Sierra Institute for Community & Environment
Sierra Institute for Community & Environment reported $13.3 million in revenue and $9.8 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $100.00 went to program services, $0.00 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.8% of the total. Government grants made up 56.7%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $161,579 (Executive Direc). 1 person received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 416% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.8MFor context, the median across 192 covered science & technology charities: $84.33 programs, $15.67 management, $0.00 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $13MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 102.5% | 83.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | -2.5% | 15.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.8% | 51.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 56.7% | 3.2% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.2% | 19.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $161,579 | $513,729 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.64% | 1.72% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 1 | 27 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.0 | 14.7 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 7 of 8 | 94.3% |
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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseCommunity based Natural Resource Management: The Sierra Institute's Community-based Natural Resource Management program includes on-the-ground resource management, applied research, and capacity-building work to promote resilient forest ecosystems that benefit rural communities. Current projects include: facilitation of several forest collaboratives; coordination of a statewide, peer-learning network of forest collaboratives; and, partnering to complete planning and implementation of forest and meadow restoration projects with multiple National Forests and Lassen Volcanic National Park
Rural Community Development: Rural Community Development focused on planning and rebuilding rural economies throughout rural forested California. We have launched a workforce training program to train workers for a new forest worker economy. This includes training a tribal workforce to advance cultural burning on forest land and ancestral tribal land recovery. We also are managing dought funding from the California Department of Water Resources for communities and collaborative groups throughout the Sierra and Northern Sacramento regions.In Addition we host a 'pathways to the profession'…
Wood Utilization :SI is developing a wood utilization campus to show how burned wood and small wood harvested as a part of forest restoration projects can be turned into high value products that will support additional forest restoration. Goals include advancing forest restoration work; creating community scale projects that put people back to work; and share lessons learned and project development with other rural communities. Latest work includes construction of a sawmill to mill burned timber and turn it into lumber for rebuilding. Through this program we are helping residents get back…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Direc Officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $161,579 | $0 | $0 | $161,579 |
1 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Sierra Institute for Community & Environment (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $162K (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
2024 · 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–1b8 · 7 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
- Document retention policy Part VI 14No
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 596
- Volunteers Part I, line 610
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Sierra Institute for Community & Environment totaling $16 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 Sierra Institute for Community & Environment's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Sierra Institute for Community & Environment, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Sierra Institute for Community & Environment spent in 2024, $100.00 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Tmt International Observatory LlcPasadena, CA · revenue $13M · programs 76.7% · 2024
- Catalyst ConnectionPittsburgh, PA · revenue $13M · programs 91.4% · FY2025
- Center for Environmental Health Monitoring and ManagementCarlsbad, NM · revenue $13M · programs 75.2% · FY2025
- Model Evaluation and Threat ResearchCovina, CA · revenue $14M · programs 84.1% · FY2024 (8 mo.)
- ONE Nation InnovationColumbia, SC · revenue $13M · programs 98.0% · 2024
All science & technology charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Sierra Institute for Community & Environment's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Sierra Institute for Community & Environment reported that 102.5% of its $9.8 million in expenses went to program services, -2.5% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Sierra Institute for Community & Environment pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Sierra Institute for Community & Environment reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $161,579, for the role of Executive Direc (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Sierra Institute for Community & Environment get its money?
Of $13.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 99.8% came from contributions and grants (including 56.7% from government grants) and 0.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Sierra Institute for Community & Environment a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 91-1818166 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202523149349303547 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413199349317531 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323179349311002 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202233189349315103 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123179349302162 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202023189349309262 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 91-1818166: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.