Non-profit

Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy

Website:

www.caelp.org/who-we-are

Project of:

New Venture Fund

Funding Organization:

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

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The Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy (CAELP) is a left-of-center climate policy organization seeking more severe climate regulations on energy and businesses. 1 It was funded in 2017 with a $3,000,000 grant from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation through the New Venture Fund (NVF). 2

NVF provides incubation services for several other left-of-center organizations. Arabella Advisors, a for profit consulting firm, is the parent organization of NVF. Arabella was founded in 2005 by Eric Kessler, a Clinton administration alumnus and long-time staffer at the League of Conservation Voters. 3 4 5

The staffing and leadership of CAELP includes many individuals formerly affiliated with left-leaning political figures and climate policy organizations, such as the Obama Administration, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Resources Legacy Fund and EarthJustice. 6 7

Background

The Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy is a left-of-center climate policy organization seeking more severe climate regulations on energy and businesses. It is a project of the New Venture Fund (NVF) and was funded by a $3,000,000 grant awarded in August 2017 by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. The Hewlett Foundation stated in 2017 that the “initial focus” of CAELP “will be on the power and transportation sectors, including both defense of federal policy frameworks as well as the rights of states to go beyond federal mandates.” 8 9 10

According to the Hewlett Foundation, the New Venture Fund is the fiscal sponsor of the CAELP. 11 The New Venture Fund (NVF) is a 501(c)(3) funding and fiscal sponsorship nonprofit that makes grants to left-of-center advocacy and organizing projects and provides incubation serves for other left-of-center organizations. 12

Arabella Advisors is the parent organization of NVF. Arabella is a for profit consulting firm that guides the strategy, advocacy, and management for high-dollar left-leaning nonprofits and individuals. Arabella provides these clients with services that ease their operations and that enable them to enact policies focused on environmentalism and other left-of-center issues. The company was founded in 2005 by Eric Kessler, a Clinton administration alumnus and long-time staffer at the League of Conservation Voters who remains a senior managing partner at the firm. Between 2008 and 2018, Arabella’s nonprofits paid the company nearly $103 million in contracting and management services fees. 13 14 15

Other examples of left-leaning NVP-sponsored projects include the 2020 Climate Education Fund, Americans for Tax Fairness, and Climate Interactive. The Hewlett Foundation has also provided funding to the 2020 Climate Education Fund. 16 17

Personnel

The staffing and leadership of the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy includes numerous individuals formerly affiliated with left-of-center political figures and left-leaning climate policy organizations.

The CAELP executive director is Megan Ceronsky. According to her online biography, she is an attorney who was a special assistant to the president during the Obama Administration, and her specialty was climate and energy policy. Prior to that she worked as a senior attorney with the left-leaning Environmental Defense Fund. 18

The CAELP senior attorney is Kristin Brainerd. According to her online biography, she is a former program manager for the Resources Legacy Fund. The Resources Legacy Fund is a donor to numerous left-leaning climate policy organizations, such as the Environmental Defense Fund and the controversial Southern Poverty Law Center. 19 20

Peter Heisler is an attorney with CAELP and a former attorney for EarthJustice, a left-leaning climate law firm. 21

Ian Reed is the CAELP chief of staff. His prior professional experience includes several postings in the Obama Administration and with the political campaigns of former Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama. 22

The three-member governing board of CAELP includes Brian Deese and Gary Guzy, both  former staffers in the Obama Administration. 23

References

  1. “Our Mission.” Center for Applied Environmental Law & Policy. Accessed March 16, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/who-we-are 
  2. Feb 27, 2020 $50, 2019 $50 Nov 18, and 2019 $250 Nov 1. “New Venture Fund – for the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy.” Hewlett Foundation, August 15, 2017. https://hewlett.org/grants/new-venture-fund-for-the-center-for-applied-environmental-law-and-policy/
  3. “Arabella Advisors.” Devex. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.devex.com/organizations/arabella-advisors-62136
  4. “Project Directory.” New Venture Fund. Accessed May 14, 2020. http://www.newventurefund.org/project-directory/
  5. “Our People.” Arabella Advisors. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.arabellaadvisors.com/company/our-people/
  6. “Our Staff.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-staff
  7. “Our board.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-board
  8. Feb 27, 2020 $50, 2019 $50 Nov 18, and 2019 $250 Nov 1. “New Venture Fund – for the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy.” Hewlett Foundation, August 15, 2017. https://hewlett.org/grants/new-venture-fund-for-the-center-for-applied-environmental-law-and-policy/.
  9. Feb 27, 2020 $50, 2019 $50 Nov 18, and 2019 $250 Nov 1. “New Venture Fund – for the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy.” Hewlett Foundation, August 15, 2017. https://hewlett.org/grants/new-venture-fund-for-the-center-for-applied-environmental-law-and-policy/
  10. “Our Mission.” Center for Applied Environmental Law & Policy. Accessed March 16, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/who-we-are 
  11. Feb 27, 2020 $50, 2019 $50 Nov 18, and 2019 $250 Nov 1. “New Venture Fund – for the Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy.” Hewlett Foundation, August 15, 2017. https://hewlett.org/grants/new-venture-fund-for-the-center-for-applied-environmental-law-and-policy/.
  12. “Project Directory.” New Venture Fund. Accessed May 14, 2020. http://www.newventurefund.org/project-directory/
  13. “Arabella Advisors.” Devex. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.devex.com/organizations/arabella-advisors-62136
  14. “Our People.” Arabella Advisors. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.arabellaadvisors.com/company/our-people/
  15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990) (multiple). New Venture FundSixteen Thirty FundHopewell FundWindward Fund. 2008-2018. Part VII. Section B (Independent Contractors)
  16. New Venture Fund: For Support of The 2020 Climate Education Fund.” William + Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed March 12, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/new-venture-fund-for-support-of-the-2020-climate-education-fund/
  17. “Project Directory.” New Venture Fund. Accessed May 14, 2020. http://www.newventurefund.org/project-directory/.
  18. “Our Staff.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-staff
  19. “Our Staff.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-staff
  20. Center for Applied Environmental Law and Policy, IRS Form 990. 2017. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://resourceslegacyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RLF_990_2017.pdf
  21. “Our Staff.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-staff
  22. “Our Staff.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-staff
  23. “Our board.” CAELP. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.caelp.org/our-board
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