The Sierra Club Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 1960 and based in Oakland, California. The Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor of the charitable environmental programs of the Sierra Club. It is one of the largest environmental grantmakers in the United States, promoting climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$210.7M
+5.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$86.9M
-11.0% YoY
Grant Count
21
-4.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4.1M
-6.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy.
Primary Focus Areas:
Beyond Coal Campaign — Defending against coal as the most polluting energy source and clearing the way for clean renewable energy solutions like solar and wind. The long-term goal is to reverse the social, economic, and environmental damage caused by global climate change by decarbonizing the electric grid by 80 percent by 2030.
Our Wild America — Protecting America's wild places and the beauty, escape, clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities they provide.
Outdoors for All — Through local outings, conservation education, and leadership training, ensuring that each new generation stays in touch with nature and learns environmental stewardship.
National Education Project — Educating, engaging, and mobilizing the public in administrative advocacy about environmental issues; providing program, operations, and management support; and working in coalition with local communities and groups.
Issues Addressed: Climate change, habitat destruction, inequitable access to the outdoors, air and water pollution, and environmental injustice.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $100,000 - $940,000+ to nonprofit partners
Invitation Only
** The Foundation operates primarily through an invitation-only approach with no public application process. The Movement Forward Fund is invitation-only.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
National focus with local, regional, and some international components.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $210,669,172 (2025)
Total Revenues: $108,188,731 (2025)
Total Expenses: $102,142,815 (2025)
Employees: 23 (as of 2025)
IRS Ruling Year: 1962
EIN: 94-6069890
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $210,669,172 | $199,302,924 | $207,976,050 |
| Revenue | $108,188,731 | $89,068,739 | $87,746,859 |
| Expenses | $102,142,815 | $113,468,024 | $113,448,406 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,578,491 | $2,412,014 | $3,116,739 |
| 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
102 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Sierra Club ($85,639,241), Michigan Environmental Council ($250,000), Community Initiatives ($250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SIERRA CLUB OAKLAND, CA | PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION. | $85,639,241 |
| MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL LANSING, MI | SUPPORT ORGANIZING EFFORTS AGAINST LINE 5 AND DAPL TO PROTECT WATER SUPPLIES AND INDIGENOUS RIGHTS. | $250,000 |
| COMMUNITY INITIATIVES OAKLAND, CA | RESEARCH AND CREATE NETWORKS TO ENHANCE CLIMATE JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS' CAPABILITIES. | $250,000 |
| SUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS FOR A SOLAR ENERGY PILOT PROJECT IN BROWN COUNTY, TEXAS. | $100,000 |
| GREENLATINOS BOULDER, CO | PROVIDE OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FOR COALITION WORKGROUPS | $100,000 |
| OF SALT AND SAND SALT LAKE CITY, UT | CREATE MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS THAT DOCUMENT COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES AMID CLIMATE CRISIS. | $75,000 |
| LATINO COMMUNITY FUND OF WASHINGTON STATE SEATTLE, WA | SUPPORT INITIATIVES FOR AFFORDABLE, GREEN HOUSING SOLUTIONS | $75,000 |
| APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN ADVOCATES LEWISBURG, WV | USE LEGAL AND SCIENTIFIC METHODS TO COMBAT FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROMOTE CLEAN ENERGY. | $50,000 |
| COMMUNITY INITIATIVES OAKLAND, CA | SUPPORT OUTDOOR EXCURSIONS AND LEADERSHIP AIMED AT DIVERSIFYING OUTDOOR ACCESS. | $50,000 |
| GUARDIAN REVIVAL BEACON, NY | EQUIP MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS WITH SKILLS TO SAFELY ENGAGE WITH NATURE | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Executive Director: Dan Chu
- Chief Financial Officer: Kevin McGahan
- Chief Legal Officer: Katherine Lewis
- Director: Ross Macfarlane
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBIN MANN | CHAIR | 3 | — |
| EVA KATHLEEN SCHULTE | VICE CHAIR | 3 | — |
| KATHLEEN SIMPSON | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| REBEKAH SAUL BUTLER | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| MARK WALTERS | MEMBER-AT-LARGE | 2 | — |
| ALLISON CHIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GABE GONZALEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETER LIU | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTIAN OKOYE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SANJAY RANCHOD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PAUL RISSMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOEL SANDERS | DIRECTOR (THRU 5/16/24) | 1 | — |
| JESSICA SAROWITZ | DIRECTOR (THRU 11/15/24) | 1 | — |
| STEPH SPEIRS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAN CHU | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $322,306 |
| KEVIN MCGAHAN | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $315,568 |
| HENRY HOLMES | SR. DIR, PGRMS/COMP (THRU 12/2/24) | 40 | $227,046 |
| AGANA MORENO | DIRECTOR OF FINANCE | 40 | $179,860 |
| JENNIE PALMER | DIR. OF ADMIN & BOARD RELATIONS | 40 | $156,269 |
| PEDRO HENRIQUES DA SILVA | DIRECTOR, SHIFTING TRILLIONS | 40 | $250,823 |
| TING LEE | ASST. DIR., PROGRAMS & COMPLIANCE | 40 | $112,319 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sierra Club Foundation fund?
**Mission:** The Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Beyond Coal Campaign** — Defending against coal as the most polluting energy source and clearing the way for clean renewable energy solutions like solar and wind. The long-term goal is to reverse the social, economic, and environmental damage caused by global climate change by decarb…
How do I apply for a grant from Sierra Club Foundation?
**Grant Range:** $100,000 - $940,000+ to nonprofit partners **Annual Giving:** $97.6 million (2023) **Application Process:** The Foundation operates primarily through an invitation-only approach with no public application process. The Movement Forward Fund is invitation-only. **Grant Recipients:** While the Sierra Club is the principal recipient of grants, the Foundation also awards significant funding to nonprofit partners working on environmental justice, climate change, and fossil fuel trans…
Where does Sierra Club Foundation make grants?
National focus with local, regional, and some international components.
What size grants does Sierra Club Foundation award?
In 2024, Sierra Club Foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $86.9M — an average of about $4.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Sierra Club Foundation's EIN?
Sierra Club Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6069890. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sierra Club Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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