Climate Justice Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CLIMATE JUSTICE ALLIANCE (CJA) IS A GROWING MEMBER ALLIANCE OF MORE THAN 85 URBAN AND RURAL FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND SUPPORTING NETWORKS IN THE CLIMATE JUSTICE MOVEMENT. CJA UNITES OUR MEMBERSHIP TO BUILD LOCAL, COMMUNITY CONTROLLED ALTERNATIVES THAT CENTER TRADITIONAL, ECOLOGICAL, AND CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND CREATE PATHWAYS FOR A REGENERATIVE FUTURE.
- Income
- $9.1 million
- Spending
- $26.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $157,065, communications director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 46 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 191% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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 June 30, 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)
- $14.7 million spent. SUPPORTED MEMBER ORGANIZING AND EXCHANGE OF JUST TRANSITION SOLUTIONS, MODELS, BEST PRACTICES, CHALLENGES, AND LESSONS LEARNED. PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND LEADERSHIP-, CAPACITY-, AND SKILL-BUILDING AMONG OUR MEMBERS, OUR POWER COMMUNITIES, AND JUST TRANSITION REGIONS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE TRAININGS, TRAININGS-OFTRAINERS, AND CONVENINGS TO BUILD COMMON ANALYSES AND PRINCIPLES, AND COORDINATION OF TRANSLOCAL ACTIONS AND MOBILIZATIONS ON KEY CAMPAIGNS.
- $5.0 million spent. GENERAL COMMUNICATIONS BOTH INTERNALLY BUT ALSO EXTERNALLY. LAUNCHED THE UNITE-EJ THRIVING COMMUNITIES GRANT MAKER PROJECT AFTER BEING SELECTED BY THE EPA FOR A $50,000,000 / 3 YEAR GRANT AIMED AT MOVING PULIC MONIES TO FRONT-LINE, GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NON-PROFITS WHOSE COMMUNITIES BEAR THE BRUNT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE INCREASED FREQUENCIES OF SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
- $4.7 million spent. PROVIDED POLICY TECHNICAL SUPPORT, LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS, TOOLS, AND RESOURCES, SUCH AS RESEARCH, REPORTS, AND POPULAR EDUCATION CURRICULA TO OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
- LAUNCHED COMMUNICATING OUR POWER PROJECT TO SUPPORT GROWTH OF COMMUNICATIONS CAPACITY TO TELL THE STORY OF JUST TRANSISITON AT 20 MEMBER AND AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 June 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 November 2020.
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.
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.