Natural Resources Defense Council Inc
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental advocacy organization headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1970, NRDC operates as an international environmental advocacy group with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Bozeman, India, and Beijing. The organization combines scientific expertise, legal advocacy, and policy work to address environmental challenges.
Key facts about Natural Resources Defense Council Inc
- EIN
- 13-2654926
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,900,201
- Grants made (2024)
- 113
- Average grant
- $43,365
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (41 of 113, 2024)
- Total assets
- $600,593,128
- Primary geography
- New York (28% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Natural Resources Defense Council Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Natural Resources Defense Council Inc's 113 itemized 2024 grants were New York (28%), California (14%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (18 grants), New York, NY (12 grants), Los Angeles, CA (6 grants) and Oakland, CA (5 grants). None of its 113 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Env. Advocacy" (113 grants).
Is Natural Resources Defense Council Inc open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 41 of 113 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
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Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$600.6M
+4.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.9M
-53.6% YoY
Grant Count
113
-35.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
-28.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
NRDC's mission is to safeguard the Earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. The organization works to restore the integrity of the elements that sustain life: air, land, and water, and to defend endangered natural places.
The organization's primary program areas include:
- Climate Crisis: Confronting the climate crisis through science, policy, and community engagement
- Public Health Advocacy: Advocating for public health protections
- Nature Protection: Protecting nature through science-based approaches
- International Environmental Work: Leveraging scientific, economic, and policy expertise to advance environmental and climate programs globally, including work on biodiversity loss, environmental pollution, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and deforestation prevention
Grantmaking
NRDC functions as both a recipient and funder of environmental work. Based on recent tax filings, the organization reported total giving of $17,616,853, with typical grant awards ranging from $5,100 to $11,713,000. The organization's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services, with primary geographic concentration in California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
Ready to take the next step with Natural Resources Defense Council Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NRDC's work spans multiple geographic areas including California, the District of Columbia, and New York. The organization maintains an international presence with offices and programs in India and Beijing, reflecting its global environmental advocacy efforts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 113 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2024:
- Total Assets: $600.6 million
- Annual Revenue: $204.3 million
- Total Expenses: $219.9 million
- Total Liabilities: $123 million
Staffing: The organization employs approximately 854 staff members, including roughly 700 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates.
Membership: NRDC has over three million members and online activists.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $600,593,128 | $576,913,705 | $602,252,452 |
| Revenue | $204,253,182 | $193,144,386 | $186,185,838 |
| Expenses | $219,897,996 | $226,866,168 | $211,994,021 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $13,273,422 | $8,460,007 | $4,120,383 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
711 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include NRDC Action Fund Inc ($900,000), Coming Clean Inc ($400,000), Appalachian Mountain Advocates ($200,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NRDC ACTION FUND INC New York, NY | ENV. ADVOCACY | $900,000 |
| COMING CLEAN INC West Hartford, CT | ENV. ADVOCACY | $400,000 |
| APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN ADVOCATES Lewisburg, WV | ENV. ADVOCACY | $200,000 |
| APPALACHIAN VOICES Charlottesville, VA | ENV. ADVOCACY | $200,000 |
| MOVEMENT STRATEGY CENTER Oakland, CA | ENV. ADVOCACY | $195,250 |
| WESTERN ORGANIZATION OF RESOURCES COUNCILS Billings, MT | ENV. ADVOCACY | $150,000 |
| RESOURCES LEGACY FUND Sacramento, CA | ENV. ADVOCACY | $126,667 |
| BUILDING ENERGY EXCHANGE New York, NY | ENV. ADVOCACY | $115,000 |
| THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT INC Washington, DC | ENV. ADVOCACY | $105,000 |
| VIRGINIA ORGANIZING INC Charlottsville, VA | ENV. ADVOCACY | $90,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The organization is led by President and CEO Manish Bapna. NRDC was founded by John Adams, Richard Ayres, John Bryson, James Gustave Speth, and Edward Strohbehn.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Welch | Chair/Trustee | 1 | — |
| Mary J Penniman | Treasurer/Trustee | 1 | — |
| Katherine Adams | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Geeta Aiyer | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Richard E Ayres | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Atif Azher | Trustee (Thru 02/2024) | 1 | — |
