and natural resources.
Read it as they filed it
Resource Protection: Peer works with and on the behalf of public employees who serve as stewards of our nation's public lands and natural resources. Peer advocates responsible planning and management, informing policy makers and the public on natural resources issues.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
The work as filed
$155KField operations: Peer has retained a number of former public employees as field representatives operating out of California, Colorado (covering the Rocky Mountain region), Massachusetts (covering New England), and Tenne...
Read it as they filed it
Field operations: Peer has retained a number of former public employees as field representatives operating out of California, Colorado (covering the Rocky Mountain region), Massachusetts (covering New England), and Tennessee. These field offices are extensions of the national operation and are the focal point for state and local activity
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
84 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and PEER is nowhere near one.
$1,450,027 programs, $162,269 management, $118,418 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at PEER? Claim this page.
Those 4 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If PEER is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 5The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,687,136 |
| 2012 | $948,429 |
| 2013 | $1,015,134 |
| 2014 | $927,198 |
| 2015 | $772,397 |
| 2016 | $609,677 |
| 2017 | $1,457,087 |
| 2018 | $1,273,818 |
| 2019 | $1,180,747 |
| 2020 | $1,293,090 |
| 2021 | $1,323,121 |
| 2022 | $1,177,028 |
| 2023 | $1,801,204 |
| 2025 | $2,229,404 |
From $1.7M in 2011 to $2.2M in FY25, across 14 public filings.
Ways in
How to help
84 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with PEER
30 years on the ground, 4 volunteers, 84 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.