Center for Diversity & the Environment
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To racially and ethnically diversify the US Environmental Movement by developing leaders, diversifying institutions, and building community.
- Income
- $292,906
- Spending
- $865,258
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 7.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 75%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $190,674, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 52 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.5 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 23% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 195% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 43% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 35 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 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)
- $485,786 spent. Program costs related to all programs. These costs include program management staff and direct reports that provide support and oversight across all programs offered by the organization.
- $56,430 spent. Organizational Diversity work includes providing tools and services for organizations to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. These tools and services include diversity strategy development, equity audits, organizational level trainings, workshops, presentations, and coaching. We also build momentum for diversifying the environmental movement, inspire engagement in this work and increase our reach by delivering keynote addresses. In 2025 with both in-person and online program offerings, we served 2,683 individuals from hundreds of organizations through these services.
- $48,905 spent. Leadership Development Program - Our Environment 2042 Leadership Program, the cornerstone of our Leadership Development Programs, provides training to educate environmental leaders so they can be effective at building a more dirverse, equitable, and inclusive environmental movement. 25 Environmental 2042 Leaders from 17 organizations engaged in that work in 2025. Through our additional core leadership development programs (Building the Foundation, Exploring Power, Privilege and Tools for Change; Decoding; and customized trainings) we served over 369 individuals.
- $17,852 spent. The organization served approximately 5,400 individuals in 2025 via our Environmental Professionals of Color Program. CDE coordinates the national Environmental Professionals of Color Network (EPOC), a growing community of leaders of color across the U.S. at work on a vast array of critical environmental issues, from habitat conservation to environmental justice to upstream public health.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 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 2025.
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 September 2010.
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.
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.