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Resources Legacy Fund

SACRAMENTO, CA EIN: 95-4703838 Website

Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1998, RLF operates as a full-service conservation and environmental organization that combines grantmaking, fiscal sponsorship, program implementation, and advocacy to advance environmental progress. The organization employs 155 staff members and works across California, Western North America, and beyond.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$151.9M

-13.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$43.9M

+23.0% YoY

Grant Count

325

+16.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$135K

+5.6% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission: RLF partners with philanthropy, advocates, government, academia, and business to catalyze action for conservation, environmental equity and justice, and climate solutions.

Primary Program Areas:

  • Conservation: Protecting and restoring ecologically and culturally significant lands and waters
  • Community-Based Environmental Change: Supporting community advocates and leaders in efforts to address environmental threats, improve public health, and ensure access to nature
  • Climate Change: Creating economic opportunity and healthy communities, promoting nature-based climate solutions, and strengthening community resilience to wildfire, floods, drought, and extreme heat
  • Fiscal Sponsorship: Providing administrative services (human resources, legal, financial, technology) to projects focused on environmental causes

RLF's work includes initiatives such as the Open Rivers Fund, which focuses on dam removal and river restoration.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

RLF is rooted in California with initiatives across Western North America and beyond.

Grant Distribution by State

42states
+34 more states

Cities

AberdeenAlamosaAlbanyAlbuquerqueAnchorageAnn ArborApache JunctionAptosArcataArlingtonAshevilleAshlandAspenAtascaderoAthensAtlantaAuburnAugustaAustinAvalon

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Data:

  • Total Revenue: $79.6 million
  • Total Expenses: $99.5 million
  • Total Assets: $152 million
  • Total Liabilities: $14.1 million
  • Number of Employees: 155

2023 Financial Data:

  • Total Revenue: $131.0 million
  • Total Expenses: $85.9 million
  • Total Assets: $174.7 million
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$36M$72M$108M$144M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$151,915,040$174,728,294$121,669,997
Revenue$79,596,936$131,040,478$88,915,279
Expenses$99,548,571$85,936,667$90,017,805
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income$10,402,648$6,828,952$-353,291
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$11M$22M$33M$45M216 grants2020222 grants2021278 grants2022279 grants2023325 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

HIP HOP CAUCUS EDUCATION…$1.4MENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY …$1.3MCENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL…$1.1MEARTHWORKS$1.0MAIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON$953KTROUT UNLIMITED INC$760KCLEAN AIR COUNCIL$750KTAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE$658KENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FU…$633KEARTHJUSTICE$625K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

50<$50K26$50–100K53$100–250K59$250–500K46$500K–1M15$1–5M1$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Resources Legacy Fund

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Matt Armsby – Interim President
  • Phil Ginsburg – Future President (starting January 2026)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

AVI GARBOW SEE SCH ODIRECTOR AND PRES. (END 10/24)$600KVERONICA EADYVP OF EQUITY & JUSTICE (END …$297KMICHAEL SCOTTVICE PRESIDENT - PROGRAMS$278KJESSICA ANNE MAHERDIRECTOR, WESTERN ENERGY PRO…$275KHELENA CHOI SEE SCH OVP AND CHIEF OF STAFF$272KMATTHEW ARMSBY SEE S…SEC. & VP TO INT. PRES (EFF.…$266KROSINA BUGARIN SEE S…TREASURER & CFO$241KBRANDI JENKINSDIRECTOR, BEYOND PETROCHEMIC…$237KAMY KENNEYDIRECTOR, NAT'L OCEAN PROT. …$233KKAITLIN GAFFNEYDIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION$232KKATE WRIGHTDIRECTOR, CLIMATE MAYORS$230KALLEN MAYCHIEF DEV'L OFFICER (END 12/…$206KLISBETH JAKOBSENDIRECTOR OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP$190K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
AVI GARBOW SEE SCH ODIRECTOR AND PRES. (END 10/24)36$599,806
MATTHEW ARMSBY SEE SCH OSEC. & VP TO INT. PRES (EFF. 10/24)35$265,748
BARTON THOMPSON JRBOARD CHAIR1
JEANNE SEDGWICKBOARD VICE CHAIR1
LISE AANGEENBRUGDIRECTOR1
STEVE GAINESDIRECTOR1
CHET P HEWITTDIRECTOR1
PATSY ISHIYAMADIRECTOR1
KATHARINE L JACOBSDIRECTOR1
BRETT JOHNSONDIRECTOR1
CHARLENE KABCENELLDIRECTOR1
MARTHA KONGSGAARDDIRECTOR1
RANDALL MARTINEZDIRECTOR1
KEVIN WASHBURNDIRECTOR1
LUSENI PIEHDIRECTOR1
GINA MCCARTHYDIRECTOR (END 12/24)1
ROSINA BUGARIN SEE SCH OTREASURER & CFO32$241,340
VERONICA EADYVP OF EQUITY & JUSTICE (END 12/24)40$296,683
HELENA CHOI SEE SCH OVP AND CHIEF OF STAFF36$272,448
MICHAEL SCOTTVICE PRESIDENT - PROGRAMS39$278,442
ALLEN MAYCHIEF DEV'L OFFICER (END 12/24)36$205,793
LISBETH JAKOBSENDIRECTOR OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP33$189,953
JESSICA ANNE MAHERDIRECTOR, WESTERN ENERGY PROJECT40$275,109
KAITLIN GAFFNEYDIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION40$232,384
KATE WRIGHTDIRECTOR, CLIMATE MAYORS40$230,300
AMY KENNEYDIRECTOR, NAT'L OCEAN PROT. COAL.40$233,258
BRANDI JENKINSDIRECTOR, BEYOND PETROCHEMICALS37$236,700

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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