Rainforest Action Network
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) works toward a world where the rights and dignity of all communities are respected and where healthy forests, a stable climate and wild biodiversity are protected and celebrated.
- Income
- $9.2 million
- Spending
- $12.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 7.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 55
- Volunteers
- 600
- Highest pay
- $248,988, exec 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
Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 39% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 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 (5)
- $5.1 million spent. FOREST, FINANCE, AGRIBUSINESS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNRANs forest campaign is focused on protecting forests by supporting Indigenous rights, working with local communities, and reforming corporate actions and financial systems that are driving deforestation and worsening climate change. RAN executes effective markets and finance campaigns, in partnership with local organizations, to profile and protect the last remaining intact forest regions and creates leverage in the marketplace that can serve to protect forests, secure community land rights, and help stabilize the global climate.(Continued on Schedule O)
- $2.8 million spent. CLIMATE CHANGE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND FINANCE CAMPAIGNRAN'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY CAMPAIGN IS FOCUSED ON RESEARCHING THE FINANCIAL FLOWS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES BEHIND FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTION AND BUILDING PRESSURE ON THESE INSTITUTIONS TO CHANGE THEIR HARMFUL POLICIES AND PRACTICES. RAN HAS BECOME THE GLOBAL LEADER IN ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO REIN IN AND REVERSE THE DISASTROUS IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIES DRIVING CLIMATE CHANGE BY CUTTING OFF THEIR SUPPLY OF CAPITAL AND INSURANCE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) CLIMATE CHANGE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND FINANCE CAMPAIGN (continued from Form 990 page 2)INFORMED BY HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, WE MOBILIZE PUBLIC SUPPORT AND ORGANIZE PRESSURE TACTICS TO CONVINCE THE BIGGEST BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE WORLD TO STOP WORSENING OUR CLIMATE CHANGE CRISIS.CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT FACING OUR PLANET AND THE EXTRACTION, TRANSPORTATION AND BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS IS A MAJOR SOURCE OF GREENHOUSE GASES. CLIMATE CHANGE IS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE PLANET'S ECOSYSTEMS, INCLUDING FORESTS, AND CREATING EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS. THE WORST IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE MOST GREATLY AFFECT THE COMMUNITIES LEAST RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRISIS, AND THOSE LEAST ABLE TO RESPOND TO THIS CRISIS. RAN WORKS TO STRENGTHEN THE GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE BY PRESSURING BANKS THAT ARE UNDERWRITING DANGEROUS FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS. Forest, Finance, Agribusiness, and Human Rights Campaign (continued from Form 990 page 2)Any real solution to our climate crisis must involve the protection of forests, and protecting Indigenous rights has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to protect forests. RAN has been working with local communities for decades to stop profit driven industries like palm oil and pulp and paper from destroying rainforests, violating human rights, land grabbing, and pushing species to extinction through the destruction of their habitats. RAN educates our community, mobilizes support and organizes efforts to reduce market demand for environmentally and socially irresponsible products in order to transform global supply chains.
- $1.5 million spent. OTHER PROGRAMMINGSince 1985, Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has undertaken bold campaigns to hold some of the world's biggest corporations accountable for forest destruction, loss of biodiversity, climate change and the exploitation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and workers. RAN is working towards a world where the climate is protected, biodiversity is prioritized and rights are secured and upheld. RAN was an innovator and early proponent of a market campaign approach to international environmental activism. The corporate commitments we negotiate include (continued on Schedule O)
- $801,249 spent. Community Action GrantsRANs community action grants program is focused on strengthening the capacity of Indigenous and frontline communities and supporting grassroots leadership through direct grants to organizations that are working to save our planet.The community action grants program provides crucial and rapid funding for people fighting in their own communities across the globe to protect millions of acres of forest, to keep millions of tons of carbon in the ground, and to protect the rights and self determination of local communities.This strategy is based on the firm belief that local and Indigenous activists know how to co-exist with natural resources and they know how to organize in order to protect the planet and their communities. The Community Action Grants program has distributed more than $5 million dollars to more than 400 organizations across the globe from Southeast Asia, to Africa, to North and South America. These frontline communities, Indigenous-led organizations, and allies secure protection for millions of acres of traditional territory in forests around the world and keep millions of tons of carbon in the ground through their efforts to stop the destructive and often illegal practices of extractive industriesRANs Community Action Grants are distributed under two categories: Protect An Acre grants and Climate Action Fund grants. Protect an Acre grants support grassroots leadership and local organizations in forest regions to protect threatened forest lands and to protect the human rights of communities that have coexisted with and depended on these regions for generations. These grants are critical to help local efforts to regain control of and sustainably manage traditional territories. Climate Action Fund grants support frontline communities directly challenging the damage caused by the fossil fuel industry. These small grants go to local groups tackling the root causes of climate change the extraction and combustion of dirty fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
- OTHER PROGRAMMING (continued from Form 990 page 2)not only environmental protections but also recognition and respect for human and Indigenous rights. RAN campaigns deploy several key tactics, including: high-profile, direct communication; organizing and peaceful direct actions; coordinated media and social media campaigns; incisive research and hard-hitting reports; collaborative partnerships; high-level corporate engagement and negotiations and relentless follow-up to ensure that promises are kept. Fossil fuels and deforestation are two of the biggest drivers of climate change. Extracting and burning fossil fuels and destroying forests are also often preceded by, and leave behind, a wake of catastrophic human rights violations. At RAN, we believe that ensuring that rights are respected is a core pillar of addressing climate change.
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 December 1991.
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.