Environment charities, by the numbers.
6,850 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $20.0B between them.
- 6,850
- charities filing a full Form 990, 2,336 spending $1M+
- $20.0B
- spent in their latest year, with $16.8B coming in as gifts and grants
- 19%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
What “environment” covers.
The biggest slice is conservation of natural resources, at 49% of all spending in the cause. Spending outside these groups is in charities the IRS coded more generally.
Spending in each charity's latest e-filed Form 990 (Part I, line 18), grouped by the NTEE code in the IRS master file.
The biggest 398 environment charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Venture FundOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $723.0M | 95% | 0¢ | 9 mo | $386K |
| 2 | Ducks UnlimitedOur file Memphis, TN · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $386.7M | 86% | 14¢ | 12 mo | $689K |
| 3 | World Wildlife FundOur file Washington, DC · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $367.0M | 79% 73% CPA view | 13¢ 19¢ CPA view | 21 mo | $1.25M |
| 4 | Climate Imperative FoundationOur file San Francisco, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $356.9M | 72% | 0¢ | 3 mo | – |
| 5 | Environmental Defense FundOur file New York, NY · Environmental education · FY 2025 | $356.8M | 88% | 6¢ | 13 mo | $1.17M |
| 6 | Center for Sustainable Energy San Diego, CA · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2024 | $335.5M | 93% | – | 1 mo | $567K |
| 7 | The Conservation Fund a NonprofitOur file Arlington, VA · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $319.7M | 95% | 6¢ | 18 mo | $922K |
| 8 | Conservation International FoundationOur file Arlington, VA · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $316.7M | 87% | 8¢ | 16 mo | $1.15M |
| 9 | Energy Trust of Oregon Portland, OR · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2024 | $288.9M | 95% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $283K |
| 10 | The Trust for Public LandOur file San Francisco, CA · Beautification · FY 2025 | $282.5M | 85% | 8¢ | 11 mo | $525K |
| 11 | Windward FundOur file Washington, DC · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2024 | $251.3M | 95% | 0¢ | 15 mo | $259K |
| 12 | Natural Resources Defense CouncilOur file New York, NY · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $212.0M | 76% 74% CPA view | 12¢ 14¢ CPA view | 31 mo | $705K |
| 13 | National Audubon SocietyOur file New York, NY · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $199.5M | 80% 75% CPA view | 18¢ 23¢ CPA view | 36 mo | $1.00M |
| 14 | EarthjusticeOur file San Francisco, CA · Other · FY 2025 | $167.5M | 81% | 10¢ | 19 mo | $572K |
| 15 | Great Hearts America-TexasOur file San Antonio, TX · Pollution abatement · FY 2025 | $150.9M | 95% | 1¢ | 3 mo | $153K |
| 16 | Vermont Energy Investment Winooski, VT · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2024 | $131.1M | 95% | 0¢ | 3 mo | $373K |
| 17 | Marshall Area Economic Development Marshall, MI · Other · FY 2025 | $107.5M | 100% | 0¢ | 34 mo | – |
| 18 | New York Botanical Garden Bronx, NY · Botanical gardens · FY 2025 | $105.1M | 79% | 10¢ | 75 mo | $839K |
| 19 | National Arbor Day FoundationOur file Lincoln, NE · Beautification · FY 2025 | $104.5M | 68% 64% CPA view | 24¢ 30¢ CPA view | 13 mo | $485K |
| 20 | Resources Legacy Fund Sacramento, CA · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2024 | $99.5M | 92% | 1¢ | 17 mo | – |
| 21 | The Urban Land Institute Washington, DC · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $94.6M | 78% | 17¢ | 8 mo | $513K |
| 22 | Nokuse Education Freeport, FL · Conservation of natural resources · FY 2025 | $87.9M | 99% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $44K |
| 23 | Paintcare Washington, DC · Pollution abatement · FY 2025 | $86.0M | 89% | – | 10 mo | $969K |
| 24 | Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (see)Our file Calabasas, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $82.0M | 91% | 4¢ | 14 mo | $319K |
| 25 | Multiplier San Francisco, CA · Environmental education · FY 2024 | $78.4M | 93% | 1¢ | 9 mo | $274K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for environment.
Medians across 2,336 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 82%
- median program share, as reported
- 4¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 13 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 1,743 | $130K | 81% |
| $5–25M | 476 | $218K | 84% |
| $25–100M | 97 | $339K | 83% |
| $100M+ | 20 | $631K | 88% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of environment charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every environment charity we cover.
- Climate Imperative Foundation
- Conservation International Foundation
- Ducks Unlimited
- Earthjustice
- Environmental Defense Fund
- Great Hearts America-Texas
- National Arbor Day Foundation
- National Audubon Society
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- New Venture Fund
- Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (see)
- The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
- The Trust for Public Land
- Windward Fund
- World Wildlife Fund
Questions about environment charities.
What is the largest environment charity?
By spending, New Venture Fund (DC), at $723.0M in its fiscal year ending 2024, per its Form 990.
How much do environment charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a environment charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $130K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $631K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to environment charities goes to programs?
The median environment charity spending $1M or more reported 82% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many environment charities are there?
6,850 environment organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 2,336 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Environment charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/environment/