Ecology Action of Santa Cruz
Ecology Action of Santa Cruz reported $22.5 million in revenue and $21.3 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $77.50 went to program services, $21.91 to management and general costs and $0.59 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 88.4% of the total. Government grants made up 83.6%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $369,678 (CEO & Exec Dir). 51 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 5% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $21MFor 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
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $22MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 77.5% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 21.9% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.6% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.01 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 88.4% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 83.6% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.2% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $369,678 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.73% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 51 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.0 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 11 | 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 expenseEnergy efficiency is one of the most impactful and cost-effective ways to protect the environment -- that's why we've been committed to it for over two decades. We make Energy Efficiency Actionable for businesses across the West by offering energy efficiency services including rebate/incentive management, technical assistance, engineering support, project management and financing options. In addition, through our subsidiary Taper, a C Corp subsidiary of Ecology Action, we are dedicated to reducing pollution at scale by making energy efficiency easy for large commercial businesses. As a…
Community Initiatives-Ecology Action builds a more sustainable and equitable future by promoting opportunities to make simple, everyday changes in how we live and work in our communities. Ecology Action powers programs that help advance resilience in communities by providing resources, hands-on tools, training, and perhaps most importantly - connection to others through the Resilient Central Coast program.Ecology Actions local active transportation programs have helped thousands of people make the switch to low-carbon transportation. Modo, our active transportation initiative, offers…
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 & Exec Dir Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $344,153 | $0 | $25,525 | $369,678 |
| VP Project Delivery Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $304,089 | $0 | $46,426 | $350,515 |
| Principal, Taper Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $332,452 | $0 | $7,141 | $339,593 |
| COO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $256,896 | $0 | $5,367 | $262,263 |
| VP Strategy Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $199,582 | $0 | $57,932 | $257,514 |
| VP Business Systems Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $236,788 | $0 | $17,403 | $254,191 |
| VP Customer Success Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $213,180 | $0 | $23,685 | $236,865 |
| VP Strategy Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,197 | $0 | $23,408 | $227,605 |
51 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Ecology Action of Santa Cruz (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.2M (Part IX, line 5).
7 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–1b11 · 11 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 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5146
- Volunteers Part I, line 6135
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Macano Tech LLC EV Charger Installation | $1,162,437 |
| California Clean Transportation LLC EV Charger Installation | $305,737 |
| Fused Learning LLC Consultant | $242,460 |
| Green Options Electric EV Charger Installation | $176,466 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
3 private foundations reported grants to Ecology Action of Santa Cruz totaling $145K 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 Ecology Action of Santa Cruz's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Ecology Action of Santa Cruz, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Ecology Action of Santa Cruz spent in 2025, $77.50 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Land Trust AllianceWashington, DC · revenue $22M · programs 85.6% · 2024
- Climate Policy InitiativeSan Francisco, CA · revenue $23M · programs 90.8% · 2024
- NaturebridgeSausalito, CA · revenue $22M · programs 82.8% · FY2025
- Guided DiscoveriesSan Clemente, CA · revenue $23M · programs 79.2% · FY2025
- The International Council on Clean TransportationWashington, DC · revenue $22M · programs 86.0% · 2024
Questions people ask
How much of Ecology Action of Santa Cruz's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Ecology Action of Santa Cruz reported that 77.5% of its $21.3 million in expenses went to program services, 21.9% to management and general and 0.6% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Ecology Action of Santa Cruz pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Ecology Action of Santa Cruz reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $369,678, for the role of CEO & Exec Dir (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Ecology Action of Santa Cruz get its money?
Of $22.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 88.4% came from contributions and grants (including 83.6% from government grants) and 1.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Ecology Action of Santa Cruz a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 94-2584236 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, 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 202602649349300325 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202502979349300530 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202422559349301472 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323119349304187 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202202979349302105 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202142959349300429 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202022659349300522 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 94-2584236: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.