Environment Now
Environment Now is a private foundation based in Newport Beach, California. Its mission is to advance the right to a healthy environment, with a focus on measurably effective programs that protect and restore California’s waters and forests.
Environment Now at a glance
In short: Environment Now gave $1.5M across 61 grants in 2024 (avg $25K), mostly in California. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,539,200
- +1.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 61
- +17.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,233
- -13.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $32,502,266
- +3.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (17 of 48, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Environment Now
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 450 Newport Center Drive 450, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 644-1850
Website: https://environmentnow.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Environment Now funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Earth Island Institute ($225K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $850K.
Grant Size Distribution
225 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 200 grants of 225 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Environment Now states that its work focuses on California’s waters and forests. In 2024, California recipients received 70% of grant dollars. Other recipient-state shares were New York 9%, Arizona 8%, Oregon 8%, and Montana 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 61 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Environment Now open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 48 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 30% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 143% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2020) to $1.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 61 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Island Institute Berkeley, CA | General Support - John Muir Project | $175,000 |
| California Coastkeeper Alliance Sacramento, CA | General Support | $120,000 |
| Restore the Delta Stockton, CA | EPA Petition Coalition | $55,000 |
| San Francisco Baykeeper Oakland, CA | Defending Fresh Water Flows | $50,000 |
| Rockefeller Family Fund New York, NY | Climate Accountability Initiative | $50,000 |
| Environmental Law Foundation Oakland, CA | Groundwater, Surface Flows, and Ag Pollution Advocacy | $45,000 |
| Save California Salmon Orleans, CA | Water for Fish/Tribal Water Project | $45,000 |
| Center for Biological Diversity Tucson, AZ | Confronting the Threat of Forest Biomass Energy | $45,000 |
| Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability Fresno, CA | Clean water: at the source and at the tap | $40,000 |
| Center for Biological Diversity Tucson, AZ | Protecting Californias Water from Oil Industry Pollution | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Environment Now?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $32,502,266 | $839,315 | $2,225,662 | $1,539,200 | 61 | $2,264,070 | $791,041 | $1,581,154 |
| 2023 | $31,391,691 | $3,534,285 | $2,102,433 | $1,510,000 | 52 | $2,147,610 | $3,492,844 | $1,460,784 |
| 2022 | $29,599,522 | $673,221 | $1,800,822 | $1,214,000 | 38 | $1,785,628 | $589,380 | $1,546,053 |
| 2021 | $35,887,553 | $1,772,523 | $1,782,893 | $1,188,500 | 37 | $1,773,338 | $1,687,792 | $1,718,279 |
| 2020 | $33,886,919 | $1,074,569 | $1,684,427 | $1,168,578 | 37 | — | $845,992 | $1,575,852 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Environment Now reported a distributable amount of $1.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Environment Now’s mission is to advance the right to a healthy environment and the shared responsibility to safeguard it. Its website identifies water, forests, climate, and environmental rights as areas of work. Its stated aims include securing clean, sufficient water for life needs; ending commercial logging on national forests; phasing out fossil fuel development; and advancing the right to a healthy environment.
Its 2024 grants show support for organizations pursuing a range of environmental work. For example, Restore the Delta describes its aim as making the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable. Save California Salmon says it works on policy change and community advocacy for Northern California’s salmon and fish-dependent people. The Environmental Law Foundation describes its mission as protecting the environment, communities, and consumers from harmful toxics and other environmental harms. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not Environment Now’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, Environment Now reported 61 grants totaling $1,539,200. Grants ranged from $500 to $175,000, with a median grant of $20,000. Among the largest grants were $175,000 to Earth Island Institute for general support of the John Muir Project; $120,000 to California Coastkeeper Alliance for general support; $55,000 to Restore the Delta for the EPA Petition Coalition; and $50,000 each to San Francisco Baykeeper for defending fresh water flows and Rockefeller Family Fund for the Climate Accountability Initiative. Other grants included $45,000 to Save California Salmon for its Water for Fish/Tribal Water Project and $45,000 to Environmental Law Foundation for groundwater, surface flows, and agricultural pollution advocacy.
The foundation also states that it makes interest-free loans to third-party environmental organizations to support environmental litigation. Those loans are repaid only if the litigation is successful.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Linda Sheehan as foundation manager; Kevin Wells as chair; Robert Wells as vice chair and secretary; Paul Heeschen as treasurer; and Dan Emmett, David Beckman, and Deborah Sivas as directors or board members.
Environment Now’s website identifies Linda Sheehan as executive director and lists Doug Bevington as forest program director, Brandi Lasch as program and grants officer, and Miles Johnson as water program manager.
Environment Now is led by Kevin Wells, Chair since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kevin Wells
Chair
President → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Emmett
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Beckman
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Wells
Vice Chair & Secretary
V.p. & Secretary → Vice Chair & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$13K (2020) → $0 (2024)
Linda Sheehan
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$210K (2021) → $241K (2024)
Paul Heeschen
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Sivas
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Luanne Wells (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Mary Nichols (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $241K, to Linda Sheehan (Foundation Manager).
Frequently asked questions about Environment Now
How much does Environment Now give each year?
Environment Now gave $1.5M across 61 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 52 grants.
What is Environment Now's typical grant size?
Environment Now's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $25,233, across 61 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Environment Now that year got $33K on average.
Where does Environment Now give grants?
Environment Now gives mostly in California: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (9%) and Arizona (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Berkeley, CA (4 grants), Tucson, AZ (4 grants) and San Francisco, CA (4 grants).
Does Environment Now give general operating support?
Yes: 21% of Environment Now's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 61) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Event Sponsorship" (4 grants).
Who are Environment Now's largest grantees?
Environment Now's largest 2024 grantees include Earth Island Institute ($225,000 across 3 grants), Center for Biological Diversity ($125,000 across 4 grants) and California Coastkeeper Alliance ($120,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Environment Now?
Environment Now reported $32.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Environment Now fund?
Environment Now’s mission is to advance the right to a healthy environment and the shared responsibility to safeguard it. Its website identifies water, forests, climate, and environmental rights as areas of work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Environment Now?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Environment Now's EIN?
Environment Now's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-4247242. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Environment Now accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Environment Now's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Environment Now funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/environment-now-morg_05c59366998c41e7b561538099f83aaf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_954247242_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Environment Now funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/environment-now-morg_05c59366998c41e7b561538099f83aaf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Environment Now'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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