GreenRoots

GreenRoots is a left-of-center environmental advocacy and community organizing nonprofit based in Chelsea, Massachusetts, but also active in East Boston. The group seeks to push its vision of climate and environmental justice by engaging with the “BIPOC communities of Chelsea and East Boston” to act. 1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy
Website: greenrootschelsea.org
Formation:

2016

Executive Director:

Roseann Bongiovanni

Location: Chelsea, MA View on map
Tax ID: 81-2718273
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $12,576,223 Revenue: $4,315,910 Expenses: $4,143,913

Contents

    The group’s view of environmental justice includes the “equal distribution of environmental benefits” regardless of “race, class, ethnicity, [or] immigration status.” 2 GreenRoots was founded formally in 2016, but traces its history back to 30 years of environmental activism. 3

    Programs

    GreenRoots seeks to promote left-of-center environmental justice projects in Chelsea and East Boston through youth leadership training, campaigns and projects. 4 Initiatives include the Waterfront Access and Revitalization project, which is meant to improve public access to the Chelsea Creek, Mill Creek, Island End River, and Mystic River areas, and its Climate Justice and Resiliency project, which opposes so-called “heat islands” and advocates for “health equity” including “racial justice.” 5 6 7

    GreenRoots’ view of “environmental injustice” includes the claim that “low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by toxic pollution” and that such groups “lack of open space, natural resources, and other critically essential resources.” 2

    Financials

    In 2023, GreenRoots received $1,050,000 in grants from Mass General Brigham Incorporated, a nonprofit healthcare system based in Massachusetts. 8 9

    In 2022, GreenRoots received $350,000 in grants from the Cedar Tree Foundation. 10 The Cedar Tree Foundation, formerly known as the David H. Smith Foundation, is a private environmentalist grantmaking foundation that supports environmentalist nonprofits, particularly those based in minority communities. 11

    In 2023, GreenRoots received a $17,500 grant from Resist, Inc, a left-of-center grantmaking organization that supports community groups focused on issues related to claimed white supremacy, patriarchy, heteronormativity, capitalism, and “Christian hegemony.” 12 13

    In 2023, the GreenRoots reported $148,575 from government grants. 14

    People

    Roseann Bongiovanni is the executive director of GreenRoots. 15 Bongiovanni, founded GreenRoots in 2016, and lists advocating against projects like a diesel power plant and ethanol trains in Chelsea among her achievements. 16 In 2021, Bongiovanni led an effort to vaccinate large percentages of the Black community in Chelsea, Massachusetts through a door-knocking campaign. 17 She is also a former City Councilor and City Council President in Chelsea, Massachusetts. 16

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $12,576,223 $4,315,910 $4,143,913 View
    2023 $9,575,498 $4,837,536 $2,320,809 View
    2022 $6,591,662 $5,316,594 $1,846,519 View
    2021 $3,100,624 $2,261,048 $1,804,171 View
    2020 $2,839,985 $2,884,926 $1,235,474 View
    2019 $1,208,210 $1,396,095 $847,162 View

    Prior year filings: 2018, 2017

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 42

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Roseann BongiovanniEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR$150,359
    Yaritza Morales-GonzalezDEPUTY DIRECTOR$118,591

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $14,468,649
    • Number of Grants: 271
    • Number of Funders: 90

