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Institute for Ecological Civilization

EIN 81-2533082 · San Diego, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair62 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ECOCIV PROMOTES LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR THE WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.

Income
$1.1 million
Spending
$1.2 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
0.7 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 66%
Employees
20
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$92,885, president

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

Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.7 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 24 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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 12 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

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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 (1)
  1. $812,802 spent. (1) ECOCIVS WORK IN WATER SECURITY IS CENTERED AROUND THE W12+ PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE FIVE DISTINCT, YET COMPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES TO GLOBAL WATER SECURITY. ADMINISTERED JOINTLY BY THE U.S.-BASED NONPROFIT INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION (ECOCIV) AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN-BASED NONPROFIT SAVE OUR SCHOOLS NPO (SOS) SINCE 2019, W12+ CONTINUES TO 1) CONNECT LOCAL LEADERS WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT PROVEN WATER SECURITY SOLUTIONS, 2) TO INCUBATE PILOT PROJECTS THAT PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF THOSE APPROACHES, AND 3) PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING FOR LOCAL, REGIONAL, COUNTRY-SPECIFIC AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ACHIEVE WATER SECURITY ACROSS THE GLOBE. WE ADDED 24 GLOBALLY RELEVANT CASE STUDIES TO THE W12+ BLUEPRINT AND HELD 7 CONVENINGS WITH OVER 120 PARTICIPANTS. (2) ECONOMIES SHOULD RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, RATHER THAN PEOPLE AND THE PLANET SERVING THE ECONOMY. A WELLBEING ECONOMY IS ONE THAT PROMOTES THE FLOURISHING OF LIFE IN ALL ITS FORMS. IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE RADICAL CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH, EXPLOITATION OF WORKERS, AND DEGRADATION OF THE PLANET THAT WE FIND IN CURRENT ECONOMIC SYSTEMS. AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL PEOPLE AND SUPPORTS LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, A WELLBEING ECONOMY, IS A VITAL COMPONENT OF AN ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION. ECOCIV WORKS WITH THE WELLBEING ECONOMY ALLIANCE (WEALL), A UK-BASED CHARITY, TO HOST THE WEALL CALIFORNIA HUB. WE ARE CURRENTLY PILOTING WEALL'S POLICY DESIGN GUIDE IN POMONA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH A GROUP OF LOCAL LEADERS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY PROPOSALS AND TRIAL PROJECTS TOWARD ECONOMIC WELLBEING, SUCH AS A WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE MODEL. WE FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AMONG OVER 120 EXPERTS, LEADERS, AND DECISION-MAKERS. (3) ECOCIVS IDEAS PROGRAM IS THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP BRANCH OFBECOCIV. IT INCLUDES RESEARCHING THE PATHWAY TO A SUSTAINABLE, GENUINELY ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION, ECOCIVS LEARNING FOR IMPACT PROGRAM, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE IDEAS PROGRAM WORKS WITH NETWORKS OF VISIONARY LEADERS ACROSS THE ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION COMMUNITY; RUNS ECOCIVS MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING INITIATIVE; AND EDUCATES THE PUBLIC THROUGH PODCASTS AND DIALOGUES PROGRAMS. (1) ECOCIVS WORK IN WATER SECURITY IS CENTERED AROUND THE W12+ PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE FIVE DISTINCT, YET COMPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES TO GLOBAL WATER SECURITY. ADMINISTERED JOINTLY BY THE U.S.-BASED NONPROFIT INSTITUTE FOR ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION (ECOCIV) AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN-BASED NONPROFIT SAVE OUR SCHOOLS NPO (SOS) SINCE 2019, W12+ CONTINUES TO 1) CONNECT LOCAL LEADERS WITH ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT PROVEN WATER SECURITY SOLUTIONS, 2) TO INCUBATE PILOT PROJECTS THAT PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF THOSE APPROACHES, AND 3) PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING FOR LOCAL, REGIONAL, COUNTRY-SPECIFIC AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ACHIEVE WATER SECURITY ACROSS THE GLOBE. WE ADDED 24 GLOBALLY RELEVANT CASE STUDIES TO THE W12+ BLUEPRINT AND HELD 7 CONVENINGS WITH OVER 120 PARTICIPANTS. (2) ECONOMIES SHOULD RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET, RATHER THAN PEOPLE AND THE PLANET SERVING THE ECONOMY. A WELLBEING ECONOMY IS ONE THAT PROMOTES THE FLOURISHING OF LIFE IN ALL ITS FORMS. IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE RADICAL CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH, EXPLOITATION OF WORKERS, AND DEGRADATION OF THE PLANET THAT WE FIND IN CURRENT ECONOMIC SYSTEMS. AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL PEOPLE AND SUPPORTS LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, A WELLBEING ECONOMY, IS A VITAL COMPONENT OF AN ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION. ECOCIV WORKS WITH THE WELLBEING ECONOMY ALLIANCE (WEALL), A UK-BASED CHARITY, TO HOST THE WEALL CALIFORNIA HUB. WE ARE CURRENTLY PILOTING WEALL'S POLICY DESIGN GUIDE IN POMONA, CALIFORNIA, WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH A GROUP OF LOCAL LEADERS TO IMPLEMENT POLICY PROPOSALS AND TRIAL PROJECTS TOWARD ECONOMIC WELLBEING, SUCH AS A WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVE MODEL. WE FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS AMONG OVER 120 EXPERTS, LEADERS, AND DECISION-MAKERS. (3) ECOCIVS IDEAS PROGRAM IS THE THOUGHT LEADERSHIP BRANCH OFBECOCIV. IT INCLUDES RESEARCHING THE PATHWAY TO A SUSTAINABLE, GENUINELY ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION, ECOCIVS LEARNING FOR IMPACT PROGRAM, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE IDEAS PROGRAM WORKS WITH NETWORKS OF VISIONARY LEADERS ACROSS THE ECOLOGICAL CIVILIZATION COMMUNITY; RUNS ECOCIVS MONITORING, EVALUATION, AND LEARNING INITIATIVE; AND EDUCATES THE PUBLIC THROUGH PODCASTS AND DIALOGUES PROGRAMS.

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

  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 December 2024.

    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 November 2015.

    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.

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