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Non-profit

Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG)

Website:

biodiversityfunders.org/
Location:

San Francisco, CA
Tax ID:

13-3431076
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $1,640,597
Expenses: $1,577,568
Assets: $3,025,485
Type:

Environmental Association
Formation:

1987

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Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG) is a professional association of philanthropic trustees and private foundation leaders who fund environmentalist causes related to climate change and conservationism. It serves as a donor network for more than 70 formal member organizations.

BFG was founded as Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD) in 1987 and is sometimes still referred to as CGBD. It works domestically and internationally to raise awareness of environmental issues and is informed by a left-of-center philosophy on climate change and what it calls “environmental justice.” 1

Background

Biodiversity Funders Group is based in San Francisco, California. It is a professional association of philanthropic trustees and foundation leaders that administer grants to environmental organizations and initiatives. It exists to facilitate conversations on environmental fundraising, develop strategies, create partnerships, and train leaders. 2

The group was founded in 1987 as the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD) by a collaborative of private foundations and government agencies. As of 2023, it claimed to have 75 funding institutions as members, and recognized more than 200 nonprofit organizations as supported recipients of its members. It counts 1,000 staff and trustees across its membership. 3

Activities

Biodiversity Funders Group runs programs to raise awareness on environmental issues. It is informed by a left-of-center philosophy on climate change and what it calls “environmental justice” which holds that climate intersects with health and energy policy. 4 It promotes policies domestically and internationally. 5

It primarily focuses on helping groups involved with climate, energy, conservation science, the Gulf of California, and land, freshwater, and marine conservation. It takes funds pooled by its members and directs them to projects in these areas. It has multiple meetings a year as well as an annual convention for its membership. 6

BFG is particularly dedicated to sharing educational materials about climate and conservation with its members and suggests and vets potential grantees. 7 Each year, BFG helps coordinate or co-sponsor more than 20 webinars, distributes a newsletter, and produces reports to help its members stay informed about the environmental philanthropy. 8

BFG runs four core programs for its members: the Land and Freshwater Conservation Program, the Marine Conservation Program, the Global Conservation Program, and the Conservation Science Program. 9

It also hosts four regionally based working groups: the Climate and Energy Funders Group, the Funders of the Amazon Basin, the Mexico Conservation Funders, and the Chile Conservation Funders Group. 10

For a number of years, BFG housed the Health and Environmental Funders Network, a left-of-center network that mobilizes philanthropic initiatives related to environmentalist causes. BFG also helped found the Environmental Defenders Collaborative. 11

BFG recently launched the New Economy Initiative for funders interested in biodiversity and economic models. 12

Finances

In 2021, Biodiversity Funders Group had a revenue of $1,640,597, expenses of $1,577,568, and end the year with net assets of $2,824,192. 13

Funding

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has given a total of $400,000 worth of grants to Biodiversity Funders Group since 2001 and 2013. 14

According to grant aggregator and philanthropy news website Devex, BFG has received grants from the Ford Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 15 According to the Packard Foundation’s website, it gave CGBD over $650,000 between 2018 to 2022. 16

Since 1990, the MacArthur Foundation has given BFG over $1.1 million in grant funding for a variety of purposes, from general operations to more recently “climate solutions.” On a 2017 grant earmarked for climate solutions, MacArthur specified that the $156,000 was dedicated to a three-year support system for BFG’s Climate and Energy Funders Group. For a 2023 “climate solutions” grant, MacArthur provided $50,000 to help BFG and Native Americans in Philanthropy to organize an “Earth Day” event at the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris. It aimed to foster conversations between “tribal partners” and funders to “ensure an equitable clean energy transition.” 17

Leadership

As of 2023, Judy Hatcher was the executive director of Biodiversity Funders Group. Hatcher formerly led grant making departments at the Funding Exchange and the Environmental Support Center, and has worked at People’s Action, Amnesty International USA, Center for Community Change, and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North America. She has written books on racial justice as well as reports on climate change and “environmental justice.” She has sat on the boards of Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the Black Philanthropic Alliance. In 2023, she was on the board of Tides Advocacy, a major left-of-center grant making group, and was serving as board treasurer at Coming Clean. 18

Paige Brown worked as the director of BFG’s Climate and Energy Funders Group program. Brown was previously the senior program manager for the Natural Assets and Environmental Equity program at the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) (now known as Prosperity Now). She was also the climate change program director at Redefining Progress (RP). 19

In 2023, BFG’s board of directors included Jennifer Sokolove; director of programs and strategy at the Water Foundation; Danielle Levoit, senior program officer for the environment at Doris Duke Foundation; Christy Loper, senior program officer for the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation; Eric Co, program director for the Robertson Foundation; Renu Mittal, program officer at Walton Family Foundation; and Shelley Shreffler, program officer of environment at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. 20

References

  1. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.moore.org/grantee-detail?granteeId=44.
  2. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.moore.org/grantee-detail?granteeId=44.
  3. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  4. Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.moore.org/grantee-detail?granteeId=44.
  5. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD).” Devex. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.devex.com/organizations/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-cgbd-94356.
  6. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.moore.org/grantee-detail?granteeId=44.
  7. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD).” Devex. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.devex.com/organizations/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-cgbd-94356.
  8. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  9. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  10. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  11. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  12. “About.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/.
  13. Biodiversity Funders Group. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2021. Part I, lines 12, 18, 22.
  14. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.moore.org/grantee-detail?granteeId=44.
  15. “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity (CGBD). Devex. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.devex.com/organizations/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-cgbd-94356.
  16. [1] “Consultative Group on Biological Diversity.” The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-2/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-3/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-4/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-5/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-6/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-7/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-8/; https://www.packard.org/grants-and-investments/grants-database/consultative-group-on-biological-diversity-9/.
  17. “Biodiversity Funders Group.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed September 30, 2023. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/biodiversity-funders-group-4957/.
  18. “Staff.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/staff/.
  19. “Staff.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/staff/.
  20. “Board.” Biodiversity Funders Group. Accessed September 29, 2023. https://biodiversityfunders.org/about/board/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 1987

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $1,640,597 $1,577,568 $3,025,485 $201,293 N $1,592,830 $47,072 $695 $489,594
    2020 Dec Form 990 $1,939,918 $1,558,857 $2,956,570 $195,407 N $1,860,990 $73,702 $1,071 $372,426
    2019 Dec Form 990 $1,816,857 $1,797,174 $2,463,556 $163,454 N $1,559,057 $250,434 $3,366 $354,080 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,562,439 $1,565,534 $2,367,017 $86,598 N $1,307,814 $245,161 $2,525 $306,107 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $1,868,630 $1,653,273 $2,412,728 $129,214 N $1,581,264 $276,456 $2,409 $466,970
    2016 Dec Form 990 $1,738,000 $1,609,557 $2,232,904 $164,747 N $1,538,431 $191,570 $5,676 $282,640 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $1,666,173 $1,518,517 $2,032,481 $92,767 N $1,469,976 $170,740 $4,691 $260,066 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $1,642,598 $1,345,718 $1,863,104 $71,046 N $1,484,530 $143,760 $4,658 $292,659 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $1,408,119 $1,365,811 $1,580,281 $85,991 N $1,278,470 $127,252 $7,947 $301,312 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $1,450,409 $1,316,601 $1,509,636 $57,490 N $1,309,412 $128,076 $3,871 $257,691 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,428,810 $1,399,426 $1,375,320 $56,982 N $1,277,561 $135,970 $11,757 $282,165 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG)

    PO BOX 29361
    San Francisco, CA 94129-0361