Center For Sustainable Energy
93% goes to programs Thin reserves Growing revenue
Center For Sustainable Energy is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Diego, California, registered in 2001, with $335,556,775 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C, and it directs about 93% of spending to programs.
3980 Sherman St Ste 170, San Diego, CA, 92110 EIN 33-0936366 Since 2001
Revenue (FY2024)
$335.6M
▼ 33.3% vs prior year
Environment median: $250K
Expenses (FY2024)
$335.5M
Net assets
$13.2M
Employees
302
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C
FProgram efficiency40% of the rating93% to programs
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Center For Sustainable Energy: 93% to programs earns a F on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
CFinancial health25% of the rating0 mo reserves · +0% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Center For Sustainable Energy: 0 mo reserves · +0% margin earns a C on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Center For Sustainable Energy: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Center For Sustainable Energy: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
One simple mission-decarbonize
What they do
Distributed energy resources: in 2024, cse earned $69,770,250 worth of revenue and had expenses of $65,587,009 of which $56,609,508 was paid out to rebate applicants. a notable achievement in 2024 includes:cse tapped to administer home electrification upgrade programsouthern california edison selected cse to design and administer its charge ready home program, a multiyear initiative providing rebates for home panel upgrades to income-qualifying households and utility customers in disadvantaged communities. the goal is to remove cost barriers to home electrification for residents preparing to install ev chargers and make other energy upgrades.cse to administer low-income electrification program in central california the california energy commission selected cse as one of three regional administrators of a new $567 million program to install energy-efficient technologies statewide in low- and moderate-income households at no cost. the program will fund various electrification retrofit measures and the installation of electric appliances to reduce carbon emissions and advance energy equity. cse was awarded a block grant of up to $108 million to oversee the program in underserved communities in 20 counties in the central region of california.
Transportation: ev infrastructure programs: in 2024, this division earned $29,857,450 in revenue for cse and had expenses of $25,844,727 of which $23,828,139 was paid out to rebate applicants across all ev infrasturcture projects.
Contact & location
- Address
- 3980 Sherman St Ste 170, San Diego, CA, 92110
- City
- San Diego
- State
- California
- Category
- Environment
- Subcategory
- Natural Resources Conservation
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $144.5M (FY2014) to $335.6M (FY2024) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $38.4MNet assets $13.2M
Operating margin
0.0%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$51.6M
Total liabilities
$38.4M
Net assets
$13.2M
Salaries & benefits
$27.7M
8% of expenses
Board members
9
9 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $335,556,775▼33.3% | $335,521,592▼33.0% | $13,243,418▲0.3% | $51,631,278▼62.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $502,947,923▲83.4% | $500,921,594▲82.8% | $13,208,235▲18.1% | $137,050,141▲38.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $274,170,879▲11.3% | $273,998,146▲12.3% | $11,181,906▲0.9% | $98,654,953▼4.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $246,280,637▲12.2% | $244,016,516▲12.4% | $11,080,715▲25.7% | $103,384,001▲140% | 990 |
| 2020 | $219,508,719▼28.1% | $217,182,068▼28.3% | $8,816,594▲35.9% | $43,042,252▼50.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $305,300,571▲27.6% | $302,771,382▲27.0% | $6,489,943▲63.9% | $86,371,306▲34.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $239,231,273▲33.1% | $238,323,270▲33.1% | $3,960,754▲29.7% | $64,075,740▲358% | 990 |
| 2017 | $179,688,938▲6.6% | $179,019,779▲6.0% | $3,052,751▲28.1% | $13,982,025▼62.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $168,524,004▼2.1% | $168,896,259▼1.8% | $2,383,592▼13.5% | $37,593,138▲74.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $172,210,004▲19.2% | $172,041,689▲19.3% | $2,755,847▲6.5% | $21,570,897▼39.6% | 990 |
| 2014 | $144,506,153 | $144,161,530▲101% | $2,587,532▲16.6% | $35,689,687▲325% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $71,845,287▼3.0% | $2,219,626▲17.6% | $8,388,107▲13.2% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $74,067,489 | $1,888,073 | $7,412,887 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Lawrence E Goldenhersh — $566,761 (0.17% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence E Goldenhersh | President | 40 | $566,761 |
| Mark Patrick Federle | Senior Director | 40 | $348,002 |
| Charles Taylor | Senior Director | 40 | $268,977 |
| Andrea Letzring | Senior Director | 40 | $236,334 |
| John Gartner | Senior Director | 40 | $228,225 |
| Anthony Wills | Senior Director | 40 | $223,917 |
| Vlad Ulitovskyy | Dir. of Finance | 40 | $181,715 |
| Ben Gerber | Member | 1 | — |
| Bryan Garcia | Chairperson | 1 | — |
| Buck Endemann | Member | 1 | — |
| Erika Gupta | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Jeff Roberts | Member | 1 | — |
| Jimmy Jia | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Karen Wayland | Member | 1 | — |
| Olivia Mora | Member | 1 | — |
| Shaun Hazen | Treasurer | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 3970-3980 Sherman St | Office Rent | $768,913 |
| Veic | Consulting | $188,083 |
| Vitaliy Ulitovsky | Budget/recon Services | $177,950 |
Grants received · $216K total
6 grants to Center For Sustainable Energy totaling $216K, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The San Diego Foundation | For general support | 2021 | $35,000 |
| The San Diego Foundation | For general support | 2020 | $17,000 |
| The San Diego Foundation | Environment | 2017 | $40,000 |
| The San Diego Foundation | Environment | 2016 | $41,022 |
| The San Diego Foundation | Environment | 2016 | $41,022 |
| The San Diego Foundation | Environment | 2014 | $42,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Center For Sustainable Energy a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Center For Sustainable Energy is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 33-0936366, based in San Diego, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Center For Sustainable Energy's EIN?
- Center For Sustainable Energy's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 33-0936366.
- How much revenue does Center For Sustainable Energy report?
- Center For Sustainable Energy reported $335,556,775 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Center For Sustainable Energy's spending goes to programs?
- Center For Sustainable Energy spends about 93% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Center For Sustainable Energy have?
- CharityIndex grades Center For Sustainable Energy C, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Center For Sustainable Energy's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Center For Sustainable Energy's latest Form 990 is $566,761, paid to Lawrence E Goldenhersh (President).
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Data for Center For Sustainable Energy (EIN 33-0936366) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.