Climate Imperative Foundation
72% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Growing revenue
Climate Imperative Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 2021, with $271,730,022 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C+, and it directs about 72% of spending to programs.
98 Battery St Ste 202, San Francisco, CA, 94111 EIN 84-5024713 Since 2021
Revenue (FY2024)
$271.7M
▲ 31.5% vs prior year
Environment median: $250K
Expenses (FY2024)
$356.9M
Net assets
$91.3M
Employees
0
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C+
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →AProgram efficiency40% of the rating72% to programs · $0 to raise $100
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 Climate Imperative Foundation: 72% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
DFinancial health25% of the rating3 mo reserves · -31% 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 Climate Imperative Foundation: 3 mo reserves · -31% margin earns a D 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 Climate Imperative Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 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 Climate Imperative Foundation: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Show this grade on your website
A live seal — it updates automatically when the grade changes and links donors to this verified profile.
Mission
To cut global carbon emissions at speed and scale to secure a better future for all.
Contact & location
- Address
- 98 Battery St Ste 202, San Francisco, CA, 94111
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Category
- Environment
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $82.8M (FY2020) to $271.7M (FY2024) across 5 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $18.2MNet assets $91.3M
Operating margin
-31.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$109.6M
Total liabilities
$18.2M
Net assets
$91.3M
Salaries & benefits
$0
0% of expenses
Board members
5
5 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $271,730,022▲31.5% | $356,885,102▲31.7% | $91,334,485▼48.1% | $109,552,703▼41.9% | 990 |
| 2023 | $206,658,028▼28.6% | $271,024,025▲53.4% | $175,876,248▼26.7% | $188,704,736▼24.7% | 990 |
| 2022 | $289,464,924▲30.7% | $176,696,000▲61.0% | $239,847,776▲88.7% | $250,639,955▲92.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $221,533,652▲168% | $109,719,308▲62.6% | $127,078,852▲732% | $130,219,187▲543% | 990 |
| 2020 | $82,761,821 | $67,496,579 | $15,265,242 | $20,254,293 | 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)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anita Bekenstein | Director | 1 | — |
| Christina Fernandes | Secretary/treasurer | 14 | — |
| George Pavlov | Director | 1 | — |
| Greg Nelson | Director | 1 | — |
| Hal Harvey | President (thru 12/24) | 32 | — |
| John Doerr | Chair | 1 | — |
| Sanjeev Krishnan | Director | 1 | — |
| Sonia Aggarwal | Vice President | 23 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Innovation Policy & Technology Ll | Management and Research Services | $23,262,588 |
| Holland & Knight | Policy Research | $4,500,000 |
| Arc Initiatives | Communications Services | $861,429 |
| K&l Gates | Legal Services | $659,311 |
| Adler & Colvin A Law Corporation | Legal Services | $231,803 |
Grants received · $457.6M total
12 grants to Climate Imperative Foundation totaling $457.6M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Tr | Culture & arts | 2023 | $104,600,000 |
| Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston Inc | Daf - environment | 2023 | $62,500,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $40,000,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | 2023 | $20,000,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | To support climate imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale | 2022 | $20,000,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $20,000,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $20,000,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | To support climate imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale | 2021 | $20,000,000 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | To support climate imperative's work to cut emissions at speed and scale | 2021 | $20,000,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Environment | 2021 | $20,000,000 |
| Breakthrough Energy Foundation | Industrial decarbonization | 2021 | $10,000,000 |
| Aspen Global Change Institute Inc | Climate imperative project | 2020 | $100,508,699 |
Grants made · $161.5M in FY2024
96 grants totaling $161.5M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Climate Imperative Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Energy Foundation | Environmental protection | $29,750,000 |
| Sierra Club Foundation | Environmental protection | $23,050,000 |
| United States Energy Foundation | Environmental protection | $15,167,150 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Inc | Environmental protection | $7,875,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Institute | Environmental protection | $7,640,000 |
| Tides Foundation | Environmental protection | $4,146,268 |
| Rockefeller Family Fund Inc | Environmental protection | $3,475,000 |
| Building Decarbonization Coalition | Environmental protection | $3,350,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated | Environmental protection | $3,175,000 |
| Energy and Climate Transitions Ai LLC | Environmental protection | $3,127,932 |
| Partnership Project Inc | Environmental protection | $3,000,000 |
| Vote Solar | Environmental protection | $3,000,000 |
| Earthjustice | Environmental protection | $2,680,000 |
| Evergreen Collaborative | Environmental protection | $2,400,000 |
| Climate Strategies Lab (industrious Labs) | Environmental protection | $2,356,750 |
Similar organizations in Environment
Environment
Trust For Public Land
San Francisco, CA
$237.3M
Aannual revenue
Environment
Center For Sustainable Energy
San Diego, CA
$335.6M
Cannual revenue
Environment
Earthjustice
San Francisco, CA
$139.6M
Aannual revenue
Environment
Sierra Club Foundation
Oakland, CA
$108.2M
Cannual revenue
Environment
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc
Calabasas, CA
$94.6M
A+annual revenue
Environment
Resources Legacy Fund
Sacramento, CA
$79.6M
C+annual revenue
Environment
Save the Redwoods League
San Francisco, CA
$68.1M
Aannual revenue
Environment
Wildlands Conservancy
Yucaipa, CA
$66.0M
Aannual revenue
Environment
Multiplier
San Francisco, CA
$65.8M
B+annual revenue
- Environment
River Partners
Chico, CA
$56.9M
Bannual revenue
Compare Climate Imperative Foundation
Frequently asked questions
- Is Climate Imperative Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Climate Imperative Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 84-5024713, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Climate Imperative Foundation's EIN?
- Climate Imperative Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 84-5024713.
- How much revenue does Climate Imperative Foundation report?
- Climate Imperative Foundation reported $271,730,022 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Climate Imperative Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- Climate Imperative Foundation spends about 72% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Climate Imperative Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades Climate Imperative Foundation C+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Climate Imperative Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Climate Imperative Foundation's latest Form 990 is $0, paid to Anita Bekenstein (Director).
More nonprofits in San Francisco
Explore more
Data for Climate Imperative Foundation (EIN 84-5024713) 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.