Climate Justice Alliance
Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) is a public charity based in Berkeley, California. Formed in 2013 according to its website, it brings together frontline communities and organizations to build a Just Transition away from extractive systems and toward resilient, regenerative, and equitable economies.
Climate Justice Alliance at a glance
In short: Climate Justice Alliance gave $5.8M across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $174K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,757,125
- +493.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $174,458
- +295.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $4,051,866
- -81.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Climate Justice Alliance
- How to Apply
-
The available information does not describe a process for applying for CJA grants. CJA’s membership application is separate: organizations submit an online membership form, and applications are reviewed and approved biannually. The website says member organizations must meet its stated criteria and requirements, including alignment with CJA principles and participation in alliance activities.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 10202, Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: (202) 455-8665
Website: https://climatejusticealliance.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Climate Justice Alliance funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Investing in Our Community ($4.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 110 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CJA’s website says its work with members spans the United States, Territories, and Indian Country. In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to California recipients; the other listed recipient-state shares were Pennsylvania 2%, Massachusetts 2%, Alabama 1%, and Michigan 1%. The listed grants also included recipients in Indiana, Arizona, and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Climate Justice Alliance gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $145K (2021) to $5.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $5.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Investing in Our Community Sacaramento, CA | General Operation Support | $4,000,000 |
| Creating Cohesion Sacaramento, CA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Movement Generation Berkeley, CA | Creative Wildfire Grant | $90,000 |
| 4DASOIL Philadelphia, PA | Rapid Response & Regional Convenor | $85,000 |
| Alabama Interfaith Power and Light DBA the People's Justice Council Birmingham, AL | Regional Convener | $66,000 |
| Grassroots International Boston, MA | Digital Security Rapid Response | $50,000 |
| Alternatives for Community and Environment Roxbury, MA | Regional Convenor | $40,000 |
| Soulardarity Highland Park, MI | Rapid Response | $35,000 |
| Kheprw Institute Indianapolis, IN | Black Caucus | $32,600 |
| Alliance for Global Justice Tucson, AZ | Fiscal Sponsor for Mosaic Cooperative Project | $28,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,051,866 | $9,080,028 | $26,423,102 | $5,757,125 | 33 | $568,808 |
| 2024 | $21,514,685 | $10,388,238 | $8,868,829 | $970,295 | 22 | $386,422 |
| 2023 | $19,830,160 | $9,580,362 | $9,256,399 | $3,653,400 | 32 | $33,561 |
| 2022 | $19,332,963 | $9,557,146 | $6,855,199 | $3,729,886 | 22 | $1,608 |
| 2021 | $16,692,285 | $16,747,196 | $213,865 | $144,800 | 1 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
CJA’s stated mission is to unite frontline communities and organizations to build community-controlled alternatives that center traditional ecological and cultural knowledge and create pathways to a regenerative future. Its website describes work to challenge the extractive economy, build local living economies, counter climate solutions that worsen inequality or ecological disruption, and press governments and industry to act on climate change. It identifies popular education, Just Transition, Energy Democracy, and Reinvest in Our Power as example areas of work.
CJA’s 2024 filing describes support for member organizing and the exchange of Just Transition solutions; technical assistance and leadership, capacity, and skills development; policy support and educational resources; communications capacity; and coordination of campaigns and mobilizations. The filing also describes UNITE-EJ as a project to move public funds to frontline grassroots environmental justice nonprofits.
CJA’s 2025 grants included general operating support, regional convening, rapid response, a creative wildfire grant, digital security rapid response, and support for a Black Caucus. Grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the range of organizations supported: Movement Generation says it advances a Just Transition toward healthy, resilient local economies; Soulardarity says it works on solar-powered streetlights and a just and equitable energy system; and Kheprw Institute says it cultivates youth and young-adult leadership for community empowerment and environmental sustainability.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, CJA reported 33 grants totaling $5,757,125. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $4 million, with a median of $20,000. The largest listed grants were $4 million to Investing in Our Community for general operation support and $1 million to Creating Cohesion for general operating support. Other notable awards included $90,000 to Movement Generation for a Creative Wildfire Grant; $85,000 to 4DASOIL for rapid response and regional convening; $66,000 to Alabama Interfaith Power and Light, doing business as The People’s Justice Council, for regional convening; and $50,000 to Grassroots International for digital security rapid response.
