Spark Climate Solutions
Spark Climate Solutions reported $12.4 million in revenue and $6.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $81.28 went to program services, $14.50 to management and general costs and $4.22 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $399,953 (Chief Scientist). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 6% between 2022 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $6.5MFor 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) | 81.3% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 14.5% | 10.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.2% | 3.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.02 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.0% | 87.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $399,953 | $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 | 12 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 35.0 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 2 of 4 | 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 expenseLivestock Enteric Methane MitigationSpark worked to advance research, policy, and market pathways in 2025 to reduce enteric methane emissions from livestock, which account for approximately 6% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. We co-convened the State of the Science Summit on Reducing Methane from Animal Agriculture, bringing together researchers, producers, policymakers, and solution developers to align priorities and surface key gaps. Spark also supported the Global Enteric Methane Impact Alliance (GEMIA) to strengthen coordination across the supply chain and led the development of…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Scientist Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $399,953 | $0 | $0 | $399,953 |
| Secretary Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $268,513 | $0 | $0 | $268,513 |
| Program Director, Livestock Enteric Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $181,369 | $0 | $0 | $181,369 |
| Deputy Director, Warming-Induced Em Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $161,450 | $0 | $0 | $161,450 |
| Deputy Director, Methane Removal Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $154,524 | $0 | $0 | $154,524 |
| Chief of Staff Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $154,309 | $0 | $0 | $154,309 |
| Project Manager Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $143,792 | $0 | $0 | $143,792 |
| Deputy Dir. Policy Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $142,692 | $0 | $0 | $142,692 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Spark Climate Solutions (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).
4 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–1b4 · 2 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 525
- Volunteers Part I, line 61
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Invariant LLC Public Affairs & Lobbying | $344,884 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 1 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to Spark Climate Solutions totaling $2.0M 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 Spark Climate Solutions's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Spark Climate Solutions, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Spark Climate Solutions spent in 2025, $81.28 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Spark Climate Solutions's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Spark Climate Solutions reported that 81.3% of its $6.5 million in expenses went to program services, 14.5% to management and general and 4.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Spark Climate Solutions pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Spark Climate Solutions reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $399,953, for the role of Chief Scientist (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Spark Climate Solutions get its money?
Of $12.4 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 97.0% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Spark Climate Solutions a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 87-4299990 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 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 202612129349301416 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202523149349305352 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202422509349301032 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202342779349301424 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 87-4299990: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.