Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense
Equation Campaign and Global Climate, also referred to in its filing as Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense (ECGCLD), is a public charity based in Novato, California. Formed in 2021, it provides funding, technical assistance, and legal assistance to community members and leaders for charitable activities promoting environmental and community health initiatives.
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense at a glance
In short: Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense gave $11.2M across 79 grants in 2025 (avg $141K), top state Louisiana. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $11,158,866
- Grants made (2025)
- 79
- Average grant
- $141,251
- Median grant
- $120,000
- Total assets
- $17,975,646
- +7192.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (14% 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 Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense
- Contact
Mailing address: 5 Hamilton Landing 200, Novato, CA 94949
Phone: (415) 464-2500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Unkitawa ($700K). Together the top 10 received $3.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($30,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 42 grants of 79 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The largest shares of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state were Louisiana (14%), Washington, DC (9%), California (8%), Washington (6%), and Nebraska (6%). Listed 2025 recipients also included organizations in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2025 it made 79 grants totaling $11.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unkitawa Kent, WA | Support for the Giniw Collective | $700,000 |
| Bold Education Fund Inc Hastings, NE | Support Legal Fees/Costs-Pipeline Work | $691,900 |
| West Virginia Rivers Coalition Inc Charleston, WV | General Operating and Volunteer Support | $450,000 |
| Foundation for Louisiana New Orleans, LA | Fiscal Sponsorship Program | $325,000 |
| Chisholm Legacy Project Inc Burtonsville, MD | Just Transition Lawyering Institute | $320,000 |
| Virginia Organizing Charlottesville, VA | Support Artivism Virginia | $300,000 |
| Louisiana Bucket Brigade New Orleans, LA | Gen Op &Legal Capacity Building-the Gulf | $275,000 |
| Alliance for Affordable Energy New Orleans, LA | Provide General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| 7 Directions of Service Inc Haw River, NC | General Operating and Ed Support | $200,000 |
| Appalachian Voices Boone, NC | Fossil Energy Infrastructure- Appalachi | $200,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,975,646 | $36,246,768 | $19,398,303 | $11,158,866 | 79 | $257,714 |
| 2024 | $246,500 | $265,000 | $18,500 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
ECGCLD states that its mission is to provide funding, technical, and legal help to community members and leaders. Its 2025 grants included support for legal fees and costs, legal capacity building, general operations, volunteer support, and campaigns. Recipients include organizations with varied missions: Unkitawa says it supports efforts to protect and heal the Earth; West Virginia Rivers Coalition says it works to conserve and restore rivers and streams; and Louisiana Bucket Brigade says it supports grassroots action for sustainable neighborhoods free from industrial pollution.
Grantmaking
In 2025, ECGCLD reported 79 itemized grants totaling $11,158,866. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $700,000, with a median of $120,000. Among the largest grants were $700,000 to Unkitawa, $691,900 to Bold Education Fund, $450,000 to West Virginia Rivers Coalition, $325,000 to Foundation for Louisiana, $320,000 to Chisholm Legacy Project, and $300,000 to Virginia Organizing.
Other notable 2025 grants included $275,000 to Louisiana Bucket Brigade, $250,000 to Alliance for Affordable Energy, and $200,000 each to 7 Directions of Service, Appalachian Voices, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and Bay Mills Indian Community. The stated purposes included general operating support, education support, work related to fossil-energy infrastructure, and support for the Line 5 campaign.
ECGCLD says its staff regularly communicate with grantees about funded work. It may review or evaluate projects, including through visits and review of project data and financial or corporate records, when it deems necessary.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katharine Katie Redford and Betsy J Apple as co-presidents, co-CEOs, and co-executive directors; Ann Lauren Plotkin as secretary; Alfred Lahai Brownell as founding president; and Peter Gill Case as director and treasurer. It also lists Rhea Suh, Lauren McClelland, Saul Macias, and Janelle Cavanagh in roles ending during 2025, and Ashley Smith as secretary through March 2025.
The filing states that the bylaws were amended effective June 25, 2025, to clarify board size, add ex officio directors, establish co-chief executive officers, create two advisory committees, and allow electronic participation in meetings. It also states that governance decisions, including bylaw amendments, require approval by the governing body of MCF, the parent organization.
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense is led by Betsy J. Apple, Co-Pres, Co-Ceo & Co-Ed on the 2025 filing; 4 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Betsy J. Apple
Co-Pres, Co-Ceo & Co-Ed
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$154K (2025)
Katharine Katie Redford
Co-Pres, Co-Ceo & Co-Ed
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$152K (2025)
Alfred Lahai Brownell
Founding President
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$127K (2025)
Rhea Suh
Director
CEO → Director, President & CEO, 2024
Director, President & CEO → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alison Wright
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Hunter
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janelle Cavanagh
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Gill Case
Director & Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saul Macias
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Lauren Plotkin
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$88K (2025)
Ashley Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren McClelland
CFO
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roxanne Richards
Sectretary
New on the 2025 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Sa Hartman (2022–2024) — CFO · Filing note: Thru 12/2023
- Former: Betsy Apple Start (2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Janelle Cavanagh Start (2024) — Director & Chief Philanthropy Officer
- Former: Katharine Redford Start (2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Saul Macias Start (2024) — Director, Chief People & Place Officer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 $154K, to Betsy J Apple (Co-Pres/Co-CEO & Co-Ed). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense
How much does Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense give each year?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense gave $11.2M across 79 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
What is Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's typical grant size?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's median grant in 2025 was $120,000, and its average grant was $141,251, across 79 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense give grants?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's top state is Louisiana, with 14% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (9%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (9 grants), New Orleans, LA (6 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Charlottesville, VA (3 grants).
Does Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's largest grantees?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's largest 2025 grantees include Unkitawa ($700,000), Bold Education Fund Inc ($691,900) and West Virginia Rivers Coalition Inc ($450,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($30,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense reported $18.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $36.2M.
What does Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense fund?
ECGCLD states that its mission is to provide funding, technical, and legal help to community members and leaders. Its 2025 grants included support for legal fees and costs, legal capacity building, general operations, volunteer support, and campaigns. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's EIN?
Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3636370. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/equation-campaign-and-global-climate-legal-defense-morg_57fa3fc764c7411c8fb61ec278c72501
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873636370_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/equation-campaign-and-global-climate-legal-defense-morg_57fa3fc764c7411c8fb61ec278c72501},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Equation Campaign and Global Climate Legal Defense'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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