Environmental Working Group
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG) IS COMMITTED TO EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES IN HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENTS. WE ARE A NONPROFIT RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WITH A COMMUNITY MADE UP OF MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS WHO STAND-UP FOR HEALTHY FOOD, FARMS, WATER AND PEOPLE.
- Income
- $16.4 million
- Spending
- $19.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 7.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 81%
- Employees
- 106
- Volunteers
- 23
- Highest pay
- $434,346, chair & president
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: 58 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.5 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 39% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 23 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 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 (5)
- $6.9 million spent. TOXICS AND HUMAN HEALTH - EWG BELIEVES PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRUST THAT THE PRODUCTS THEY ARE BUYING ARE SAFE AND WON'T CAUSE HARM TO THEIR HEALTH OR THEIR FAMILIES. OUR SIMPLE THEORY IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT THE REALITY IN TODAY'S CHEMICAL SAFETY REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT. OUR SCIENCE PROGRAM HAS TWO PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: FIRST, TO INFLUENCE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR BY DIRECTLY INFORMING AND MOTIVATING A LARGE AUDIENCE TO ADOPT HABITS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, USING ORIGINAL RESEARCH ABOUT CHEMICALS OF CONCERN FOUND IN EVERYDAY ENVIRONMENTS. SECOND, TO INFLUENCE MASS MARKET CHANGE BY DISRUPTING THE FOOD, HOUSEHOLD CLEANER, AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT MARKETS THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED RESEARCH ON TOXIC INGREDIENTS AND CONSUMER PRESSURE FOR SAFER ALTERNATIVES.OUR SCIENCE PROGRAM IS WORKING TO PRODUCE CUTTING-EDGE, NEWSWORTHY RESEARCH AND CONSUMER EDUCATION PROJECTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH TO EDUCATE CITIZEN ACTIVISTS, MOVE MARKETS AND GENERATE DEBATE ON CHEMICAL POLICY REFORM. EWG HAS A DEDICATED TEAM OF SCIENTISTS WITH EXPERTISE IN TOXICOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND NUTRITION. OUR TEAM OF A DOZEN EXPERTS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST RECOGNIZED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD.FROM THE TOP RESEARCHERS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, TO AN AWARD WINNING GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SHOP, TO COPYWRITERS TO HELP US TELL OUR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH STORIES TO A ROBUST ONLINE COMMUNITY OF MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS - EWG IS INSPIRING CHANGE, BOTH BIG AND SMALL. THROUGH OUR HABIT CHANGING GUIDANCE, TO OUR MARKET AND POLICY MOVING SCIENCE WE ARE TRANSFORMING THE PERCEPTION THAT HEALTH AND WELLNESS IS A LUXURY AND REDEFINING IT AS A NECESSITY.BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE IN AN "ENVIRONMENT" WE CAN TRUST.
- $3.9 million spent. LICENSING - "EWG VERIFIED" IS EWG'S VERIFICATION AND LICENSING PROGRAM THAT HELPS CONSUMERS IDENTIFY SAFER PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS WITHOUT HAVING TO DO RESEARCH. IT IS RAPIDLY PUSHING THE MARKET TOWARD THE STRICT INGREDIENT AND TRANSPARENCY CRITERIA DEFINED BY OUR TEAM OF RESEARCH SCIENTISTS. EWG ESTABLISHED STANDARDS IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND CREATED AN EWG VERIFIED SEAL THAT MEANS A PRODUCT IS FREE FROM DANGEROUS CHEMICALS WITH KNOWN NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS, AND THAT PRODUCT HAS MET EWG'S STRICT, PROTECTIVE STANDARDS FOR THESE CHEMICALS.AN EWG MARK FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT POINT OF SALE INSPIRES CONSUMERS TO SHOP WITH OUR STANDARDS IN MIND, AND ULTIMATELY, SHAPING CONSUMER HABITS WILL DRIVE MARKET CHANGE. OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE MARQUEE BRANDS FORMULATE TOWARD OUR STANDARDS, MAKING IT THAT MUCH EASIER FOR CONSUMERS TO FIND BETTER ALTERNATIVES.
- $3.2 million spent. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE - OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAM WORKS TO PROTECT THE SOURCE OF OUR FOOD: OUR SOIL AND WATER. THIS INCLUDES ONGOING PROJECTS TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER FROM AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION, AND TO PROTECT SOIL FROM PESTICIDES, EROSION AND CONTAMINATION FROM THESE SAME INDUSTRIES. WE DO THIS WORK TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES BECAUSE THEY ARE VITAL AND IRREPLACEABLE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE POLLUTION IN OUR ENVIRONMENT INEVITABLY BECOMES POLLUTION IN OUR BODIES. OUR GOAL IS TO ILLUSTRATE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BROKEN U.S. AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM, FARM SUBSIDIES, THE DAMAGE BEING DONE TO OUR LAND AND HEALTH, AND THE INCREASING LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD AND FRESH PRODUCE FOR TODAY'S FAMILIES. OUR STRATEGY IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND PUSH U.S. AGRICULTURE IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE DIRECTION THAT STANDS UP FOR BOTH THE HEALTH OF OUR LAND AND OUR FOOD.
- $811,906 spent. ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM
- $645,970 spent. NEWS
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 June 1999.
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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