CJA’s website describes UNITE-EJ as a regrantor of public funds to environmental justice communities. That program is funded through the EPA grant CJA’s filing describes as a $50 million, three-year award; it is funding received by the consortium, not a grant amount CJA gave to an outside grantee.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mateo Nube and Elizabeth Yeampierre as co-chairs; Dwaign Tyndal as treasurer; and Aghilah Nadaraj as secretary. Directors listed are Darryl Molina Sarmiento, Jesus Vazquez Negron, Kirtrina Baxter, Maria Lopez-Nuez, Christine Cordero, and Tom Goldtooth.
Climate Justice Alliance is led by Katherine Chavez, Executive Director on the 2025 filing; 14 of 16 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine Chavez
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$137K (2025)
Darryl Molina Sarmiento
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2023) → $3K (2025)
Kirtrina Baxter
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2022) → $5K (2025)
Maria Lopez-Nuez
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2022) → $3K (2025)
Heather Thiry
Director of Operations & Finance
Director Finance & Ops → Director of Operations & Finance, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$78K (2023) → $130K (2025)
Jesus Vazquez Negron
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$3K (2025)
Jose Romero Elicea
Co-Reinvest Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$125K (2025)
Lauren Ressler
Co-Reinvest Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$128K (2025)
Olivia Burlingame
Communications Director
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$140K (2025)
Tom Goldtooth
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christine Cordero
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aghilah Nadaraj
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$97 (2022) → $600 (2025)
Dwaign Tyndal
Treasurer
Co-Treasurer → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2022) → $6K (2025)
Elizabeth Yeampierre
Co-Chair
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$2K (2022) → $5K (2025)
Mateo Nube
Co-Chair
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$8K (2025)
Monica Atkins
Former Executive Director
Co-Exec Director → Former Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$49K (2022) → $146K (2025)
Former officers (10)
- Former: Jess Vzquez (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Bineshi Albert (2022–2024) — Co-Exec Director
- Former: Marion Gee (2022–2024) — Co-Exec Director
- Former: Andrew Hughes (2024) — Finance Controller
- Former: Jaron Browne (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Jayeesha Dutta (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Lisa Abbott (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Sharon Lewis Coleman (2023) — Director
- Former: Miya Yoshitani (2021–2022) — Co-Treasurer
- Former: Sharon Lewis (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $146K, to Monica Atkins (Former Executive Director). 14 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Climate Justice Alliance
How much does Climate Justice Alliance give each year?
Climate Justice Alliance gave $5.8M across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $970K across 22 grants.
What is Climate Justice Alliance's typical grant size?
Climate Justice Alliance's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $174,458, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Climate Justice Alliance give grants?
Climate Justice Alliance gives mostly in California: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sacaramento, CA (2 grants), Barrigada, GU (2 grants) and Miami, FL (2 grants).
Does Climate Justice Alliance give general operating support?
Yes: 12% of Climate Justice Alliance's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Rapid Response" (9 grants) and "Black Caucus" (3 grants).
Who are Climate Justice Alliance's largest grantees?
Climate Justice Alliance's largest 2025 grantees include Investing in Our Community ($4,000,000), Creating Cohesion ($1,000,000) and Movement Generation ($90,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Climate Justice Alliance?
Climate Justice Alliance reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.1M.
What does Climate Justice Alliance fund?
CJA’s stated mission is to unite frontline communities and organizations to build community-controlled alternatives that center traditional ecological and cultural knowledge and create pathways to a regenerative future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Climate Justice Alliance?
The available information does not describe a process for applying for CJA grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Climate Justice Alliance's EIN?
Climate Justice Alliance's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-3440899. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 18, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Climate Justice Alliance funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Climate Justice Alliance's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Climate Justice Alliance funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/climate-justice-alliance-morg_af805518ae8149bb89533600379b3ab4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_853440899_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Climate Justice Alliance funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/climate-justice-alliance-morg_af805518ae8149bb89533600379b3ab4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Climate Justice Alliance's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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