North American Association for Environmental Education
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF NAAEE IS TO USE THE POWER OF EDUCATION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TO CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. WE WORK WITH EDUCATORS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PARTNERS AROUNG THE WORLD.
- Income
- $7.4 million
- Spending
- $6.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 13.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 60%
- Employees
- 21
- Volunteers
- 350
- Highest pay
- $263,577, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 49% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 55% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 14 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 December 31, 2024, 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 (2)
- $5.9 million spent. SEE SCHEDULE O
- THE NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (NAAEE) IS THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND WORKS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN NORTH AMERICA AND BEYOND. WE HAVE FIVE KEY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES: DRIVE EXCELLENCE AND SPARK FIELD-WIDE INNOVATION; INVEST IN LEADERSHIP FOR A STRONGER AND MORE INCLUSIVE MOVEMENT; CULTIVATE COLLABORATION AND STRENGTHEN NETWORKS FOR CHANGE; CHAMPION ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION THROUGH POLICY, COMMUNICATION, AND OUTREACH; AND SUSTAIN A THRIVING ORGANIZATION. WE ARE THE LEAD ON THE FIVE-YEAR NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM, CALLED EE360+, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO HELP STRENGTHEN THE FIELD, SUPPORT A FIELD-WIDE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM, AND TRAIN A CADRE OF EDUCATORS TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THIS INITIATIVE IS PART OF A FIVE-YEAR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. THIS TRAINING CONSORTIUM KICKED OFF IN JUNE 2021 AND BUILDS ON OUR PREVIOUS PARTNERSHIP WITH EE360. THIS INITIATIVE INVOLVES A CONSORTIUM OF NON-PROFIT AND FEDERAL PARTNERS AND ADVISORS. AS PART OF EE360+, WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THOUSANDS OF EDUCATORS AND ARE HELPING TO STRENGTHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE FIELD. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO PROMOTE OUR NEWEST SET OF GUIDELINES FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN 2017 AND WERE WORKING ON A NEW SET OF GUIDELINES FOCUSED ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE. IN ADDITION, WE MANAGE EEPRO, A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SITE FOR THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, WITH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, ONLINE MODULES, RESEARCH, DISCUSSION GROUPS, AND JOBS. NAAEE CONDUCTED A VERY SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE IN 2023 AND ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL IN-PERSON CONFERENCE IN PITTSBURGH IN NOVEMBER 2024. WE HAD MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE ATTENDING BOTH CONFERENCES. NAAEE AND ITS AFFILIATE NETWORK HAVE MORE THAN 20,000 MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, AND REACH MORE THAN 150,000 PROFESSIONALS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND BEYOND. WE SEND OUT EENEWS AND EEJOBS TWENTY TIMES A YEAR, REACHING MORE THAN 12,000 READERS AND ALSO HAVE AN ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE THROUGH FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, AND LINKEDIN. THE NATURAL START ALLIANCE IS NAAEES INITIATIVE TO ADVANCE EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES THAT GET YOUNG CHILDREN OUTDOORS PLAYING AND LEARNING IN NATURE, PROVIDING AND PROMOTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS TO DEVELOP SKILLS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, AND BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL NETWORK OF EDUCATORS WHO SPECIALIZE IN BOTH EARLY CHILDHOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. THE ALLIANCE INCLUDES MORE THAN 2,000 ORGANIZATIONS, AND SUPPORTS AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO BRING NATURE-BASED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS TOGETHER, AND HOSTS A VARIETY OF NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AT THE NAAEE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. NAAEE IS THE SECRETARIAT FOR THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP (GEEP), A NETWORK OF COUNTRIES WORKING TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. WORKING WITH U.S. EPA AND THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT IN TAIWAN, AS WELL AS AN EXPERT GLOBAL ADVISORY GROUP, NAAEE IS HELPING TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD BY SHARING BEST PRACTICES, CONVENING THOUGHT LEADERS, CREATING A WEBSITE FOR GLOBAL INTERACTION (THEGEEP.ORG) AND PROMOTING ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY RESOURCES AND IDEAS. NAAEE CONTINUED THE EE 30 UNDER 30 PROGRAM, RECOGNIZING 30 TALENTED AND COMMITTED YOUNG PEOPLE WORKING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH EDUCATION. NAAEE IS CONTINUING TO WORK ON LINKING RESEARCH TO PRACTICE, AND HAS PARTNERED WITH STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES ON EEWORKS, A PROJECT TO CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT THE VALUE AND IMPACT OF THE FIELD. NAAEE ALSO HAS A 5-YEAR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH NOAA, CALLED EEBLUE, WHICH IS FOCUSED ON ADVANCING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND SCIENCE EDUCATION. NAAEE ALSO CONTINUED OUR WORK TO ADVANCE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, SUUPPORTING THE CEE-CHANGE FELLOWSHIP, AN INTERGERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOCUSED IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. NAAEE ALSO WORKS WITH A NETWORK OF 52 STATE, REGIONAL, AND PROVINCIAL AFFILIATES TO SUPPORT EE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1982.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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