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Climate Justice Alliance

Foundation · Grantmaker Berkeley, CA EIN: 85-3440899 Website

Climate justice alliance (CJA) is a growing member alliance of more than 85 urban and rural frontline communities, organizations, and supporting networks in the climate justice movement. Cja unites our membership to build local, community controlled alternatives that center traditional, ecological, and cultural knowledge and create pathways for a regenerative future.

Key facts about Climate Justice Alliance

In short: Climate Justice Alliance gave $5.8M across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $174K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
85-3440899
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$5,757,125
Grants made (2025)
33
Average grant
$174,458
Median grant
$20,000
Total assets
$4,051,866
Primary geography
California (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$4.1M

-81.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$5.8M

+493.3% YoY

Grant Count

33

+50.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$174K

+295.6% YoY

How Climate Justice Alliance gives

  • 15% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method

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.

About Climate Justice Alliance

Based on IRS filings

Climate Justice Alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Berkeley, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $4.1M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 33 grants totaling $5.8M. Net investment income was $569K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

27states

Share of all 33 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

OaklandDetroitMiamiRichmondWashingtonBellinghamBemidjiBerkeleyChicagoIndianapolisRoxburyTamuningBearBrooklynLondonSan AntonioApopkaBarrigadaJacksonNew York

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M1 grants202122 grants202232 grants202322 grants202433 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Investing in Our Community: $4.0MInvesting in Our Community$4.0MCreating Cohesion: $1.0MCreating Cohesion$1.0MMovement Generation: $90KMovement Generation$90K4DASOIL: $85K4DASOIL$85KAlabama Interfaith Power and Light DBA the People's Justice Council: $66KAlabama Interfaith Power andLight DBA the People's…$66KGrassroots International: $50KGrassroots International$50KAlternatives for Community and Environment: $40KAlternatives for Community andEnvironment$40KSoulardarity: $35KSoulardarity$35KKheprw Institute: $33KKheprw Institute$33KAlliance for Global Justice: $28KAlliance for Global Justice$28K

Grant Size Distribution

110 grants across all recorded years

85<$50K15$50–100K4$100–250K1$250–500K1$500K–1M4$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY Sacaramento, CAGENERAL OPERATION SUPPORT$4,000,000
CREATING COHESION Sacaramento, CAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$1,000,000
MOVEMENT GENERATION Berkeley, CACREATIVE WILDFIRE GRANT$90,000
4DASOIL Philadelphia, PARAPID RESPONSE & REGIONAL CONVENOR$85,000
ALABAMA INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGHT DBA THE PEOPLE'S JUSTICE COUNCIL Birmingham, ALREGIONAL CONVENER$66,000
GRASSROOTS INTERNATIONAL Boston, MADIGITAL SECURITY RAPID RESPONSE$50,000
ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT Roxbury, MAREGIONAL CONVENOR$40,000
SOULARDARITY Highland Park, MIRAPID RESPONSE$35,000
KHEPRW INSTITUTE Indianapolis, INBLACK CAUCUS$32,600
ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE Tucson, AZFISCAL SPONSOR FOR MOSAIC COOPERATIVE PROJECT$28,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$10M$20M$30M20212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$4,051,866$21,514,685$19,830,160
Revenue$9,080,028$10,388,238$9,580,362
Expenses$26,423,102$8,868,829$9,256,399
Qualifying Distributions———
Net Investment Income$568,808$386,422$33,561
Distributable Amount———

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

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

Monica Atkins — Former Executive Director: $146KMonica AtkinsFormer Executive Director$146KOlivia Burlingame — Communications Director: $140KOlivia BurlingameCommunications Director$140KKatherine Chavez — Executive Director (As of Nov 2024): $137KKatherine ChavezExecutive Director (As of Nov…$137KHeather Thiry — Director of Operations and Finance: $130KHeather ThiryDirector of Operations and…$130KLauren Ressler — Co-Reinvest Director: $128KLauren ResslerCo-Reinvest Director$128KJose Romero Elicea — Co-Reinvest Director: $125KJose Romero EliceaCo-Reinvest Director$125KMateo Nube — Co-Chair: $8KMateo NubeCo-Chair$8KDwaign Tyndal — Treasurer: $6KDwaign TyndalTreasurer$6KElizabeth Yeampierre — Co-Chair: $5KElizabeth YeampierreCo-Chair$5KKirtrina Baxter — Director: $5KKirtrina BaxterDirector$5KJesus Vazquez Negron — Director: $3KJesus Vazquez NegronDirector$3KMaria Lopez-Nuez — Director: $3KMaria Lopez-NuezDirector$3KDarryl Molina Sarmiento — Director: $3KDarryl Molina SarmientoDirector$3KAghilah Nadaraj — Secretary: $600Aghilah NadarajSecretary$600

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 is Climate Justice Alliance?

Climate Justice Alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on Environment & Animals, based in Berkeley, CA. It holds $4.1M in total assets as of 2025.

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.

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