Financial Disclosures

Financial Documents and Disclosures

Citizens’ Climate Education (CCE) is supported by major donors who give $1,000 or more in a given year, regular donations of less than $1,000, and foundations. While the precise proportions vary, for the past three years support has come from approximately 50% major donors, 25% foundations, and 25% regular donations.

CCE’s 2019 budget of $4.7 million is slightly higher than its 2018 budget of $4.5 million. The budget covers staff, conference, and office expenses for an organization that grew from 51,000 registered supporters at the beginning of 2017 to 112,000 as of November 2018.

• Staff: CCE’s staff expenses support 37 regular staff members and 23 contract employees. Except for a low 14% of combined administrative and fundraising costs, this provides training and empowerment for the organization’s 112,000 supporters, including ongoing program work. The great majority of staff members work remotely, allowing us to minimize office expenses.
• Conferences: CCE is committed to enabling as many volunteers to attend its two annual conferences in Washington, D.C. as possible. It has, therefore, made the conscious decision to run these flagship events at a loss, keeping volunteer expenses to a minimum. In addition, CCE helps to subsidize 13 regional conferences across the United States, providing invaluable venues for local organizing.
• Offices: CCE maintains offices in Coronado, California, and in Washington, D.C. The former are quite minimal, while the latter have recently expanded to include a private conference space appropriate for meeting with allied NGOs and other organizations.

It is CCE’s policy to decline all donations from fossil fuel companies. Although CCE is legally permitted to engage in direct lobbying, all lobbying and related spending is the responsibility of its 501(c)(4) sister organization Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Major past and present foundation supporters include the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the David Rockefeller Fund, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and the Morton K. and Jane Blaustein Foundation.

CCE’s commitment to transparency is reflected by its Guidestar Gold status, and by the public accessibility of its form 990s. (Note: Recognition from Charity Navigator requires a longer record of full-form 990s than CCE, which filed using form 990EZ for its first several years, yet possesses; we will be able to apply for Charity Navigator review in 2019).

CCE overhead averages a low 14-16%. This includes all fundraising costs, which varied from 6-8% between 2014 and 2017.

The below documents contain financial information on CCE or you can review CCE’s state non-profit disclosures. More information on our foundation partners, can be found on our Sources of Support page.

2017 Documents

• Independent Audit
• Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax

2016 Documents

• Independent Audit
• Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax

2015 Documents

• Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax

2014 Documents

• Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax
• Compiled financial statements

2013 Documents

• Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax

Contact Us

Development Director Lynate Pettengill: lynatecitizensclimateorg  (lynatecitizensclimateorg)