Also see League of Conservation Voters (nonprofit)

The League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF) is the educational arm of the League of Conservation Voters, an environmentalist advocacy group that endorses left-wing candidates for public office. It seeks to educate the public on environmental issues and build support for its agenda. Like all tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits, LCVEF is officially nonpartisan in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; but its activities are arguably often made in support of politically active organizations, such as its League of Conservation Voters affiliate.

Among the issues the Education Fund promotes are opposition to the use of fossil fuel energy sources. They also support the use of more expensive and less efficient “renewables” such as solar and wind. They are also opposed to the construction of energy infrastructure. Finally, they are opposed to resource extraction projects such as mining.¹

Organization

The organization is responsible for training progressive activists and educating them on environmental issues. The LCV Education Fund claims it has engaged some 60,000 volunteers through its grassroots activism.² The organization also networks with other progressive organizations and activists.

It cooperates with other progressive organizations on issues that may not have anything to do with the environment such as opposition to voter identification laws.³ In 2017, the organization issued a statement opposing a border wall.⁴

The organization conducts opinion polls and surveys. It uses online petitions to promote certain messages. For example, it has circulated an online petition to urge UPS to pull its support of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative policy shop.⁵

The LCV Education Fund has dozens of state affiliates. Among the most prominent state affiliates are those in California, New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut. Most states that have a chapter of the LCV have a state chapter of the education fund as well.

Fundraising

Donations to the LCV Education Fund are tax deductible. In 2013, the organization raised $9.1 million and spent $7.7 million.⁶ The organization had $8.5 million in assets.

The organization receives most of its donations from foundations. In 2015, it received $1,000 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.⁷ Since 2000, it has received donations from the Brainerd Foundation.⁸ In 2014, a Colorado newspaper claimed that the organization received $9 million from the Sea Change Foundation in 2010 and 2011.⁹ The organization also received a combined $3 million from the Marisla Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Tides Foundation, and the Energy Foundation between 2010 and 2012.

In September 2021, the LCVEF  received a $5 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund. The grant was part of a $203.7 million package of grants and pledges given out to “advance climate justice” and fund climate change activism. ¹⁰

Influence Campaigns

The LCV Education Fund does not support or oppose candidates for office.  Instead, it works with other activists to promote the environmental issues they are campaigning on. It has online petition drives where it encourages people to sign up for various issues and the petitions are forwarded to the appropriate lawmakers. It also registers people to vote.

The group works with the various LCV state chapters and awards grants to support their operations.

In 2013, the organization spent $3.3 million on climate change education campaigns. Among the expenditures is a $2.7 million grant to the parent League of Conservation Voters (LVC) organization.¹¹

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power plants produce no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions, and as of 2021 accounted for 20 percent of American electricity production—the largest source of zero carbon electricity in the United States. ¹²  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. ¹³

The League of Conservation Voters was one of more than 100 co-signatories on a November 2020 letter to the U.S. Senate that expressed opposition to S. 4897, the “American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020.” The letter stated that nuclear power “amplifies and expands the dangers of climate change” and denounced it as an example of “false solutions to the climate crisis that perpetuate our reliance on dirty energy industries.” The letter was signed by Matthew Davis, who was identified as the legislative director for the LCV. ¹⁴

Grantmaking

The League of Conservation Voters Education Fund makes yearly support grants to the state-level branches of the League of Conservation Voters, but also gives large sums to other left-leaning political organizations. ^{15 16 17 18}

1. “Joe Slade White & Company » League Of Conservation Voters Anti-Mining Campaign.” 2017. Joesladewhite.Com. Accessed July 2 2017. http://joesladewhite.com/project/wlcv-anti-mining-campaign/.
2. “League Of Conservation Voters Education Fund – Grassroots Organizing.” 2017. LCVEF.org. Accessed July 17 2017. https://www.lcvef.org/organizing/grassroots-organizing/.
3. “The Fall Of Voter ID Laws: An Environment To Celebrate.” 2016. Medium. Accessed July 2 2017. https://medium.com/@LCVoters/the-fall-of-voter-id-laws-an-environment-to-celebrate-ae1a97e0a1fd.
4. “LCV Statement On Trump Administration’s Executive Orders To Build Border Wall And Temporary Refugee Ban – League Of Conservation Voters.” 2017. League Of Conservation Voters. Accessed July 2 2017. https://www.lcv.org/article/lcv-statement-trump-administrations-executive-orders-build-border-wall-temporary-refugee-ban/.
5. “Sign The Petition: Tell UPS To Stop Supporting ALEC!” 2017. Secure3.Convio.Net. Accessed July 2 2017. https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3646.
6. 2017. Pdfs.Citizenaudit.Org. Accessed June 24 2017. http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2014_12_EO/52-1379661_990_201312.pdf.
7. “League Of Conservation Voters Education Fund.” 2017. Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Accessed June 24 2017. https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/league-conservation-voters-education-fund.
8. “The Brainerd Foundation – Groups We’ve Funded.” 2017. Brainerd.Org. Accessed June 24 2017. http://www.brainerd.org/grantee-profile.php?orgID=00060.
9. “Who Killed The Vote On Fracking?—Glossary – Boulder Weekly.” 2014. Boulder Weekly. Accessed June 24 2017. http://www.boulderweekly.com/news/who-killed-the-vote-on-frackingmdashglossary/.
10. Boyle, A. (2021, September 9). Bezos Earth Fund highlights climate justice in $200m round of grants and pledges. GeekWire. Retrieved October 8, 2021, from https://www.geekwire.com/2021/bezos-earth-fund-highlights-climate-justice-200m-round-grants-pledges/.
11. 2017. Pdfs.Citizenaudit.Org. Accessed June 24 2017. http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2014_12_EO/52-1379661_990_201312.pdf.
12. “Nuclear explained.” U.S. Energy Information Administration. Accessed August 16, 2021. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/us-nuclear-industry.php
13. “ The Science of Sustainability.” The Nature Conservancy. October 13, 2018. Accessed August 16, 2021. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/the-science-of-sustainability
14. “Dear Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and Members of the Committee.” November 30, 2020. Accessed August 14, 2023. https://foe.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Sign-on_S4897_OPPOSE_119-orgs-3.pdf
15. Return of Tax-Exempt Organization. Form 990. League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. 2016. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/521379661/12_2017_prefixes_51-52%2F521379661_201612_990_2017121115019258.
16. Return of Tax-Exempt Organization. Form 990. League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/521379661/02_2019_prefixes_47-52%2F521379661_201712_990_2019020116054233.
17. Return of Tax-Exempt Organization. Form 990. League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. 2018. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/521379661/02_2020_prefixes_47-52%2F521379661_201812_990_2020020717127256.
18. Return of Tax-Exempt Organization. Form 990. League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/521379661/04_2021_prefixes_52-54%2F521379661_201912_990_2021040117851812.