Conservation Law Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION, INC. (CLF) PROTECTS NEW ENGLAND'S ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL PEOPLE AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE USE THE LAW, SCIENCE, AND MARKETS TO CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT PRESERVE AND RESTORE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, BUILD HEALTHY AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES, AND SUSTAIN A VIBRANT ECONOMY.
- Income
- $24.2 million
- Spending
- $28.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 3.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 88%
- Employees
- 177
- Volunteers
- 145
- Highest pay
- $426,463, president (ex officio)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 42% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 (4)
- $4.5 million spent. CLEAN ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE: CLF IS TACKLING THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND PUSHING CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS AT THE STATE AND REGIONAL LEVELS. WE MUST COLLECTIVELY CUT CLIMATE-DAMAGING EMISSIONS TO NET-ZERO BY 2050 AND TRANSITION OUR ECONOMY TO ONE RUN ON CLEAN-RENEWABLE ENERGY - WHILE ENSURING THAT NO NEW ENGLANDER IS LEFT BEHIND. TODAY, CLF IS FIGHTING FOR LAWS THAT WILL END OUR REGION'S ADDICTION TO FOSSIL FUELS FOR GOOD; PUSHING FOR ECONOMY-WIDE CHANGE THROUGH POLICIES AND PROJECTS THAT BOOST LOW-COST LOCAL CLEAN ENERGY, SAVE FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES MONEY, AND CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS; STOPPING UNNECESSARY NEW GAS INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUSHING FOR CONCRETE UTILITY-SCALE PLANS TO PHASE GAS OUT BEFORE IT CAN SINK OUR REGION'S CLIMATE GOALS; AND MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITIES CAN BOUNCE BACK FROM THE CLIMATE FALLOUT WE CAN NO LONGER AVOID - SO NEW ENGLANDERS CAN NOT ONLY SURVIVE BUT THRIVE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE.
- $3.8 million spent. HEALTHY & RESILIENT COMMUNITIES: FOR 50 YEARS CLF HAS FOUGHT TO CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOR PEOPLE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. IT IS HOW WE MADE OUR NAME: RETURNING A CLEAN BOSTON HARBOR TO THE PEOPLE AND CONNECTING MORE OF US TO RELIABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. CREATING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES THAT ARE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE IMPACTS MEANS PUTTING PEOPLE AND THEIR WELL-BEING AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK. THAT'S WHY WE HELP TO CREATE AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS CLOSE TO OPEN SPACE, HEALTHY FOOD, AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. IT'S WHY WE PUSH FOR A STRONG, LOCAL FOOD ECONOMY REGIONWIDE. AND IT'S WHY WE WORK TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES CAN BOUNCE BACK FROM THE EXTREME WEATHER CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY BRINGING TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. RESILIENCE TO EXTREME HEAT AND FLOODING, SAFETY FROM HAZARDS LIKE LEAD AND MOLD, AFFORDABLE AND STABLE HOUSING, ACCESS TO HEALTHY AND BUDGET-FRIENDLY FOOD - THESE FACTORS AND MORE AFFECT INDIVIDUAL HEALTH. COLLECTIVELY, THEY CAN ADD UP TO GREATER BURDENS COMMUNITY-WIDE, FURTHERING THE STRUCTURAL INJUSTICES AND INEQUITIES FACING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND PEOPLE FROM LOWER-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS. CLF IS WORKING TO CHANGE THAT SCRIPT, BUILDING ON OUR CORE STRENGTHS, FROM LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY TO LEGAL WATCHDOG. IT ALSO LETS US USE NEWER TOOLS, INCLUDING INNOVATIVE IMPACT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH THAT CENTERS RESIDENT INPUT AND DIRECTION. WORKING WITH COMMUNITY, BUSINESS, AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS, WE ARE TRANSFORMING SYSTEMS, MARKETS, AND LAWS TO INNOVATE BETTER SOLUTIONS TO ADVANCE HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND RESILIENCE.
- $1.9 million spent. OCEAN CONSERVATION: THE OCEAN PLAYS AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN NEW ENGLANDERS' LIVES, OUR ECONOMY, AND OUR COMMUNITIES. HOWEVER, POLLUTION, OVERFISHING, HABITAT LOSS, AND CLIMATE CHANGE THREATEN ITS HEALTH AND OUR FUTURE. CLF HAS SAFEGUARDED NEW ENGLAND'S OCEAN FOR DECADES - FROM BLOCKING OIL AND GAS DRILLING ON GEORGES BANK, TO CURBING OVERFISHING, TO PIONEERING SMART OCEAN PLANNING ACROSS THE REGION. WE FIGHT FOR A CLEAN, HEALTHY, AND PRODUCTIVE OCEAN TO ENSURE THAT ENDANGERED RIGHT WHALES CAN RECOVER FROM THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION, OUR WATERS CAN ONCE AGAIN ABOUND WITH COD AND OUR FISHERIES FLOURISH, AND OUR MOST FRAGILE HABITATS ARE PROTECTED TO ENSURE OUR WATERS REMAIN HEALTHY AND VIBRANT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
- $13.2 million spent. OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:LITIGATION: EVEN THE STRONGEST ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS ARE TOOTHLESS UNTIL THEY ARE ENFORCED, MAKING CLF'S ROLE AS A LEGAL WATCHDOG CRITICAL. POLLUTION FROM INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES DAMAGES OUR ALREADY COMPROMISED WATERWAYS. VIOLATORS OF OUR CLEAN AIR LAWS SPEW HAZARDOUS FUMES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ASTHMA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY DISEASES. SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST OIL COMPANIES HAVE ENGAGED IN CLIMATE NEGLECT THAT PUTS OUR COMMUNITIES AND WATERWAYS AT RISK. CLF PROTECTS OUR COMMUNITIES BY HOLDING THESE POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE AND PUSHING FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS. FOR MANY OF OUR CASES, WHEN CLF WINS OR SETTLES A SUIT, WE HOLD POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE IN A UNIQUE WAY. THEY FUND A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT, OR SEP, THAT PROVIDES MONEY FOR VALUABLE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY DAMAGED BY THE VIOLATION.ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, CLF HAS FOUGHT TO CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOR PEOPLE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT POLLUTION, CLIMATE IMPACTS, AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL BURDENS FALL HARDER ON LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT RESIDENTS AND LOW-INCOME AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT'S WHY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IS A THREAD THAT RUNS THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO - FROM STEMMING CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING TO PUSHING FOR MORE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSIT, SHUTTING DOWN DIRTY POWER PLANTS AND INCINERATORS, TO PARTNERING WITH FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT THEIR HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 September 7, 2026.
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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending July 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1967.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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 October 7, 2026.
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