Better Business Bureau

Charity Contact Information BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments Programs

Tax Status Governance Fund Raising Financial

Name:	Natural Resources Defense Council
Address:	40 West 20th Street
	New York, NY 10011
Phone:	212-727-2700 212-727-4516
Web Address:	www.nrdc.org

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

NRDC seeks to preserve natural resources through saving wild places and reducing consumption, and to protect public health by reducing threats to the environment from pollution and toxins. NRDC informs its members and the public about envirnomental issues through reports and publication, including its bi-monthly newsletter, "Nature's Voice," its quarterly magazine, "On Earth,” as well as through its website. NRDC teams up with firms and individuals to promote energy-efficiency and environmentally responsible production practices. NRDC also conducts public campaigns to protect forests and endangered ecosystems from development. In additon, NRDC encourages natural resource protection through the expansion of wildlife and marine reserves. Some ($8,796,137 or 11%) of NRDC's program activities are carried out in conjunction with fundraising appeals.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, NRDC's program expenses were:

Clean energy future	39,603,135
Wild places and wildlife	18,700,417
Protect our health	5,471,254
Safe and sufficient water	5,267,350
Revise our oceans	5,227,114
Membership services	4,072,596
Sustainable communities	3,993,228
Total Program Expenses:	$82,335,094

Chief Executive : Frances Beinecke, President

Compensation*:

$424,814

Chair of the Board: Daniel R. Tishman
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: Vice Chairman of Aecom Technology Corporation

Board Size: 41

Paid Staff Size: 422

*July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.

Fund raising costs were 7% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $96,387,444, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)

NRDC incurred joint costs of $10,172,740 for informational materials and activities that included fund raising materials. Of those costs, $8,796,137 was allocated to program expenses, and $1,376,603 was allocated to fund raising expenses.

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.

The following information is based on NRDC's audited financial statements - consolidated for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

Source of Funds
Membership and indvidual contributions	66,748,642
Foundation grants	17,604,616
Investment return	9,415,575
Awarded attorneys fees	5,397,481
Membership and individual contributions - NRDC Action Fund	5,114,826
Bequests	4,267,156
In-kind contributions	2,075,738
Other	1,869,081
Government grants	576,466
Total Income	$113,069,581

Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 86%  Fund Raising: 7%  Administrative: 7%

Total income				$113,069,581
	Program expenses			$82,335,094
	Fund raising expenses			7,127,729
	Administrative expenses			6,298,008
Total expenses				$95,760,831
Income in Excess of Expenses				17,308,750
Beginning net assets				169,247,637
Other Changes in Net Assets				(2,683,189)
Ending net assets				183,873,198
Total liabilities				51,380,305
Total assets				$235,253,503

Note 1: According to NRDC's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2010, the organization received in-kind contributions in the amount of $2,075,738 including: legal services ($1,305,413), goods and other services ($772,775), and consulting services ($47,550).
Note 2: In the financial section above, "other changes in net assets" refers to a change in value of interest rate swap agreements (-$1,219,915), pension related costs other than net periodic pension expense (-$773,797), and change in value of split-interest agreements (-$689,477).