Sierra Club Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $97.6 million (2023)
Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only)
Decision Time: N/A (no public application process)
Grant Range: $100,000 - $940,000+ (to nonprofit partners)
Geographic Focus: National (with local, regional, and some international components)
EIN: 94-6069890

Contact Details

Address: 2101 Webster Street, Suite 1350, Oakland, CA 94612

Phone: (415) 995-1780

Website: www.sierraclubfoundation.org

Overview

The Sierra Club Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded as the fiscal sponsor of the charitable programs of the Sierra Club. With $245 million in assets (2020), the Foundation distributed $97.6 million in grants in 2023, making it one of the largest environmental grantmakers in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to promote climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. While the Sierra Club is the principal recipient of grants, the Foundation also awards significant funding to nonprofit partners working on environmental justice, climate change, and fossil fuel transition. The Foundation has earned a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a score of 97%. In recent years, the Foundation has intensified its focus on centering racial justice and building movement infrastructure while transitioning from an exploitative fossil fuel economy to a regenerative society built on sustainability and interdependence.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Movement Forward Fund (Invitation Only)

Grant amounts: Typically $100,000 - $940,000
Purpose: Supports partner organizations whose work advances shared program goals, prioritizing grants that center racial justice and build movement infrastructure
Recent recipients include Oil & Water Don't Mix (fighting fossil fuel pipelines) and Sustainable Markets Foundation (solar and battery pilot projects)
By invitation only - no public application process

Sierra Club Charitable Programs (Primary Beneficiary)

Annual grants: $94+ million to Sierra Club programs
Supports scientific, educational, literary, organizing, advocacy, and legal programs
Major campaigns include Beyond Coal ($29.7 million in 2020), clean transportation, and wildlife protection

2022 Nonprofit Partners included:

Partnership Project: $350,000
Population Media Center: $939,274
Right to the City Alliance: $175,000
GreenLatinos: $100,000
Green Diversity Initiative: $100,000
Citizen Action of Wisconsin Education Fund: $100,000
Nonprofit Legal Services of Utah: $100,000

Priority Areas

Climate Change and Clean Energy Transition

Stopping expansion of oil and gas industry
Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources
Electrifying the grid and transportation systems
Advancing clean school buses, electrified public transit, bike-sharing programs

Environmental Justice

Ending unjust air and water pollution in communities of color
Universal affordable access to clean energy for frontline communities
Increased investments in climate solutions that prioritize Black, Indigenous, and people of color perspectives
Advancing Indigenous sovereignty through principled partnerships in lands and pipelines work

Fossil Fuel Resistance

Curbing expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure
Fighting pipeline projects (e.g., Enbridge Line 5, Dakota Access Pipeline)
Slowing global fossil fuel power development
Building international anti-coal movement capacity

Nature Access and Wildlife Protection

Prioritizing nearby nature for communities without access to parks
Ecosystem protection and restoration
Tribal buffalo restoration initiatives
Biodiversity conservation

Movement Building and Advocacy

Community-based and online organizing
National media and communications
Law program and policy advocacy
Regulatory, economic, and social pressure campaigns
Shifting public and private capital from fossil fuel economy to renewable energy economy

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation does not disclose specific exclusions, but based on their mission, they would not fund:

Projects that support fossil fuel extraction or infrastructure
Activities inconsistent with environmental protection
Organizations without alignment to environmental justice principles
Projects outside their strategic framework of climate, conservation, and environmental justice

Governance and Leadership

Board Structure: Independent volunteer board of directors supported by professional staff

Corporate Officers (as of August 2023):

Robin Mann, Chair - Grassroots environmental activist; former Sierra Club Board President (served 2006-2019)
Joel Sanders, Vice Chair - Retired partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP; Lecturer, University of California at Berkeley School of Law
Jessica Sarowitz, Officer
Rebekah Saul Butler, Officer

Notable Board Members: Lynn Jurich, Mike Richter, and Darren Aronofsky have served on the board

Staff: The Chief Advancement Officer leads a team of 30+ professionals responsible for raising $65+ million annually

Discretionary Authority: By law, the Sierra Club Foundation retains control and discretion/variance power over all charitable funds received, including how they are disbursed within the purposes for which they were contributed and the unilateral right to select recipients it believes will best accomplish those purposes.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Sierra Club Foundation does not have a public application process. Grants to non-Sierra Club organizations are initiated by the Foundation only and cannot be solicited through direct application.

