Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Woodwell Climate Research Center

EIN 04-3005094 · Falmouth, MA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair55 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Woodwell Climate Research Center conducts science for solutions at the nexus of climate, people and nature. We partner with leaders and communities for just, meaningful impact to address the climate crisis.

Income
$24.3 million
Spending
$35.0 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
4.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 55%
Employees
162
Volunteers
174
Highest pay
$510,176, president & chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 6% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 44% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    22 of 22 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $19.1 million spent. Policy Relevant Research: Scientific excellence is the foundation for all of Woodwell Climate Research Center's activities, and distinguishes WCRC from other NGOs in the environmental sector. Through a holistic, multidisciplinary, applied, and team-focused approach, we seek to create breakthrough understanding of climate change impacts and solutions, for the purpose of informing sound environmental policies from the local to global scale. WCRC's research is focused on the land-climate connection - how changes in land use effect the climate system; how the changing climate is altering systems on land such as forests, ecosystems and agriculture; and what land-management strategies can harness the power of nature to slow climate change. Most of this research is conducted in the arctic and the tropics-critical regions where natural systems contain disproportionate shares of the planet's biodiversity and stored carbon, but where deforestation, agriculture, fire, and climatic warming place these assets at great risk.
  2. $5.2 million spent. Center Funded Science: This category of expenditures represents Woodwell Climate Research Center's commitment to stimulating innovation, investing in future science leaders and investing in our scientific staff by funding projects of our own choosing. Center funded science aims to supplement/extend existing projects, or seed-fund projects that have the potential to have outsized impact in science and policy or which have good potential for return on investment by enabling external funding.
  3. $2.4 million spent. Policy Engagement, Education & Communication: Woodwell Climate Research Center has a long and rich history of impacting climate policy processes at multiple levels, and sharing our scientific understanding of climate change with the world through cutting-edge communication and education programs. WCRC builds partnerships with local and national governments, non-governmental and private-sector organizations to implement and measure progress towards national commitments to the Paris agreement. To leave an educational legacy, WCRC offers hands-on experiential programs to train a new generation of climate science leaders. WCRC fosters immersive educational programs that encourage students to link field research with big-picture solutions in the challenging and fast-changing environments where we work.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 1991.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.