BBB Wise Giving Report for
Environmental Defense Fund

BBB Wise Giving Report issued May 2010
BBB Wise Giving Report expires May 2012


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Environmental Defense Fund
Address: 257 Park Avenue South
  New York, NY 10010
Phone: 800-684-3322
212-505-2100
Web Address: www.edf.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1967, New York
Affiliates: Environmental Defense Action Fund and California Fisheries Fund
Stated Purpose: "to protect the environmental rights of all people, including the right to clean air, clean water, healthy food and flourishing ecosystems."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

EDF focuses its work on four main areas of environmental protection: climate, oceans, ecosystems and health. The climate effort is aimed at fighting global warming by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The oceans program develops market incentives to revive fisheries and fishing communities, setting standards for sustainable seafood and expanding marine protected areas. The ecosystems work focuses on protecting land, water and wildlife, including work with private landowners to expand habitat protection for endangered species. The health efforts concentrate on cutting air pollution from smokestacks and tailpipes and reducing human exposure to toxic chemicals. Some ($5,395,530 or 84%) of EDF's programs are conducted in conjunction with fund raising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, EDF's program expenses were:

  
Climate 41,550,351
Ecosystems 14,900,955
Oceans 12,689,958
Health 8,088,066
Education 4,815,378
Membership activities 546,026
Total Program Expenses: $82,590,734
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Frederic D. Krupp, President
Compensation*:
 $496,174

Chair of the Board: Nicholas J. Nicholas, Jr.
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Retired

Board Size: 40

Paid Staff Size: 380

*October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 9% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $132,229,144, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
EDF incurred joint costs of $6,452,452 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs $5,395,530 was allocated to program expenses, $649,996 was allocated to administrative expenses, and $376,926 was allocated to fund raising expenses.
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on EDF's combined (with affiliates) audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2008.

Source of Funds  
Major gifts 56,423,219
Foundations 56,045,966
Membership and contributions 12,725,210
Bequests 3,613,443
Government and other grants 3,421,306
Investment income 1,772,456
Fees, royalties and other income 927,441
Total Income $134,929,041


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 82%  Fund Raising: 11%  Administrative: 7% 

Total income   $134,929,041
  Program expenses $82,590,734
  Fund raising expenses 11,461,877
  Administrative expenses 6,810,239
 
Total expenses   $100,862,850
Income in Excess of Expenses   34,066,191
Beginning net assets   110,670,856
Other Changes in Net Assets (13,523,680)
Ending net assets   131,213,367
Total liabilities   19,327,980
Total assets   $150,541,347

EDF's affiliate, Environmental Defense Action Fund, is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions and membership dues to the Environmental Defense Action Fund are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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