The Foundation operates an invitation-only grantmaking model, meaning they proactively identify and invite organizations to receive grants through their Movement Forward Fund rather than accepting unsolicited proposals. Organizations cannot apply for grants; instead, the Foundation's staff and board identify potential partners whose work aligns with their strategic priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

The Sierra Club Foundation identifies grantees through existing partnerships and collaborative relationships with the Sierra Club's programmatic work. Organizations that become grant recipients are typically:

Existing Sierra Club Partners: Organizations already working in coalition with Sierra Club Chapters and Groups at local, state, and regional levels on shared environmental campaigns
Frontline Community Leaders: Groups led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities on environmental justice issues
Strategic Campaign Allies: Organizations participating in concentrated campaigns applying regulatory, economic, and social pressure on specific environmental issues
Indigenous-Led Initiatives: Tribal organizations and Indigenous-led groups working on land sovereignty, pipeline resistance, and ecosystem restoration

The Foundation's grantmaking is strategic and aligned with the Sierra Club's 2030 Strategic Framework, focusing on organizations that can advance shared program goals around climate justice, fossil fuel resistance, and equitable clean energy transition.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are by invitation only, not through a competitive application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since the Sierra Club Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, organizations cannot apply for grants. However, understanding what the Foundation funds can help organizations position themselves as potential partners:

Strategic Alignment with 2030 Framework The Foundation's grantmaking follows the Sierra Club's 2030 Strategic Framework, which aims to transform social systems from an exploitative economy built on fossil fuels to a regenerative society built on sustainability, ecosystem protection, democracy, and interdependence. Organizations whose work advances this transformation are prioritized.

Centering Racial Justice The Movement Forward Fund explicitly prioritizes "program grants that center racial justice and build movement infrastructure." Recent grants demonstrate this commitment, such as the $175,000 grant to Right to the City Alliance and $100,000 to GreenLatinos, both organizations centering communities of color in environmental work.

Frontline Community Leadership The Foundation emphasizes "building long-term power with frontline communities" and prioritizes "Black, Indigenous and people of color perspectives on equitable climate investments." Organizations with authentic frontline community leadership rather than traditional environmental organizations appear favored.

Campaign-Oriented Work The Foundation supports organizations engaged in specific campaigns with clear goals, such as Oil & Water Don't Mix fighting the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline or organizations working on clean transportation infrastructure. Single-issue advocacy campaigns with measurable outcomes align with their approach.

Movement Building Capacity Beyond single projects, the Foundation invests in "movement infrastructure" - organizational capacity that strengthens the broader environmental justice movement. Grants support not just programs but also organizations' ability to organize, advocate, and build coalitions.

Integration with Sierra Club Programs Many grantees work in partnership with Sierra Club Chapters and Groups, suggesting that organizations already collaborating with Sierra Club on local or regional campaigns are more likely to be invited for Foundation grants.

Fossil Fuel Resistance and Clean Energy Transition Recent grants demonstrate clear priority for organizations fighting fossil fuel expansion (pipelines, coal plants) and advancing clean energy alternatives, particularly in frontline communities. The Foundation supported research for solar and battery pilot projects in Texas and organizations fighting pipeline projects across North America.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This funder operates exclusively through invitation-only grants; unsolicited applications are not accepted
Sierra Club Partnership Pathway: Organizations already working in coalition with Sierra Club Chapters or Groups on environmental campaigns are most likely to be identified for grants
Substantial Grant Amounts: When the Foundation does make grants to nonprofit partners, they are significant - typically $100,000 to $940,000, allowing for meaningful program implementation
Racial Justice Centerpiece: The Movement Forward Fund explicitly prioritizes grants that "center racial justice and build movement infrastructure" - this is not peripheral but core to their grantmaking
Strategic Campaign Focus: The Foundation supports organizations engaged in specific, strategic campaigns (pipeline resistance, clean energy transition, environmental justice) rather than general environmental work
Frontline Community Priority: Organizations led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities fighting environmental injustice are prioritized over traditional conservation organizations
Long-Term Investment Approach: The Foundation describes "building long-term power with frontline communities," suggesting they seek sustained partnerships rather than one-off project grants
Movement Infrastructure Building: Beyond funding specific projects, the Foundation invests in organizational capacity that strengthens the broader environmental justice movement - consider how your work builds movement power

References

Accessed: December 2025