Green Building Initiative
Green Building Initiative reported $11.7 million in revenue and $9.4 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.20 went to program services, $19.42 to management and general costs and $2.38 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 91.7% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $573,714 (CEO). 16 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 137% between 2020 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.4MFor context, the median across 377 covered environment charities: $85.96 programs, $10.73 management, $3.31 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $12MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.2% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 19.4% | 10.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.4% | 3.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.59 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 3.2% | 87.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.1% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 91.7% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $573,714 | $290,146 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 6.12% | 1.73% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 16 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 17.6 | 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
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGBI offers two whole building certification programs that evaluate the sustainability, health & wellness, and resilience of commercial and multifamily residential buildings. Green Globes is available for projects in the US and Canada, whereas Ascent is available in the EU, UK, and elsewhere outside the US and Canada.Additionally, GBI's Journey to Net Zero assessment and certification program helps cut carbon and energy use in buildings by giving owners tools to evaluate performance, track progress, and make informed improvements.GBI also supports US government buildings in meeting federal…
Highest reported compensation
2025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $515,729 | $0 | $57,985 | $573,714 |
| COO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $248,260 | $0 | $29,370 | $277,630 |
| SVP, Programs & Ops Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $180,242 | $0 | $25,782 | $206,024 |
| VP, Engagement Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $185,720 | $0 | $19,431 | $205,151 |
| VP, Finance & Admin Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $154,614 | $0 | $22,591 | $177,205 |
| Past VP, Bldg & Program Innovation Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $136,129 | $0 | $12,044 | $148,173 |
| Sr. Dir, QA & Technical Content Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $130,315 | $0 | $10,069 | $140,384 |
16 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Green Building Initiative (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $851K (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
2025 · 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 534
- Volunteers Part I, line 672
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Green Building Initiative's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Green Building Initiative, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Green Building Initiative spent in 2025, $78.20 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Valley Clean Air NowSacramento, CA · revenue $12M · programs 94.9% · FY2025
- Greater Des Moines Botanical GardenDes Moines, IA · revenue $12M · programs 82.1% · FY2025
- GridLabBerkeley, CA · revenue $12M · programs 96.8% · 2025
- Oceantic NetworkBaltimore, MD · revenue $12M · programs 70.5% · 2024
- Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens SocietyBuffalo, NY · revenue $12M · programs 72.5% · 2025
Questions people ask
How much of Green Building Initiative's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Green Building Initiative reported that 78.2% of its $9.4 million in expenses went to program services, 19.4% to management and general and 2.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Green Building Initiative pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Green Building Initiative reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $573,714, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Green Building Initiative get its money?
Of $11.7 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 3.2% came from contributions and grants (including 0.1% from government grants) and 91.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Green Building Initiative a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 86-1119361 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 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202632379349301238 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202502529349301850 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202412709349300011 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202322159349301612 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202223069349302467 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020 (amended), object 202102469349301700 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 86-1119361: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.