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $1,050,0002023 Mass General Brigham Incorporated & Affiliates Group ReturnCOMMUNITY BENEFIT PROGRAM
    $750,0002021 Barr FoundationTo provide core support for Greenroots' East Boston Waterfront Initiative
    $500,0002021 Barr FoundationTo provide general operating support
    $340,4372024 Health Resources in ActionRWJF CULTURE OF HEALTH PROJECT, COMMUNITY HEALTH GRANTMAKING, UNRESTRICTED
    $330,0002020 United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Inc.Community Impact
    $300,0002022 Cedar Tree FoundationPROJECT SUPPORT FOR THE PURCHASE AND RENOVATION OF THE FORBES PROPERTY IN CHELSEA
    $286,6002022 United States Energy FoundationTO SUPPORT EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO BUILD A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND ANALYSIS ON THE BENEFITS OF CLEAN TRANSPORTATION. GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT.
    $285,0002023 Fidelity FoundationNEW CONSTRUCTION
    $250,0002023 Barr FoundationWATERFRONT: TO PROVIDE CORE SUPPORT FOR GREENROOTS' EAST BOSTON WATERFRONT INITIATIVE
    $250,0002020 Barr FoundationTo provide general operating support. COVID-19 Response
    $200,0002023 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute IncCommunity Support
    $200,0002022 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute IncCommunity Support
    $170,4502024 Barr FoundationTO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $170,0002023 Barr FoundationCLIMATE: TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING
    $158,8922022 Trustees of Boston UniversityResearch
    $157,8222024 Barr FoundationTO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $150,0002024 Mass General Brigham Incorporated & Affiliates Group ReturnCOMMUNITY BENEFIT PROGRAM
    $150,0002023 Barr FoundationCLIMATE: TO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $150,0002021 Windward FundENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS
    $149,4062024 Barr FoundationTO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $135,0002020 The Devonshire FoundationGREENROOTS' THREE-YEAR GRANT SUPPORTS CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH THE ADDITION OF STAFF MEMBERS. THIS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN INDIVIDUAL AND CORPORATE DONORS AND AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS SERVED. THIS FUNDING INCLUDES OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE OUR FUNDING THROUGH MATCHING GRANTS.
    $125,0002023 Barr FoundationSPECIAL INITIATIVES: TO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $125,0002022 Barr FoundationSPECIAL INITIATIVES: TO PROVIDE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
    $115,0002021 United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Inc.Community Impact
    $108,5912021 Health Resources in ActionMA COVID 19 COMMUNITY GRANTS

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $600,250
    • Number of Grants: 14
    • Number of Recipients: 14

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $520,0002025 City of Chelsea – Department of Planning & DevelopmentTO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PARK ON 212 CONGRESS ST, CHELSEA MA 02150
    $12,0002025 Theatrezone Inc DBA Apollinaire Theatre CompanyTO HIRE A CAUSE MARKETING FIRM OR VIDEOGRAPHER TO HELP US CREATE VIDEO CONTENT FOR STORYTELLING.
    $10,0002025 Chelsea Black CommunityTO OFFER OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMS WITH A FOCUS ON ACCESS, AVAILABILITY, SUPPORT, AND EDUCATION.
    $10,0002025 La Colaborativa IncTO SUPPORT WITH TELLING CHELSEA RESIDENTS STORY THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF CHELSEA PHOTOGRAPHY
    $8,0002025 Chelsea Community Connections CoalitionTO CREATE AND PUBLISH A BOOK OUTLINING THE HISTORY, STORIES AND IMPACT OF CHELSEA COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS.
    $7,5002025 Jewish Chelsea Museum IncTO SHARE STORIES OF IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS TO DISCOVER AND ILLUMINATE THE TIMELESS THEMES OF MIGRATION AMONG GENERATIONS AND ACROSS CULTURES.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Our Vision & Mission.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/about-us/our-vision-mission.
    2. “What Is Environmental Justice?” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/about-us/environmental-justice.
    3. “Our History.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/about-us/our-history
    4.  “About Us.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/about-us.
    5. “Waterfront Access & Revitalization.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/our-work/waterfront-access-revitalization.
    6. “Climate Justice and Resiliency.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/our-work/climate-justice-resiliency.
    7. “Health Equity.” GreenRoots. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.greenrootsej.org/our-work/health-equity.
    8. “Supporting Our Partners’ Efforts to Build a Better Future.” Community Labor United. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.massclu.org/supporting-our-partners-efforts-to-build-a-better-future/.
    9. “Mass General Brigham Incorporated.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43230035.
    10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Cedar Tree Foundation Inc. 2022. Part I4, lines 40, 41.
    11. “Who We Are.” Cedar Tree Foundation. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://cedartreefound.org/who-we-are.
    12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Resist Inc. 2023. Part 2, line 52.
    13. “Theory of Change.” Resist Inc, November 14, 2020. https://resist.org/theory-of-change/.
    14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). GreenRoots Inc. 2023. Part 8, line E.
    15. “GreenRoots Inc.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/812718273.
    16. “Roseann Bongiovanni – Executive Director – GreenRoots.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/roseann-bongiovanni/.
    17. Barlow, Rich. “Alum Roseann Bongiovanni Is Helping One of the Hardest-Hit Covid Cities Get Vaccinated.” Boston University, August 30, 2021. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/roseann-bongiovanni-helping-one-of-the-hardest-hit-covid-cities-get-vaccinated/.