Non-profit

Earth Island Institute

This is a logo owned by Earth Island Institute for Earth Island Institute. (link)
Website:

johnmuirproject.org

Location:

BERKELEY, CA

Tax ID:

94-2889684

DUNS Number:

197052848

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $15,352,923
Expenses: $11,503,269
Assets: $18,750,303

President:

Josh Floum

Executive Director:

David Phillips

Formation:

1984

Latest Tax Filing:

2020 Form 990

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The Earth Island Institute is a left-of-center environmentalist organization that supports the preservation of federal forests and animals inhabiting federal forests. 1 The Earth Island Institute is openly opposed to the existence of the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Timber Sales program. 2 The Earth Island Institute seeks to prevent the legal and permitted harvesting of timber on federal lands through petitions, litigation, and publications designed to garner support amongst the public to terminate the BLM’s Timber Sales program. 3

Earth Island has opposed the use of zero carbon nuclear energy. 4

Finances

In 2017 Earth Island Institute received $12,436,028 in grants5 and possessed $14,143,244 in net assets after accounting for all liabilities. 6

Donors

Earth Island institute has received funding from a number of institutional environmentalist and other left-progressive institutional donors. In 2017, they included:

  • The California Wellness Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $150,000 grant. 7
  • The Annenberg Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $100,000 grant. 8
  • the Craigslist Charitable Fund provided Earth Island Institute with a $100,000 grant. 9
  • the Conservation Food and Health Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $25,000 grant. 10
  • the Causecast Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $22,000 grant. 11
  • the Chamberlin Family Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $10,000 grant. 12
  • the Clovis Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $10,000 grant. 13
  • the Barrios Trust provided Earth Island Institute with a $5,000 grant. 14
  • The Clif Bar Family Foundation provided Earth Island Institute with a $3,500 grant. 15
  • The Tomchin Family Charitable Trust provided Earth Island Institute with a $3,000 grant. 16
  • The Albert and Pamela Bendich Charitable Trust gave Earth Island Institute a $1,000 grant. 17

Litigation

In 2012 the Earth Island Institute joined with the Center for Biological Diversity and petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to list the California/Oregon and Black Hills (South Dakota) sub-species of the black-backed woodpecker as a threatened or endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). 18 Such a listing would in effect prevent timber harvesting in area considered the black-backed woodpecker’s critical habitat. 19

In 2014 the Earth Island Institute joined with the Wildlife Nature Institute and petitioned FWS to list the California spotted owl as a threatened or endangered species under the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). 20 Such a listing would in effect prevent timber harvesting in areas considered the California spotted owl’s critical habitat. 21

On April 15, 2020 Earthjustice, joined with Sierra Forest Legacy, Center for Biological Diversity, and Defenders of Wildlife to sue the Trump administration for rejecting the designation of the California spotted owl as an endangered species. 22 Neither species was ever formally registered as endangered under the Obama administration. 23

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Earth Island was one of more than 600 co-signing organizations on a January 2019 open letter to Congress titled “Legislation to Address the Urgent Threat of Climate Change.” The signatories declared their support for new laws to bring about “100 percent decarbonization” of the transportation sector but denounced nuclear power as an example of “dirty energy” that should not be included in any legislation promoting the use of so-called “renewable energy.” 24

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 19 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. 25 An October 2018 proposal from The Nature Conservancy noted that zero-carbon nuclear plants produced 7.8 percent of total world energy output and recommended reducing carbon emissions by increasing nuclear capacity to 33 percent of total world energy output. 26

Leadership

The Earth Island Institute was created in 1982 by David Brower, Chad Hanson, and David Orr. 27 Currently, Josh Floum serves as the president of the Institute and David Phillips serves as the executive director. Directors include Michael Mitrani, Deborah Sivas, Kenneth Brower, Jennifer Snyder, Alex Giedt, Barbara Brower, John De Graaf, Will Green, Francisco Martinez, Ariella St. Pierre, Camilla Fox, Julia Cohen and Sarah Diefendorf. 28

References

  1. “About” Of Earth Island Institute. https://johnmuirproject.org/about-us/
  2. “About” Of Earth Island Institute. https://johnmuirproject.org/about-us/
  3. “About” Of Earth Island Institute. https://johnmuirproject.org/about-us/
  4. “Group letter to Congress urging Green New Deal passage.” Earthworks. January 10, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2023. https://www.earthworks.org/publications/group-letter-to-congress-urging-green-new-deal-passage/
  5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part I, Line 8.
  6. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part I, Line 22.
  7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  15. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part XV.
  18. https://johnmuirproject.org/legal-pursuits/fesa-protection-sought-for-the-black-backed-woodpecker/
  19. “Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. https://www.fws.gov/southeast/endangered-species-act/critical-habitat/
  20. https://johnmuirproject.org/legal-pursuits/fesa-protection-sought-for-california-spotted-owl/
  21. “Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. https://www.fws.gov/southeast/endangered-species-act/critical-habitat/
  22. “Notice of Violations of the Endangered Species Act with Respect to the Decision that Listing the California Spotted Owl is Not Warranted” Earth Justice. https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/california_spotted_owl_60-day_notice_of_intent_to_sue_04_15-2020.pdf
  23. “Notice of Violations of the Endangered Species Act with Respect to the Decision that Listing the California Spotted Owl is Not Warranted” https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/california_spotted_owl_60-day_notice_of_intent_to_sue_04_15-2020.pdf
  24. “Group letter to Congress urging Green New Deal passage.” Earthworks. January 10, 2019. Accessed July 27, 2023. https://www.earthworks.org/publications/group-letter-to-congress-urging-green-new-deal-passage/
  25. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
  26. “The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability/
  27. “About” Of Earth Island Institute. https://johnmuirproject.org/about-us/
  28. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” Guidestar.org. Accessed June 16, Part VII.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1984

  • 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
    2019 Jun Form 990 $15,352,923 $11,503,269 $18,750,303 $757,405 Y $12,939,028 $1,636,482 $742,309 $602,063 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $14,352,706 $10,303,392 $14,951,821 $808,577 Y $12,436,028 $1,395,856 $343,384 $148,895 PDF
    2017 Jun Form 990 $11,222,807 $9,751,020 $10,715,975 $622,045 N $8,694,732 $1,503,386 $651,458 $336,725 PDF
    2016 Jun Form 990 $10,303,653 $10,325,492 $9,676,345 $1,054,202 Y $8,713,822 $1,249,267 $104,673 $209,560 PDF
    2015 Jun Form 990 $11,170,199 $11,346,944 $9,865,631 $1,221,649 N $9,437,096 $1,173,783 $153,386 $223,855 PDF
    2014 Jun Form 990 $4,576,488 $5,098,012 $10,345,933 $1,392,756 Y $3,642,164 $661,831 $80,874 $99,608 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $11,557,597 $12,144,021 $11,017,260 $1,747,037 Y $9,936,764 $1,066,354 $131,176 $211,419 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $12,331,235 $10,956,762 $11,346,143 $1,885,668 Y $10,298,721 $1,101,364 $89,478 $192,453 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $13,883,989 $12,989,684 $11,049,127 $2,996,541 Y $12,006,426 $1,436,542 $54,266 $186,880 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Earth Island Institute

    2150 ALLSTON WAY STE 460
    BERKELEY, CA 94704-1375