Sierra Club Foundation
“Fund environmental education and litigation through the Sierra Club.”
75 funders on the record, 84 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
501(c)(3) arm of Sierra Club. Funds litigation, education, and environmental programs. Major source of conservation legal funding.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
The Sierra Club Foundation provides a broad range of additional grants to support charitable, education, scientific, literary and legal endeavors that further its charitable mission.
Including $18,933,423 granted onward, all of it to Sierra Club.
Read it as they filed it
THE SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION PROVIDES A BROAD RANGE OF ADDITIONAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT CHARITABLE, EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC, LITERARY AND LEGAL ENDEAVORS THAT FURTHER ITS CHARITABLE MISSION.
IRS Form 990 Part III for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Chapter and Group Education Project
$11.6M, 22% of spendingThis project supports the state and local chapters and groups of the sierra club in their work to advance all of the sierra club’s strategic framework goals through public education, organizing, administrative advocacy…
Including $11,621,706 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
CHAPTER AND GROUP EDUCATION PROJECT - THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS THE STATE AND LOCAL CHAPTERS AND GROUPS OF THE SIERRA CLUB IN THEIR WORK TO ADVANCE ALL OF THE SIERRA CLUB'S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK GOALS THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION, ORGANIZING, ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATIONS, LITIGATION, AND OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES. THE SPECIFIC GOALS ARE TO ENABLE LOCAL GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES; DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT CONSERVATION CAMPAIGNS TO PROTECT THE NATURAL AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT; INFORM THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF LOCAL INTEREST; ENGAGE IN PUBLIC INTEREST LAWSUITS; AND GROW A BROADER BASE OF VOLUNTEERS AND LEADERS CONTRIBUTING TO COMMUNITY-INSPIRED AND-LED PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH, CHILDREN, AND FAMILIES TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO NATURE.
IRS Form 990 Part III for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Beyond Coal
$8.6M, 16% of spendingThe long-term goal of this program is to reverse the social, economic, and environmental damage caused by global climate change by decarbonizing the electric grid by 80 percent by 2030.
Including $8,614,895 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
BEYOND COAL - THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO REVERSE THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE CAUSED BY GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE BY DECARBONIZING THE ELECTRIC GRID BY 80 PERCENT BY 2030. THE PROGRAM'S SPECIFIC GOALS - WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS - ARE TO HELP TRANSITION AGING AND UNECONOMIC COAL PLANTS TOWARDS CLEANER ALTENATIVES THAT ALSO BENEFIT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IRS Form 990 Part III for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
National Education Project
$5.2M, 10% of spendingThis project educates, engages, and mobilizes the public in administrative advocacy about a range of environmental issues to advance the sierra club’s strategic framework; provides program, operations, and management…
Including $5,212,368 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
NATIONAL EDUCATION PROJECT - THIS PROJECT EDUCATES, ENGAGES, AND MOBILIZES THE PUBLIC IN ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY ABOUT A RANGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES TO ADVANCE THE SIERRA CLUB'S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK; PROVIDES PROGRAM, OPERATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THE CHARITABLE PROJECTS OF THE SIERRA CLUB; AND WORKS IN COALITION AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS TO ADVANCE OUTCOMES AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLIMATE, SOCIAL, AND RACIAL JUSTICE. IT IS A PROJECT THROUGH WHICH THE SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION WORKS TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER PEOPLE TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE THE NATURAL AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.
IRS Form 990 Part III for fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
84 cents of every dollar goes to the work
A good sign, not a scorecard: what matters is the extremes, and this is nowhere near one.
$44,619,601 programs, $1,681,754 management, $6,829,536 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The backers
Backed, each with its source, by Wilburforce Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kendeda Fund and 72 others, latest filing FY26.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at the Sierra Club Foundation? Claim this page.
Those 20 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If the Sierra Club Foundation is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $47,163,599 |
| 2012 | $47,618,045 |
| 2013 | $58,503,816 |
| 2014 | $62,137,742 |
| 2015 | $90,844,476 |
| 2016 | $75,709,930 |
| 2017 | $71,524,157 |
| 2018 | $105,160,363 |
| 2019 | $120,488,815 |
| 2020 | $95,601,203 |
| 2021 | $108,646,694 |
| 2022 | $87,746,859 |
| 2023 | $89,068,739 |
| 2025 | $31,947,339 |
From $47.2M in 2011 to $31.9M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024).
The returns as e-filed with the IRS, 3 years:
- FY2025Download the return
- FY2024Download the return
- FY2023Download the return
Source: IRS Form 990 e-file data, each return by its IRS object id, served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. A year in the chart without a link here is read from a later return’s own history table; its return is on ProPublica’s page for the group.
Their ground
The Sierra Club Foundation is not on our editors’ record for a threatened place yet. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗FollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with the Sierra Club Foundation
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.