Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth reported $20.4 million in revenue and $18.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $83.59 went to program services, $6.30 to management and general costs and $10.11 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.8% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $250,359 (PRESIDENT). 24 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 71% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $18MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $20MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 83.6% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.3% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 10.1% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.09 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 95.8% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.5% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $250,359 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.37% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 24 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 12.8 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 15 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseOutreach and membership program - the outreach program educates members and activists as well as the greater public about significant threats to the environment, and encourages them to participate with friends of the earth to achieve positive outcomes including protecting pollinators from toxic pesticides, protecting public lands from pollution, and preventing industrial projects that would harm communities and ecosystems. This is done through online action alerts, online advertising, mailings, print newsletters (to members), as well as social media sites like facebook. Foe also seeks…
Food and technology program - the food and technology team conducts market campaigns, scientific research and policy advocacy to promote a more just and sustainable food system. In the past year, the team campaigned to convince garden stores and grocers to stock more bee-friendly and organic products and advocated for public policies to phase-out bee-killing pesticides. It also helped institutions such as schools to adopt more climate-friendly purchasing policies, encouraged financial institutions to divest from factory farms, and advocated for better regulation of products made from…
Economic policy program - the economic policy team aims to create a more environmentally sustainable and socially just world by transforming financial and economic systems. Activities include efforts to end subsidies for polluting industries and encourage investments in clean alternatives. During the last year, it worked to alter lending practices at large financial institutions that fund fossil fuels and harm communities and biodiversity in the US and abroad. It encouraged institutional investors to adopt policies to defund deforestation, particularly related to palm oil production
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Officer, 30.94 hrs/week | $230,400 | $0 | $19,959 | $250,359 |
| VP OF MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOP Highest compensated employee, 34.50 hrs/week | $175,780 | $0 | $14,261 | $190,041 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 31.88 hrs/week | $166,203 | $0 | $14,719 | $180,922 |
| DIRECTOR, FINANCE Highest compensated employee, 35.63 hrs/week | $142,363 | $0 | $13,611 | $155,974 |
| DIRECTOR, PHILANTHROPY Highest compensated employee, 35.81 hrs/week | $135,584 | $0 | $8,135 | $143,719 |
| DIRECTOR, FOOD & AGRICULTURE PROGRAM Highest compensated employee, 27.84 hrs/week | $109,488 | $0 | $17,111 | $126,599 |
| DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP & ADVOCACY Highest compensated employee, 28.88 hrs/week | $111,194 | $0 | $5,973 | $117,167 |
24 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Friends of the Earth (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $428K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b15 · 15 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5101
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,000
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| DIGITAL DOG DIRECT Printing and mailing | $458,501 |
| NTIVA INC Outsourced it services | $293,606 |
| ROEMER CONSULTING GROUP Hr consulting | $232,983 |
| CROMETRICS Website testing and enginering | $169,750 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 10 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
99 private foundations reported grants to Friends of the Earth totaling $2.4M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Friends of the Earth's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Friends of the Earth, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Friends of the Earth spent in FY2025, $83.59 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- American Forest FoundationWashington, DC · revenue $20M · programs 84.3% · 2024
- Sutter Buttes Regional Land TrustYuba City, CA · revenue $20M · programs 36.1% · 2024
- Galveston Bay FoundationKemah, TX · revenue $20M · programs 85.5% · 2024
- Naples Botanical GardenNaples, FL · revenue $20M · programs 77.7% · FY2025
- The Energy CoalitionIrvine, CA · revenue $20M · programs 86.3% · 2024
All environment charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of Friends of the Earth's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Friends of the Earth reported that 83.6% of its $18.3 million in expenses went to program services, 6.3% to management and general and 10.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Friends of the Earth pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Friends of the Earth reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $250,359, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Friends of the Earth get its money?
Of $20.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 95.8% came from contributions and grants (including 1.5% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Friends of the Earth a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7420660 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202641329349300239 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501359349304885 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431369349312063 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331359349315548 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021 (amended), object 202201719349300630 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202121379349310507 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7420660: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.