Nrdc Action Fund Inc
NRDC Action Fund Inc is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC (with offices in New York, NY) that builds political support for advancing the goals of the Natural Resources Defense Council. As a separate but affiliated organization from the NRDC, the Action Fund engages in advocacy and political activities including lobbying, media campaigns, candidate support, and public mobilization efforts.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$17.3M
+2.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.5M
-16.2% YoY
Grant Count
22
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$158K
-23.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To build political support for advancing the goals of the Natural Resources Defense Council by averting dangerous climate change, supporting healthy people and thriving communities, and conserving and protecting nature and wildlife. The organization supports candidates who stand up for these goals and mobilizes the American public to lobby lawmakers and hold them accountable for their votes.
Primary Focus Areas:
Clean Energy Future: Federal advocacy including lobbying and media campaigns against legislation that would repeal clean energy and pro-climate legislation. State-level advocacy supporting equitable clean energy solutions and public engagement efforts.
Wildlife and Wildlands: Lobbying against legislative efforts to weaken key national environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act. Protection of wildlife and wildlands from expanded oil and gas drilling.
Sustainable Communities: Campaigns to enact climate-friendly and equitable transportation and building policies in municipalities.
Grantmaking
The organization distributes grants with typical award amounts ranging from $6,000 to $2,080,000. Based on the most recent tax filing (2023), total giving was $4,153,356.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization focuses on federal advocacy efforts, with state-level work in multiple jurisdictions including Colorado, California, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2023 (Year Ending June):
- Total Revenue: $18,315,373
- Total Expenses: $16,030,501
- Net Income: $2,284,872
- Total Assets: $16,966,028
- Total Liabilities: $1,540,000
- Contributions: $18,049,610 (98.5% of total revenue)
Program Spending: 87% of expenses directed to programs
Cost to Raise Funds: $12 spent to raise $100 in contributions
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $17,342,029 | $16,966,028 | $14,034,850 |
| Revenue | $15,307,998 | $18,315,373 | $15,532,584 |
| Expenses | $13,958,047 | $16,030,501 | $18,429,971 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $544,977 | $265,763 | $12,363 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
83 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Manish Bapna – President & CEO
- Kevin Curtis – Executive Director
- Mike Cassesso – Political and Advocacy Director
- Zara Akhter – Operations Manager
- Lauren Boyd – Development Associate
- Denis Dison – Communications Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANNE BARTLEY | CHAIR/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PATRICIA BAUMAN | CHAIR/DIRECTOR (THRU 03/2024) | 1 | — |
| DAVID C VLADECK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBERT RABEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VERNICE MILLER-TRAVIS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOSH MCNEIL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JO ANN KAPLAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GERALD TORRES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HAMILTON CANDEE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RICHARD E AYRES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER ARNDT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SIGMUND ANDERMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ADAM SWEENEY | DIRECTOR (AS OF 02/2024) | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN WELCH | DIRECTOR (AS OF 05/2024) | 1 | — |
| RICHARD GRAVES | DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/2023) | 1 | — |
| CHERI BEASLEY | DIRECTOR (THRU 04/2024) | 1 | — |
| JOHN H ADAMS | DIRECTOR (THRU 06/2024) | 1 | — |
| EDUARDO BHATIA | DIRECTOR (THRU 09/2023) | 1 | — |
| FRANCES BEINECKE | VICE CHAIR/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KRISTA MCMANUS | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| ASHLEY GHERLONE | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| DOROTHY HECTOR | ASSISTANT SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| VERONICA FOO | CFO AND TREASURER | 3 | — |
| KEVIN CURTIS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | — |
| MANISH BAPNA | PRESIDENT/CEO | 1 | — |
| JOHN BENNETT | SECRETARY (AS OF 06/2024) | 1 | — |
| JACQUELINE SILVERS | CLIMATE TASK FORCE PROGRAM DIR. | 40 | — |
| DENIS DISON | COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR | 40 | — |
| TIMOTHY MEINKE | DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT | 40 | — |
| ALEXANDRA SHAPIRO | DIRECTOR OF PAC & CANDIDATE SVS | 40 | — |
| EMILY GRAY - FORMER | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS | — | — |
| MITCHELL BERNARD | CHIEF COUNSEL | — | — |
Contact Information
1152 15th Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005
Website: www.nrdcactionfund.org
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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