Non-profit

Earthjustice Action

Website:

earthjusticeaction.org/

Location:

Washington, DC

Tax ID:

82-1981944

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2022):

Revenue: $1,758,721
Expenses: $1,049,209
Assets: $2,090,611

Type:

Environmental Advocacy Group

Formation:

2017

President:

Abigail Dillen

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Earthjustice Action is a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy and lobbying organization affiliated with Earthjustice. 1

Earthjustice Action was a signatory on an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sign-on letter opposing the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. The bill “postpones certain tax filing deadlines” for United States nationals who have been taken hostage or unlawfully detained abroad, and allows “for a refund and abatement of tax penalties and fines” paid by hostages, those detained, and their spouses or dependents. The bill also “terminates the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting [sic] organizations.” 2 3

Background

Earthjustice Action is a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy and lobbying organization that is affiliated with Earthjustice, a public interest law firm that litigates cases related to left-leaning climate and energy policy, often on behalf of left-leaning climate policy organizations such as GreenpeaceFriends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Rainforest Action Network, the League of Conservation Voters, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. 1 4

Earthjustice Action focuses on assisting Earthjustice’s litigation by supporting the confirmation of federal judges who support left-of-center environmentalist issues, and protect environmental laws that Earthjustice relies on to win in court. According to Earthjustice Action, such laws include the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. 1 5

The organization has launched several left-of-center advertising campaigns including a six-figure digital advertising campaign that was launched in partnership with the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and Sierra Club. The campaign, launched on July 13, 2023, called for U.S. Senators to “continue confirming President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees as quickly as possible,” and urged that U.S. Senators “rebalance the federal judiciary with President Biden’s fair-minded judges” who support left-of-center approaches to environmentalist issues. 6

Earthjustice Action endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. 7

Legislative Advocacy

Earthjustice Action signed an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) letter opposing H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. The bill “postpones certain tax filing deadlines” for United States nationals who have been taken hostage or unlawfully detained abroad, and allows “for a refund and abatement of tax penalties and fines” paid by hostages, those detained, and their spouses or dependents. The bill also “terminates the tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting [sic] organizations.” 8 3

The letter, written on September 20, 2024, stated that although the signatories do not oppose the provisions regarding hostages and those wrongfully detained, it does oppose the provisions regarding the termination of tax-exempt status for terrorist supporting organizations as it “grants the Secretary of the Treasury virtually unfettered discretion” to designate a nonprofit organization as a “terrorist supporting organization.” The letter claims that with the “easily abused” new powers, the Secretary could remove an organization’s tax-exempt status if the Secretary finds that the organization had provided material support to a terrorist organization, “even if the ‘support’ is not intentional or connected to actual violence.” 2

The letter also claimed that the “potential for abuse” via the bill is “immense” as it could be used to “curb free speech,” and “target political opponents.” The letter continues by claiming that “these efforts are part of [a] concerted attack on civil society.” 2

Financials

Earthjustice Action receives nearly all its revenue from contributions and grants. The organization had a total revenue amount of $770,518 in 2021, just under $1.76 million in 2022, and just under $2.4 million in 2023. According to its tax returns, 99.9 percent of its revenue came from contributions and grants in 2021 and 2022, while in 2023 it was nearly 100 percent. 9

The organization’s total expenses amounted to $673,219 in 2021, which increased to just over $1 million in 2022, and jumped to just under $2.1 million in 2023. Its net assets amounted to $1.25 million in 2021, just under $2 million in 2022, and just under $2.3 million in 2023. 9

Funding

The organization received $190,000 from the Partnership Project Action Fund in 2022. The Partnership Project Action Fund is a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy organization directly affiliated and controlled by the Partnership Project, a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy group that consists of a collaboration of some of the largest environmental groups. 10

Earthjustice Action also received grants from the ClimateWorks Foundation, a left-of-center “pass-through” funding entity that distributes funds from donors to environmentalist advocacy groups around the world. The foundation granted Earthjustice Action $50,000 in 2022, and $75,000 in 2023. 11

References

  1. “About Earthjustice and Earthjustice Action.” Earthjustice. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://earthjustice.org/about/earthjustice-action-501c4.
  2. “ACLU Sign on Letter Opposing H.R.9495.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://civilrights.org/resource/aclu-sign-on-letter-opposing-h-r-9495/.
  3. “H.R.9495 – Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.” Congress.gov. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9495.
  4. “Our Clients.” Earthjustice. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://earthjustice.org/our-work/clients.
  5. “Strengthening Environmental Laws.” Earthjustice Action. September 27, 2024. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://earthjusticeaction.org/strengthening-environmental-laws/.
  6. Geoffrey. “Earthjustice Action, League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, and Sierra Club Announce Six-Figure Ad Buy Urging Senate to Confirm President Biden’s Judicial Nominees.” Earthjustice Action. July 13, 2023. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://earthjusticeaction.org/news/earthjustice-action-league-of-conservation-voters-education-fund-and-sierra-club-announce-six-figure-ad-buy-urging-senate-to-confirm-president-bidens-judicial-nominees/.
  7. Geoffrey. “Earthjustice Action Endorses Vice President Kamala Harris for President.” Earthjustice Action. August 1, 2024. Accessed January 13, 2025. https://earthjusticeaction.org/news/earthjustice-action-endorses-vice-president-kamala-harris-for-president/
  8. “ACLU Sign on Letter Opposing H.R.9495.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://civilrights.org/resource/aclu-sign-on-letter-opposing-h-r-9495/.
  9. “Earthjustice Action – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/821981944.
  10. “Partnership Project Action Fund.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/810606786/202303189349309860/full.
  11. “Grants database – Earthjustice Action” ClimateWorks Foundation. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.climateworks.org/grants-database/?sort_by=newest&search=earthjustice%20action&posts_per_page=20.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: June - May
  • Tax Exemption Received: January 1, 2018

  • 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
    2022 Jun Form 990 $1,758,721 $1,049,209 $2,090,611 $130,087 N $1,757,715 $0 $570 $136,049
    2021 Jun Form 990 $770,518 $673,219 $1,308,643 $56,882 N $769,781 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2020 Jun Form 990 $302,506 $212,986 $1,168,240 $13,778 N $302,188 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Jun Form 990 $316,632 $166,576 $1,083,184 $18,242 N $316,632 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2018 Jun Form 990 $1,190,727 $275,841 $929,259 $14,373 N $1,190,727 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Earthjustice Action


    Washington, DC