Sierra Club
Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) civic league and social welfare organization headquartered in Oakland, California. Founded in 1892 by legendary conservationist John Muir, it is the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than two million members and supporters. The organization employs 728 people and operates across 12 countries. Sierra Club is a unionized employer, with two labor unions representing more than half of its employees.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$151.6M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$616K
-7.9% YoY
Grant Count
37
-17.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
+12.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Sierra Club's mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.
The organization's work centers on protecting wildlife and wild places, ensuring clean air and water for all, and fighting the devastating effects of climate change. Sierra Club emphasizes environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice, recognizing the interconnectedness between ecology, race, gender, and representative government.
Primary Program Areas:
- Information and Education: Publication of Sierra magazine (4 issues per year with average print run exceeding 450,715 magazines), calendar and online store offering Sierra Club branded merchandise, and communications group activities including print and non-print media and digital strategies
- Membership, Chapter and Volunteer Activities: Support and funding of 64 volunteer-led chapters and approximately 446 groups, with development of broad-based volunteer membership
- Outdoor Activities: Outings that connect people to nature while advancing environmental education and supporting the organization's conservation campaigns
Grantmaking
Sierra Club makes grants focused on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Based on recent filings, typical grant awards range from $5,120 to $225,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Sierra Club's grantmaking priorities include Pennsylvania, New York, and Kentucky. The organization operates through local chapters and groups across the country and maintains an international presence in 12 countries.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Revenue: $169,031,870
- Total Expenses: $171,800,410
- Net Income: -$2,768,540
- Total Assets: $111,253,422
- Total Liabilities: $40,300,000
Revenue Composition (2024):
- Contributions: $151,944,458 (89.9% of total revenue)
As of Fiscal Year 2023:
- Total Revenues: $173,425,083
- Total Expenses: $172,273,486
- Total Assets: $152,083,529
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $151,587,359 | $152,083,529 | $147,100,565 |
| Revenue | $169,031,870 | $173,425,083 | $167,540,907 |
| Expenses | $171,800,410 | $172,273,486 | $169,420,068 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $2,786,511 | $1,291,819 | $2,526,100 |
| 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
232 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Texas Conservation Alliance ($100,000), Southern Sector Rising Inc ($76,765), Noto2org ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| RAINFOREST ACTION NETWORK SAN FRANCISCO, CA | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| GREEN LATINOS BOULDER, CO | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $20,000 |
| SHILOH COMMUNITY CENTER ELBA, AL | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK BEMIDJI, MN | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| GROUNDWORK NORTHEAST REVITALIZATION GROUP KANSAS CITY, KS | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| SWEET JANE PRODUCTIONS BROOKLYN, NY | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| THE SANDERS INSTITUTE BURLINGTON, VT | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $10,000 |
| PHILADELPHIA PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PHILADELPHIA, PA | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $5,242 |
| PERSON COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK ROUGEMONT, NC | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $13,000 |
| TEXAS CONSERVATION ALLIANCE DALLAS, TX | ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALLISON CHIN | PRESIDENT | 40 | $112,749 |
| SHRUTI BHATNAGAR | VICE PRESIDENT (EFF 5/24) | 40 | $26,086 |
| JEREMY PATRICK MURPHY | VICE PRESIDENT | 30 | $47,736 |
| ROSS MACFARLANE | VICE PRESIDENT (THRU 5/24) | 30 | — |
| DAVID SCOTT | SECRETARY (EFF 5/24) | 10 | $18,140 |
| MEGHAN SAHLI-WELLS | SECRETARY (THRU 5/24)/DIRECTOR | 40 | $17,533 |
| CHEYENNE SKYE BRANSCUM | TREASURER | 30 | $32,419 |
| CLAYTON DAUGHENBAUGH | DIRECTOR (EFF 5/24) | 40 | $1,300 |
| RITA HARRIS | DIRECTOR | 10 | — |
| ERICA HALL | DIRECTOR (EFF 5/24) | 10 | $500 |
| DAVID KARPF | DIRECTOR (EFF 5/24) | 5 | — |
| AARON MAIR | DIRECTOR | 7 | — |
| CYNTHIA HOYLE | DIRECTOR | 20 | — |
| MICHAEL DORSEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| KARL PALMQUIST | DIRECTOR (EFF 5/24) | 10 | — |
| DAVID HOLTZ | DIRECTOR | 25 | $800 |
| ANTONIO FULLER | DIRECTOR (THRU 5/24) | 8 | — |
| DEBBIE HEATON | DIRECTOR (THRU 5/24) | 8 | — |
| CHAD HANSON | DIRECTOR (THRU 5/24) | 15 | — |
| EVA HERNANDEZ | MANAGING DIRECTOR (THRU 3/24) | 50 | $463,501 |
| BENJAMIN JEALOUS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $447,435 |
| ANA YANEZ CORREA | DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 50 | $351,988 |
| ERICA MCKINLEY | CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER, ASST SECRETARY | 50 | $326,059 |
| MICHAEL PARRISH | COO, ASST SECRETARY | 50 | $322,495 |
| ADRIENNE FRAZIER | CFO, ASSISTANT TREASURER | 50 | $298,860 |
| KRISTIN MACKLIN | DEPUTY CFO, ASSISTANT TREASURER | 50 | $259,800 |
| RAHEL MELAKU | SR DIR FIN PLANNING & ANLYS/ASST SEC | 50 | $215,827 |
| ANNE KENNEY | DIR, FIN ANLYS & BDGT SYS/ASST SEC | 50 | $166,815 |
| HOLLY BENDER | CHIEF CAMPAIGN OFFICER | 50 | $252,153 |
| MIKAELA KING | CHIEF OF MEMBERSHIP GROWTH | 50 | $251,785 |
| LOREN BLACKFORD | SR. ADV(THRU 4/24), ACTING DEP ED | 50 | $212,559 |
| PHILLIP RADFORD | CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER | 50 | $335,540 |
| KEVIN HARRIS | DEP MGN DIR & CHIEF COMMS OFFICER | 50 | $304,079 |
| KIA BROWN | CHIEF OF VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE | 50 | $249,770 |
| AIDA DAVIS | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | 50 | $354,228 |
| SHABINA BAHL | CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER | 50 | $290,227 |
| JOANNE SPALDING | LEGAL DIRECTOR, ENVIRON LAW PROG | 50 | $280,516 |
| NADINE WILBURN | GEN COUNS EMPLOY/SR DIR LABOR REL | 50 | $272,816 |
| WHITNEY PEARSON | DEPUTY FIELD DIRECTOR (THRU 9/24) | 50 | $246,630 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sierra Club fund?
Sierra Club's mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. The organization's work centers on protecting wildlife and wild places, ensuring clean air and water for all, and fighting the devastating effects of climate change. Sierra Club emphasizes environmental, racial, economic, and gender justic…
How do I apply for a grant from Sierra Club?
Sierra Club makes grants focused on education, philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking, and human services. Based on recent filings, typical grant awards range from $5,120 to $225,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** • The organization announced 2025 Huplits Grants awardees • Lancaster Group's "Green Project" Grants were awarded • Sierra Club Community Grant Fund awards were distributed
Where does Sierra Club make grants?
Sierra Club's grantmaking priorities include Pennsylvania, New York, and Kentucky. The organization operates through local chapters and groups across the country and maintains an international presence in 12 countries.
What size grants does Sierra Club award?
In 2024, Sierra Club awarded 37 grants totaling $616K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Sierra Club's EIN?
Sierra Club's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1153307. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sierra Club'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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