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Non-profit

Environmental Leadership Program

Website:

elpnet.org
Location:

GREENBELT, MD
Tax ID:

04-3521791
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $849,532
Expenses: $620,631
Assets: $547,410
Formation:

1997
Founder:

Paul Sabin

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a left-of-center advocacy group that provides training and other support resources to mid-career environmentalist activists. ELP aims to create new models for environmental leadership that would “emphasize diversity, collaboration across sectors, personal sustainability, and effective communication,” while also training new activists to “shape the policy debate.” 1

The group has received multiple grants from foundations such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Cedar Tree Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The group is also related to the Surdna Foundation through its president and former Environmental Leadership Program board member Don Chen.

Founding

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides training and other support resources to emerging leaders in the environmental movement.

Paul Sabin, a graduate student in environmental history at the University of California, Berkeley, created the group in 1997 alongside ten colleagues with initial funding from the left-wing Nathan Cummings Foundation, after a report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy claimed conservative donors had created a network of right-of-center individuals to influence political policy debates on a national level. 2

Sabin sought to use ELP to develop new models for environmentalist leadership that would “emphasize diversity, collaboration across sectors, personal sustainability, and effective communication,” while also training new environmental leaders to “shape the policy debate.” 3

For its fellowship program, ELP selects individuals with at least ten years’ experience working in different professional environments such as business, non-governmental organizations, academia, and government institutions. These fellows then take part in a one-year course that consists of three overnight retreats that last eleven days total. 4

Funding

The Environmental Leadership Program receives grants from multiple organizations and groups. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund granted ELP $10,000 in 2006 and $10,000 in 2007 for “sustainable development.” 5

ELP has received large amounts of money from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in the form of grants. The group received $200,000 in 20016 and $100,000 in 2003 for “general purposes,”7 $20,000 in 2006 for its fellowship program,8 $50,000 in 20169 and $150,000 in 2017 for its “Great Lakes Leadership Project.” 10 ELP also received $30,000 from the Bullitt Foundation in 2015 to “offer a second year of its Pacific Northwest Regional Fellowship Program.” 11

The Environmental Leadership Program also received grants from the Cedar Tree Foundation. The foundation granted ELP $100,000 a year for two years in 200412 and $75,000 per year for two years in 2006 for “interns in the environmental field.” 13 It also received $75,000 per year for two years in 2008,14 $70,000 per year for two years in 2010,15 $50,000 in 2015,16 $50,000 in 2016,17 and $25,000 in 2017 for “general support.” 18

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation granted ELP $30,000 in 2016,19 $10,000 in 2017,20 and $10,000 in 2019. 21

ELP also received a $100,000 grant from the Surdna Foundation in 2006 to “strengthen development capacity,” and expand the senior fellows regional network program. 22

Aside from receiving grants from foundations, ELP has used crowdfunding sources in the past. It received £13,331 from 85 donors in 8 years from the Global Giving Foundation. 23

ELP works as a consultation group to multiple organizations, including the Anacostia Watershed Society, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, NatureBridge, TogetherGreen, and the Oregon Native American Business Entrepreneurs Network. 24

The group is also related to the Surdna Foundation through its president and former Environmental Leadership Program board member Don Chen. Chen, who has been the president of the Surdna Foundation since 2018, previously worked at the Ford Foundation for ten years, most recently serving as Director of the Just Cities and Regions program. 25

References

  1. Grist. “Paul Sabin, Environmental Leadership Program.” Grist. August 12, 2002. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/paul/full/.
  2. Grist. “Paul Sabin, Environmental Leadership Program.” Grist. August 12, 2002. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/paul/full/
  3. Grist. “Paul Sabin, Environmental Leadership Program.” Grist. August 12, 2002. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://grist.org/article/paul/full/
  4. “Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) – 1148 Words | Research Paper Example.” IvyPanda. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-leadership-program-elp/.
  5. “Environmental Leadership Program.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. September 01, 2015. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/environmental-leadership-program.
  6. “Environmental Leadership Program, General Purposes, 200000508.” Mott Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.mott.org/grants/environmental-leadership-program-general-purposes-200000508/.
  7. “Environmental Leadership Program, General Purposes, 200000508.01.” Mott Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.mott.org/grants/environmental-leadership-program-general-purposes-200000508-01/.
  8. “Environmental Leadership Program, Fellowship Program, 200600945.” Mott Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.mott.org/grants/environmental-leadership-program-fellowship-program-200600945/.
  9. “Environmental Leadership Program, Great Lakes Leadership Project, 201500614.” Mott Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.mott.org/grants/environmental-leadership-program-great-lakes-leadership-project-201500614/.
  10. “Environmental Leadership Program | Great Lakes Leadership Project.” Mott Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.mott.org/grants/environmental-leadership-program-great-lakes-leadership-project-201500614-01/.
  11. DEI Creative in Seattle, WA. “Grant History 2015-current.” The Bullitt Foundation Environmental Leadership Program2015a Comments. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://www.bullitt.org/grant/environmental-leadership-program-2015a-5/.
  12. “2004 Environmental Education Grants.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2004-environmental-education-grants.
  13. “2006 Environmental Education Grants.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2006-environmental-education-grants.
  14. “2008 Environmental Education Grants.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2008-environmental-education-grants.
  15. “2010 Sustainable Agriculture Grants.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2010-sustainable-agriculture-grants.
  16. “2015 Environmental (Regional).” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2015-environmental-other.
  17. “2016 Environmental (Regional).” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2016-environmental-regional.
  18. “2017 Environmental Opportunities.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://cedartreefound.org/2017-environmental-opportunities.
  19. “Announcing Our First Grants of 2016.” Announcing Our First Grants of 2016. June 26, 2017. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://www.grdodge.org/about-us/featured-news/announcing-our-first-grants-of-2016/.
  20. “Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Announces $2.6 Million in New Grants.” New Jersey Stage. April 12, 2017. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/2017/04/12/geraldine-r-dodge-foundation-announces-26-million-in-new-grants/.
  21. “Announcing Our First Grants of 2019.” Announcing Our First Grants of 2019. April 12, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2019. http://www.grdodge.org/about-us/featured-news/announcing-our-first-grants-of-2019/.
  22. “Surdna Foundation 2006 Annual Report.” Issue Lab. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://www.issuelab.org/resources/7708/7708.pdf
  23. “Emerging and Innovative Environmental Leadership.” GlobalGiving. Accessed April 29, 2019.https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/emerging-environmental-leadership/#menu.
  24. “Consulting.” Consulting | Environmental Leadership Program. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://elpnet.org/consulting.
  25. “Don Chen.” Surdna Foundation. Accessed April 29, 2019. https://surdna.org/team/don-chen/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Don Chen
    Former Board Member
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: August 1, 2000

    • 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
    2017 Dec Form 990 $849,532 $620,631 $547,410 $99,411 N $510,597 $338,860 $75 $100,800 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $374,171 $563,915 $271,236 $52,138 N $175,970 $198,042 $157 $99,059
    2015 Dec Form 990 $462,844 $497,736 $470,702 $61,860 N $246,030 $220,197 $1,243 $97,095 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $541,643 $419,327 $465,612 $21,878 N $384,059 $156,937 $647 $91,194 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $413,853 $329,265 $325,503 $24,352 N $317,749 $95,948 $156 $89,790 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $298,942 $274,317 $224,323 $11,217 N $256,388 $42,551 $3 $81,482 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $223,752 $242,306 $195,901 $7,459 N $169,285 $38,700 $0 $76,125 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for Environmental Leadership Program

    Environmental Leadership Program

    135 HEDGEWOOD DR
    GREENBELT, MD 20770-1656