The Energy Foundation
501(c)(3) Donations tax-deductible
92% goes to programs $2 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
The Energy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 1991, with $109,226,201 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 92% of spending to programs.
50 California St Ste 1500, San Francisco, CA, 94111 EIN 94-3126848 Since 1991
Revenue (FY2024)
$109.2M
▲ 29.3% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2024)
$82.9M
Net assets
$120.8M
Employees
6
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A+
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating92% to programs · $2 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 The Energy Foundation: 92% to programs · $2 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating17 mo reserves · +24% 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 The Energy Foundation: 17 mo reserves · +24% margin earns a A 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 The Energy Foundation: 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 The Energy Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To achieve greenhouse gas emissions neutrality, world-class air quality, and green growth.
What they do
In order to support its grant making in china, the energy foundation's expenditures in 2019 included the salary and benefits of 45 staff members, office rental, equipment charges and other expenses related to maintaining the foundation's beijing program office. the foundation administers the energy foundation china, which in 2019 advanced china's policy efforts in seven sectors: transportation, industry, low-carbon economic growth, environmental management, low carbon cities, clean power, and communications.
Contact & location
- Address
- 50 California St Ste 1500, San Francisco, CA, 94111
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Category
- —
- Subcategory
- —
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $122.1M (FY2015) to $109.2M (FY2024) across 10 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $20.8MNet assets $120.8M
Operating margin
24.1%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$141.6M
Total liabilities
$20.8M
Net assets
$120.8M
Salaries & benefits
$12.2M
15% of expenses
Board members
12
11 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $109,226,201▲29.3% | $82,890,976▲7.2% | $120,826,498▲33.0% | $141,600,498▲29.0% | 990 |
| 2023 | $84,464,278▲45.9% | $77,339,890▲11.3% | $90,866,870▲11.4% | $109,761,570▲7.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $57,878,896▼30.4% | $69,460,889▲23.7% | $81,593,492▼11.5% | $102,177,476▼5.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $83,158,939▲9.4% | $56,132,961▲39.0% | $92,223,389▲42.7% | $108,278,429▲43.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $75,984,945▼39.5% | $40,378,845▼67.1% | $64,646,259▼24.9% | $75,677,081▼25.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $125,609,558▼10.8% | $122,866,523▲0.7% | $86,127,419▲5.1% | $101,883,000▲7.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $140,750,168▲27.7% | $122,053,089▲6.9% | $81,940,531▲31.4% | $94,790,381▲25.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $110,191,051▼7.3% | $114,121,925▲0.4% | $62,382,242▼5.5% | $75,682,749▼1.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $118,850,769▼2.7% | $113,626,170▲3.1% | $66,030,602▲8.9% | $77,090,174▲10.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $122,095,860 | $110,174,440 | $60,645,158 | $69,727,023 | 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: Zou Ji — $504,832 (0.61% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zou Ji | Ceo | 40 | $504,832 |
| David Vance Wagner | Secretary | 40 | $306,611 |
| Fang Yuwei | Coo/treasurer | 40 | $296,129 |
| Jean Ku | Director, Strategic Partnership | 40 | $238,742 |
| Piotr Kodzis | Finance Director | 40 | $229,155 |
| Danielle Fuller-wimbush | Director of Grants Management | 40 | $196,619 |
| Yunshu Ji | Grants Manager | 40 | $161,456 |
| Yun Cai | Program Manager | 40 | $138,570 |
| Kebin He | Board Member (thru 11/28/24) | 3 | $6,262 |
| Bernice Lee | Board Member | 3 | $6,000 |
| David Nieh | Board Member | 3 | $6,000 |
| Hongjun Zhang | Board Chair | 3 | $6,000 |
| Mary Nichols | Board Member | 3 | $6,000 |
| Walter Reid | Board Member | 3 | $6,000 |
| Stephen Harper | Board Member | 3 | $5,250 |
| Kelly Sims Gallagher | Board Member | 3 | $4,500 |
| Hongpeng Lei | Board Member | 3 | — |
| Jonathan Pershing | Board Member | 3 | — |
| Jorgen Thomsen | Board Member | 3 | — |
| Shenyu Belsky | Board Member | 3 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Lewis & Buckius LLP | Legal Services | $856,290 |
| Tian Lian Hu Tong Communication Co Ltd | Conferences Support Services | $295,054 |
| Beijing Zhongxin Guoyan Culture Communic | Sustainable Energy Forums | $275,267 |
