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Non-profit

Crane Institute of Sustainability

Website:

cranesustainability.wordpress.com/
Location:

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Tax ID:

47-5094692
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $931,428
Expenses: $937,276
Assets: $229,584
Type:

Environmental Activism Organization
Executive Director:

Georges Dyer
Formation:

2015

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Crane Institute of Sustainability (Crane) is a left-of-center organization which promotes socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activism. Its “flagship initiative” is the critical race theory-influenced 1 Intentional Endowments Network (IEN). 2 3 4

Formed in 2015, Crane works with organizations in the higher education, business, and nonprofit sectors to advocate for the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity 5 and to support the left-of-center concept of ESG activism in endowment investing. 6 7

In 2020, Crane was an associate partner of left-wing Global Citizen’s “Time to Just Vote” campaign. 8 From 2017 to 2018, Crane received at least $245,423 of grants from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. 9 10 11

History and Leadership

Crane Institute of Sustainability was co-founded in 2015 by Georges Dyer and Tony Cortese of the environmental activist organizations Ceres and Second Nature 12 as the organizational home of the critical race theory-influenced 13 Intentional Endowments Network (IEN). 14 15 16

The idea to form the Crane Institute of Sustainability came following an April 2014 meeting in which a group of 120 philanthropists developed an agenda to implement the left-of-center concept of socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activism in endowment investing. 17 18 19

As of October 2022, Georges Dyer is Crane’s executive director. 20 Dyer also leads IEN and advocates for ESG activism for college endowment investments. 21

Activities and Funding

Crane Institute of Sustainability works with organizations in the higher education, business, and nonprofit sectors to develop an agenda to implement the left-of-center concept of socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activism in endowment investing. 22 23

Crane supports adding a “sustainability lens” to all decision-making processes, 24  advocates for the critical race theory-influenced concept of equity, expresses the view that “historic social structures” perpetuate inequality and drive ecological breakdown, 25 and supports left-of-center climate-related activism. 26

Members of the Crane Institute of Sustainability’s staff and board have also promoted environmentalist activism and the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice in numerous publications. 27 28

The critical race theory-influenced 29 environmentalist activism organization Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) is the “flagship initiative” of the Crane Institute of Sustainability. 30 31 Crane coordinates IEN’s efforts to align its investment efforts with left-of-center ESG activism and sustainability goals. 32

In 2020, Crane was an associate partner of left-wing Global Citizen’s “Time to Just Vote” campaign. 33 Crane is also an institutional member of the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. 34

Funding

In 2020, the Crane Institute of Sustainability reported revenue of $931,428 and expenses of $937,276. Crane reported revenue of $744,784 and expenses of $818,081 in 2019. 35

Crane received a $50,000 grant from the left-of-center Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 2022 and a separate grant of $27,333 from Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 2021. 36 Crane received $50,000 from the Goldman Sachs Charitable Fund in 2020 37 and $10,000 from the Hanley Foundation in 2019. 38

Between 2017 and 2018, Crane received at least $245,423 of grants from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. 39 40 41 Crane has received $20,000 from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 2018; $50,000 from the Denver Foundation in 2016; 42 and additional funding from the Lodestar Foundation 43 and Breckinridge Capital Advisors. 44

References

  1. “Investing in Racial Equity.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/investing_in_racial_equity.
  2. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  3. “Home.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/.
  4. “The Leading Mission-Aligned Investing Network for Higher Education and Other Endowed Institutions.” International Endowments Network. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/about_ien.
  5. “Title: Managing Director.” Job Posting of The Crain institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/intentionalendowments/pages/5468/attachments/original/1615215395/Managing_Director_Job_Description_%282021%29.pdf?1615215395.
  6. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  7. “Title: Managing Director.” Job Posting of The Crain institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/intentionalendowments/pages/5468/attachments/original/1615215395/Managing_Director_Job_Description_%282021%29.pdf?1615215395.
  8. “Time to Just Vote.” Global Citizen. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/justvote/time/.
  9. “The Ford Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2018. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/201913199349101266/IRS990PF.
  10. “The Crane Institute of Sustainability, Inc.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/crane-institute-sustainability-inc.
  11. “The Ford Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2017. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/201803209349100025/full.
  12. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  13. [1] “Investing in Racial Equity.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/investing_in_racial_equity.
  14. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  15. “Home.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/.
  16. “The Leading Mission-Aligned Investing Network for Higher Education and Other Endowed Institutions.” International Endowments Network. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/about_ien.
  17. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  18. “Georges Dyer.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 6, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/georges_dyer.
  19. “Georges Dyer.” Twitter Bio. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/georgesdyer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
  20. “The Crane Institute of Sustainability, Board of Directors.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/board_members.
  21. “Georges Dyer.” Twitter Bio. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/georgesdyer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
  22. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  23. “Georges Dyer.” Twitter Bio. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/georgesdyer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor.
  24. “Home.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/.
  25. “Title: Managing Director.” Job Posting of The Crain institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/intentionalendowments/pages/5468/attachments/original/1615215395/Managing_Director_Job_Description_%282021%29.pdf?1615215395.
  26. “History.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/history#:~:text=In%202015%2C%20the%20IEN%20principals,3)%20tax%2Dexempt%20status.
  27. [1] “What We Do.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/what-we-do/.
  28. “Publications.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/publications/.
  29. “Investing in Racial Equity.” Intentional Endowments Network. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/investing_in_racial_equity.
  30. “Home.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/.
  31. “The Leading Mission-Aligned Investing Network for Higher Education and Other Endowed Institutions.” International Endowments Network. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.intentionalendowments.org/about_ien.
  32. “What We Do.” The Crane Institute of Sustainability. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://cranesustainability.wordpress.com/what-we-do/
  33. “Time to Just Vote.” Global Citizen. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/justvote/time/.
  34. “Institutional Members.” The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.ussif.org/institutions,.
  35. “The Crane Institute of Sustainability Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475094692/202110509349300931/full.
  36. “The Crane Institute of Sustainability, Inc.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/crane-institute-sustainability-inc.
  37. “The Goldman Sachs Charitable Gift Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/113813663/202120839349300137/full.
  38. “Hanley Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/20631312/202003189349101435/full.
  39. The Ford Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2018. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/201913199349101266/IRS990PF.
  40. “The Crane Institute of Sustainability, Inc.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed October 5, 2022. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/crane-institute-sustainability-inc.
  41. “The Ford Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2017. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131684331/201803209349100025/full
  42. “The Denver Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2016. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/846048381/201703199349312775/full.
  43. “The Lodestar Foundation – Comprehensive List of Grantees.” The Lodestar Foundation. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.lodestarfoundation.org/our-grantees/#1588630294075-d4e2c51c-10ea.
  44. “Progress on Material Topics in 2020.” Breckinridge Capital Advisors. 2020. Accessed October 7, 2022. https://www.breckinridge.com/2020-corporate-sustainability-report/progress/.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 2016

    • 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
    2020 Dec Form 990 $931,428 $937,276 $229,584 $127,308 N $918,108 $13,320 $0 $286,103 PDF
    2019 Dec Form 990 $744,784 $818,081 $113,129 $5,005 N $709,922 $34,862 $0 $321,277 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $618,160 $603,842 $186,010 $4,589 N $603,939 $14,221 $0 $192,246 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $495,851 $377,175 $173,360 $6,257 N $492,526 $3,325 $0 $179,800 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $420,227 $437,700 $83,997 $35,570 N $372,298 $47,929 $0 $166,500
    2015 Dec Form 990EZ $65,900 $0 $65,900 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Crane Institute of Sustainability

    1 ELM ST
    Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA 01944-1314