The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is a left-of-center environmental advocacy and education group chartered by the U.S. Congress. ¹ The group partners with a variety of government agencies and corporations to promote its agenda and receives approximately 58 percent of its funding from government grants. ^{2 3}  NEEF has collaborated with the Bureau of Land Management, a federal agency, on science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. ⁴

Background

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) is a Congressionally chartered group that focuses on environmental advocacy through education. Created in 1990 under the National Environmental Education Act, NEEF was intended to “complement the work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” ¹ and promote collaboration amongst businesses, government, nonprofits, and academic institutions.  In its early days, NEEF founded National Public Lands Day, funded studies to understand public views on the environment, and started Greenbiz.com, now the Trellis Group, a private media organization. ¹

NEEF has advocated for “Indigenous land acknowledgements” to assist in “correcting the archaic practices that once attempted to erase Indigenous people’s history and culture.” ⁵ NEEF’s website has also claimed that the group’s trainings and resources utilize an “environmental justice lens.” ⁶

The group has claimed that “climate change” has resulted in “the spread of infectious disease” and “increased food and water-borne disease.” The group has also claimed that these “events” will primarily impact “communities of color,” immigrants, “Indigenous peoples,” and “low-income communities.” ⁷

NEEF has stated that greenhouse gases have added to global warming. ⁸ The group has opposed conventional fuels due to their “release of CO2.” ⁸ NEEF stated that aluminum production and semiconductor manufacturing are some of the “principal emitters of the fluorinated gases.” ⁸ NEEF has also claimed that “levels of ground-level ozone” are responsible for premature deaths, acute respiratory issues, and hospital visits. ⁹

NEEF has advocated for weather-dependent energy alternatives such as solar power to “reduce their carbon emissions.” ¹⁰ The group has also advocated electric vehicle usage. ¹¹

Activities

The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) sponsors K-12 education programs and provides “climate change, energy efficiency, and sustainability” lessons.  ¹² One such “toolkit” is focused on addressing the “emotional impacts of climate change” for middle schoolers. NEEF’s website claimed that “the majority of teachers felt unequipped to help students cope with the mental health impacts of climate disasters.” ¹³

NEEF provides trainings for health professionals that focus on the “environmental impacts on health.” The program emphasizes “disproportionally impacted communities” ⁶

The group encourages volunteer efforts through its National Public Lands Day and various programs and initiatives aimed to mobilize volunteers for “conservation efforts.” ¹⁴

NEEF partners with organizations to “integrate environmental education and sustainability goals” for company employees. ¹⁵

The group has taken part in several public campaigns. NEEF collaborated with the National Hockey League (NHL) on the “Play it Forward” and the “Help Create a Healthier Environment Where You Live” campaigns. ¹⁶ These campaigns advocated for things such as reducing vehicle emissions, minimizing water pollution, and recycling. ¹⁷ In the campaign, the group stated that scientists are evaluating “the impact of climate change on outdoor winter activities.” ¹⁰

The group also partnered with Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) to create the EMPOWER collection, which includes songs and videos for youth with asthma. The co-founder of HHPH said that the goal was “to tackle asthma disparities using our proven model combining music, science and culture,” and the health program director at NEEF said that “providers will be able to offer culturally relevant asthma education.” ¹⁸ The CEO of HHPH said that they hope to “celebrate and affirm the power of young people” ¹⁸ through the collection. Moreover, NEEF’s website claimed that the “burden of asthma isn’t evenly distributed” and stated that “non-Hispanic Black children are more than twice as likely to have asthma as their non-Hispanic white counterparts.” ¹⁸ NEEF’s website notes that these resources were funded with help from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ¹⁸

Financials

According to its 2023 990 form, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) reported a revenue of $4,518,618, expenses of $4,771,235, and net assets of $1,325,763. ¹⁹

In 2022, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) reported a total revenue of $3,787,260, approximately 58 percent of which was from government grants. The group also reported total expenses of $4,212,715 and net assets of $1,578,380³

The group provides grants to other organizations. According to NEEF’s website, the group has provided $13,700,000 in grants since 1995. ²⁰ In 2024, the group collaborated with the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to provide $60,000 in grants for “BLM Greening STEM grants” with “a primary focus on BLM-related subject matter.” ⁴

The group is partnered with government departments and agencies including the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The group is also partnered with major businesses such as Toyota, Leidos, Samsung, and Albemarle. ²

Leadership

Sara Espinoza is the president and CEO of the National Environmental Education Foundation as of 2025. Espinoza has held various positions within NEEF including vice president of programs. She previously worked at the Jane Goodall Institute and the World Wildlife Fund. ²¹ In 2022, the group paid Espinoza $190,275 in reportable compensation and reported that Espinoza was compensated an additional $19,001 from the organization and other related organizations. ³

The chair of NEEF’s board is Jennifer Love. Love previously worked for Royal Caribbean and was senior vice president at Cablevision Systems Corporation. She was also a senior executive at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the assistant director of the FBI Security Division. ²²

1. “About Neef.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/who-we-are/about-neef.
2. “Our Partners.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/partner/our-partners.
3. “The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 14, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/541557043/202421579349300812/full.
4. “2024-2025 Bureau of Land Management Greening Stem Grant.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/grants/grantees/2024-2025-bureau-land-management-greening-stem-grant.
5. Hubbart, Sarah. “Honoring the Indigenous Heritage of Public Lands.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), October 5, 2021. https://www.neefusa.org/story/public-lands-engagement/honoring-indigenous-heritage-public-lands.
6. “Health.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/health.
7.  “Human Health in a Changing Climate.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), October 18, 2022. https://www.neefusa.org/resource/human-health-changing-climate.
8. Ward, Morris A, and Jeffrey Chagnon. “The Principal Greenhouse Gases and Their Sources.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), March 18, 2024. https://www.neefusa.org/story/climate-change/principal-greenhouse-gases-and-their-sources.
9. Bradford, Nick. “The Air We Breathe.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), August 30, 2016. https://www.neefusa.org/story/climate-change/air-we-breathe.
10. “Play It Forward.” The National Environmental Education Foundation. https://www.neefusa.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/INFO18-NHL-PlayItForward-V2.pdf
11. Hubbart, Sarah. “Going Green with Electric Vehicles.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), October 4, 2023. https://www.neefusa.org/story/sustainability/going-green-electric-vehicles
12. “K-12 Education.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/k-12-education
13. Saini, Nicole L. “Addressing Climate Emotions: A Groundbreaking Toolkit for Educators.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), March 25, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/resource/addressing-climate-emotions-groundbreaking-toolkit-educators.
14. “Conservation.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/conservation.
15. “Employee Engagement.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/employee-engagement.
16. “Partnering towards the Goal.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/public-campaigns/partnering-towards-goal.
17. “Help Create a Healthier Environment Where You Live.” The National Environmental Education Foundation. https://www.neefusa.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/NEEF-NHL-Infographic-042123.pdf
18. “Hip Hop and Environmental Nonprofits Drop Beats for Asthma Awareness and Health Education.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), August 30, 2023. https://www.neefusa.org/news/hip-hop-and-environmental-nonprofits-drop-beats-asthma-awareness-and-health-education.
19. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). National Environmental Education Foundation. 2023. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/541557043/202541429349300504/full
20. “Grants.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/grants/grants.
21. “Sara Espinoza.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/staff-member/sara-espinoza.
22. “Jennifer Love.” The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Accessed April 14, 2025. https://www.neefusa.org/board-member/jennifer-love.