| Caplin & Drysdale Attorneys | Legal Services | $189,266 |
| Great Wall Securities Co Ltd | Ltd For Pv Project | $181,621 |
Grants received · $300.9M total
70 grants to The Energy Foundation totaling $300.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate Imperative Foundation | Environmental protection | 2024 | $29,750,000 |
| Climateworks Foundation | To expand access to sustainable cooling and reduce greenhouse gas emissions ($750,000); to protect the climate, reduce pollution, and strengthen economies ($1,670,000); sustainable maritime shipping ($1,300,000); the global transition to clean transportation ($8,839,098); for climate-related research and analysis ($200,000) | 2024 | $12,759,098 |
| Windward Fund | Environmental programs | 2024 | $3,423,333 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $30,000,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation | To support analysis and education about clean and healthy transportation policies | 2023 | $27,000,000 |
| Climateworks Foundation | Project support, program support | 2023 | $9,533,968 |
| Tides Foundation | Sustainable environment | 2023 | $100,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Environmental and animals | 2023 | $30,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation | To support analysis and education about clean and healthy cities, a safe climate future and clean and healthy transportation policies | 2022 | $18,500,000 |
| Windward Fund | Environmental programs | 2022 | $2,350,000 |
| Aspen Global Change Institute Inc | Crux project | 2022 | $300,000 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Environment, animals | 2022 | $250,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation | Decarbonizing chinas transportation sector zero-emissions road transport in china | 2021 | $23,327,000 |
| Climate Imperative Foundation | Decarbonizing chinas transportation sector zero-emissions road transport in china | 2021 | $23,327,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2021 | $13,226,500 |
Grants made · $3.2M in FY2024
14 grants totaling $3.2M in FY2024. All grants made by The Energy Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| International Council On Clean Transportation | To support low-carbon alternative transportation | $550,000 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | To support engagement on carbon neutrality and climate change, to reduce emissions and address climate change, to support low-carbon alternative transportation | $492,477 |
| Institute For Transportation and Development Policy | To support low-carbon alternative transportation | $360,000 |
| Regents of the University of California At Berkeley | To reduce emissions and control air pollution | $300,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | To reduce emissions and address climate change | $300,000 |
| State Legislative Leaders | To support engagement on carbon neutrality and climate change | $233,750 |
| Rocky Mountain Institute | To support low-carbon alternative transportation | $220,000 |
| Bay Area Council Foundation | To support engagement on carbon neutrality and climate change | $190,620 |
| Innovation Center For Energy and Sustainability | To support high-quality climate solutions | $185,000 |
| Jackson Hole Center For Global Affairs Inc | To support green energy transition | $175,000 |
| Institute For Sustainable Communities | To support green energy transition | $120,000 |
| Regents of the University of California At San Diego | To support engagement on carbon neutrality and climate change | $50,000 |
| Regents of the University of California | To enhance air quality | $28,750 |
| Villanova University | To reduce emissions and address climate change | $20,000 |
Frequently asked questions
- Is The Energy Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. The Energy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-3126848, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is The Energy Foundation's EIN?
- The Energy Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-3126848.
- How much revenue does The Energy Foundation report?
- The Energy Foundation reported $109,226,201 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of The Energy Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- The Energy Foundation spends about 92% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does The Energy Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades The Energy Foundation A+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does The Energy Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on The Energy Foundation's latest Form 990 is $504,832, paid to Zou Ji (Ceo).
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Data for The Energy Foundation (EIN 94-3126848) 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.