Non-profit

League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF)

Website:

www.lcvef.org

Location:

WASHINGTON, DC

Tax ID:

52-1379661

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $34,853,153
Expenses: $37,142,482
Assets: $18,979,367

Formation:

1985

Latest Filing (Additional Filings Below):

2018 Form 990

2019 Form 990

2020 Form 990

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

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

Grant RecipientYearAmount ($)
THE ALASKA CENTER EDUCATION FUND201690,000
CONSERVATION ALABAMA FOUNDATION INC201630,000
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201635,000
CONSERVATION COLORADO EDUCATION FUND2016115,000
CONNECTICUT LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC201635,000
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA201650,000
CONSERVATION PENNSYLVANIA2016100,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA2016232,653
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO INC201612,500
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO EDUCATION FUND INC201682,500
CONSERVATION VOTERS NEW MEXICO EDUCATION FUND2016255,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION FUND201640,000
FLORIDA CONSERVATION ALLIANCE INSTITUTE201675,000
HIP HOP CAUCUS EDUCATION FUND201665,000
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS20167,250,000
MARYLAND LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC2016125,000
MAINE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE 201620,000
MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201660,000
MONTANA CONSERVATION VOTERS201665,000
NEBRASKA CONSERVATION EDUCATION FUND201620,000
NEVADA CONSERVATION LEAGUE EDUCATION FUND201650,000
NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201620,000
NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION2016232,653
NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS FOUNDATION2016355,000
THE OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL201650,000
OREGON LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201665,000
TEXAS LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201630,000
THE NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC201646,694
VIRGINIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201635,000
VOTE.ORG201650,000
VOTER REGISTRATION PROJECT20161,000,000
WASHINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL2016110,000
WISCONSIN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS INSTITUTE INC201675,000
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201710,000
CONNECTICUT LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC201722,000
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA201720,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO 201710,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO EDUCATION FUND INC201715,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS NEW MEXICO EDUCATION FUND201752,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA201755,656
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION FUND201730,000
BOIE FOR CLEAN WATER AND OPEN SPACE201725,000
FLORIDA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201730,000
GREENLATINOS20177,000
HIP HOP CAUCUS EDUCATION FUND2017150,000
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS INC20176,000,000
LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS201710,000
MONTANA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201720,000
NEBRASKA CONSERVATION EDUCATION FUND201715,000
NEVADA CONSERVATION LEAGUE EDUCATION FUND201734,000
NEW JERSEY LCV EDUCATION FUND2017177,000
NEW JERSEY LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS INC201753,656
OREGON LCV EDUCATION FUND201722,000
SUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOUNDATION2017300,000
ALASKA CENTER EDUCATION FUND201722,000
NEW YORK LCV EDUCATION FUND INC201751,506
VERMONT NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL201722,000
VIRGINIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2017100,000
VOTER REGISTRATION PROJECT20171,000,000
WASHINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL201722,000
CONNECTICUT LCV EDUCATION FUND INC201871,000
CONSERVATION ALABAMA FOUNDATION INC201871,000
CONSERVATION COLORADO EDUCATION FUND2018517,136
CONSERVATION MINNESOTA201876,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO EDUCATION FUND INC2018196,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS NEW MEXICO EDUCATION FUND201831,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF SC EDUCATION FUND201872,000
ENVIRONMENTAL LEAGUE OF MASSACHUSETTES201850,000
FLORIDA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND20181,129,138
GEORGIA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2018943,720
HIP HOP CAUCUS EDUCATION FUND201850,000
ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL EDUCATION FUND201821,500
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS201813,200,000
MAINE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE 201895,500
MARYLAND LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC201861,000
MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2018161,000
MONTANA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2018105,000
NEBRASKA CONSERVATION EDUCATION FUND INC2018125,000
NEVADA CONSERVATION LEAGUE EDUCATION FUND2018934,585
NEW JERSEY LCV EDUCATION FUND INC201891,000
NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS FOUNDATION20181,086,669
OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL201860,000
OREGON LCV EDUCATION FUND2018136,000
CITIZENS FOR PENNSYLVANIA'S FUTURE2018120,000
RETHINK ENERGY FLORIDA INC201812,000
THE ALASKA CENTER EDUCATION FUND2018140,000
THE NEW YORK LCV EDUCATION FUND2018177,042
VERMONT NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL201866,000
VIRGINIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2018908,413
VOTEORG20181,000,000
VOTER REGISTRATION PROJECT20183,750,000
WASHINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL2018146,000
WISCONSIN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS INSTITUTE INC2018121,000
CONSERVATION COLORADO EDUCATION FUND2019100,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS FOR IDAHO EDUCATION FUND INC201931,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF PENNSYLVANIA201910,000
CONSERVATION VOTERS OF SC EDUCATION FUND20196,000
FLORIDA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201991,000
GEORGIA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2019111,000
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS20195,100,000
MAINE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE 201946,000
MARYLAND LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND INC201930,000
MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2019109,970
MONTANA CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND201950,000
NEVADA CONSERVATION LEAGUE EDUCATION FUND201978,000
NEW YORK LCV EDUCATION FUND201921,500
NORTH CAROLINA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS FOUNDATION2019382,795
OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL201975,000
THE ALASKA CENTER EDUCATION FUND201956,000
VERMONT NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL201923,500
VIRGINIA LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND2019760,596
VOTER REGISTRATION PROJECT20194,000,000
WASHINGTON ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL201936,000
OREGON LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS201910,000
Total 2016-2019 56,005,882

References

  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.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Scott Nathan
    Former Board Member and Chair
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: March 1, 1985

  • 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
    2020 Dec Form 990 $34,853,153 $37,142,482 $18,979,367 $2,820,565 N $34,784,746 $0 $69,393 $95,837
    2019 Dec Form 990 $26,896,728 $18,911,230 $20,159,338 $1,711,207 N $26,691,319 $0 $150,006 $97,083 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $34,089,343 $34,751,367 $11,499,178 $1,036,545 Y $33,988,465 $0 $113,660 $93,604 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $16,619,787 $13,896,988 $11,762,067 $637,410 N $16,452,422 $0 $28,106 $103,724 PDF
    2016 Dec Form 990 $18,252,131 $18,493,698 $8,862,399 $460,541 N $18,192,673 $0 $23,456 $87,765 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $11,479,796 $11,492,859 $9,239,410 $595,985 N $11,498,471 $0 $17,100 $102,381 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $16,171,932 $15,563,050 $9,154,370 $347,882 N $16,165,087 $0 $28,990 $81,800 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $9,163,706 $7,763,523 $8,517,415 $319,809 N $9,157,488 $0 $15,347 $80,248 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $12,255,877 $11,239,313 $7,545,946 $748,523 N $12,225,462 $0 $11,405 $123,752 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $6,238,168 $6,167,423 $6,040,356 $259,497 N $6,260,192 $0 $8,222 $142,927 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (LCVEF)

    1920 L ST NW STE 800
    WASHINGTON, DC 20036-5045