| Patricia Bauman | Trustee (Thru 03/2024) | 1 | — |
| Claire Bernard | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah Cogan | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Nathaniel Dean | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Leonardo Dicaprio | Trustee | 1 | — |
| John Echohawk | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Catherine Flowers | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Lisa Hall | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jo Ann Kaplan | Trustee (As of 06/2024) | 1 | — |
| Jeremy Khan | Trustee (As of 02/2024) | 1 | — |
| Nicole E Lederer | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Laura Lin | Trustee (As of 02/2024) | 1 | — |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kelly Chapman Meyer | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Peter Morton | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Wendy Neu | Trustee (Thru 12/2023) | 1 | — |
| Frederica P Perera | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Lynn Price | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Diana Propper De Callejon | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Robert Redford | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Elena Rios | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Thomas Roush | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Frederick a O Schwarz Jr | Chair Emeritus/Trustee | 1 | — |
| Tom Soto | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gerald Torres | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Margret Trilli | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Vladeck | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Welch | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Daniel Yates | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Manish Bapna | President/CEO | 40 | $720,535 |
| Veronica Foo | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $394,565 |
| Mollie Marsh-Heine - Chief | Development Officer | 40 | $512,899 |
| John Bennett | Secretary (As of 06/2024) | 1 | — |
| Ashley Gherlone | Assistant Secretary | 1 | — |
| Dorothy Hector | Assistant Secretary | 1 | — |
| Mitchell Bernard | Chief Counsel | 40 | $426,605 |
| Michelle Egan - Chief | Staff & Strategy (Thru 10/2023) | 40 | $398,696 |
| Jennifer Powers - Managing | Dir., Communications (Thru 01/2024) | 40 | $289,030 |
| Ed Yoon | Chief External Affairs Officer | 40 | $315,291 |
| Robyn Arville | Chief People Officer | 40 | $373,891 |
| Drew Caputo - Chief | Program Officer (Thru 11/2023) | 40 | $368,304 |
| Susan Casey-Lefkowitz | Chief of Staff | 40 | $207,942 |
| Christy Goldfuss | Executive Director | 40 | $365,276 |
| Peter Altman | Senior Strategist for Campaigns | 40 | $316,144 |
| Geoffrey Fettus | Director, Nuclear | 40 | $346,382 |
| Yerina Mugica - Interim | Managing Dir. People & Communities | 40 | $342,765 |
| Jing Jing Qian | Senior Strategic Advisor | 40 | $345,549 |
| Lena Steinberg - Managing | Dir, HR Operations & Infrastructure | 40 | $336,998 |
| Makeda Tsao - FRMR Interim Cdo | (Thru 3/23); Board Relations Officer | 40 | $401,000 |
| Daniel Kim | Former COO (Thru 11/2022) | — | $200,000 |
| Andrew Wetzler - Former Cpo | (Thru 10/22); SVP, Nature | 40 | $302,815 |
| Mercedes Falber - Former Chro | (Thru 3/23) Senior Dei Advisor | 40 | $446,718 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
NRDC participated in the 28th UN Conference of Parties in Dubai, where experts met with world leaders to advocate for strong global agreements on emissions cuts. The conference resulted in a historic agreement with more than 190 countries calling for tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling the pace of energy efficiency gains, and ending deforestation and forest degradation. The organization also hosted events and participated in panels on topics including the harmful impacts of liquified natural gas production on communities and health, and sustainable cooling in emerging economies.
EPA Issues Awards for Crucial Clean Energy Finance ProgramSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Natural Resources Defense Council Inc fund?
NRDC's mission is to safeguard the Earth—its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. The organization works to restore the integrity of the elements that sustain life: air, land, and water, and to defend endangered natural places. The organization's primary program areas include: • **Climate Crisis**: Confronting the climate crisis through science, policy, and community engagement • **Public Health Advocacy**: Advocating for public health protections •…
How do I apply for a grant from Natural Resources Defense Council Inc?
NRDC functions as both a recipient and funder of environmental work. Based on recent tax filings, the organization reported total giving of $17,616,853, with typical grant awards ranging from $5,100 to $11,713,000. The organization's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services, with primary geographic concentration in California, the District of Columbia, and New York.
Where does Natural Resources Defense Council Inc make grants?
NRDC's work spans multiple geographic areas including California, the District of Columbia, and New York. The organization maintains an international presence with offices and programs in India and Beijing, reflecting its global environmental advocacy efforts.
What size grants does Natural Resources Defense Council Inc award?
In 2024, Natural Resources Defense Council Inc awarded 113 grants totaling $4.9M — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Natural Resources Defense Council Inc's EIN?
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-2654926. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.