Partnership Project is a left-of-center environmentalist advocacy group that consists of a collaboration of 20 environmental groups, including some of the largest environmentalist organizations in the country. It is governed by a 20-member board of directors and a 10-member executive committee. ¹

The Partnership Project manages the Save Our Environment Action Center website, a collaboration of various groups that utilize the internet for environmentalist activism. ¹

Campaigns

Protect NEPA

Protect NEPA (referring to the National Environmental Policy Act) is a campaign of the Partnership Project. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a law passed in 1970 that is used as a framework to protect the environment on key federal actions. The Protect NEPA campaign is a coalition of left-leaning environmentalist and civil rights advocacy groups, including Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, and League of Conservation Voters, that attempt to advance and protect the NEPA. ²

The campaign focuses on the left-leaning issue of climate change. Through Partnership Project’s Protect NEPA campaign, it denounces President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of environmental issues. ³ It has accused the Trumps administration of taking measures to weaken the NEPA and that will result in massive oil spills and environmental catastrophes. ³ Defenders of Wildlife, a left-leaning organization involved with Partnership Project, has accused President Trump of giving public lands to private interests. ⁴

Climate Action Campaign

Partnership Project created the Climate Action Campaign, an unbranded coalition of environmentalist groups, state and local partners, and allies that promote an aggressive left-wing policy approach to combatting climate change.

In March 2015 and May 2019, Partnership Project received two grants from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for $2.5 million⁵ and $500,000, for its work with the Climate Action Campaign. ⁶

Climate Advocacy Lab

Climate Advocacy Lab is a Partnership Project campaign. Climate Advocacy Lab helps climate-change and environmentalist-energy advocates create and run campaigns by providing support, data, and other tools needed. It offers its member groups an online platform to find research and experimentation results. ⁷ In November 2018, Partnership Project received a grant of $200,000 specifically for the Climate Advocacy Lab from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. ⁸

Methane Partners Campaign

Methane Partners Campaign, a campaign by Partnership Project, claims to advocate for nationwide methane pollution standards by defending and implementing regulations within the oil and gas industry. There is little information available on the campaign and it has no website. In November 2017, Partnership Project received a grant of $700,000 for both the Climate Advocacy Lab and Methane Partners Campaign from the Hewlett Foundation. ⁹

Grantees

Partnership Project claims to be an environmental advocacy group, however, many of its allocated grants do not focus on the environment or climate change, but are given to left-progressive organizations, groups, and unions focused on medical reform, voter turnout and voter education, poverty, and progressive initiatives.

Hispanic-Interest Organizations

Partnership Project allocated $178,500 to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 2017¹⁰ and $104,945 in 2016. ¹¹ LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic organization in the U.S. and works to advance Hispanics in all areas of their life. ¹² The National Hispanic Medical Association, a non-profit focused on assisting Hispanic health care professionals, received $55,000 in 2017. ¹⁰ Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, focused on Latino community civic engagement and voter activation, received a $34,800 grant in 2017. ¹⁰ Hispanic Access, a group working to elevate Latino leaders, was given $70,000 in 2017. ¹⁰

Voter Activation

NextGen America, a Tom Steyer-funded coalition of young people whose goal is to get progressive candidates elected, was allocated $35,000 by Partnership Project. ¹⁰ Taxpayers for Common Sense, a left-leaning group that is ostensibly a taxpayer watchdog organization, received $57,500 in 2017. ¹⁰ Partnership Project gave $15,000 to Voto Latino in 2017, a grassroots group empowering Latinos with a focus on registering Latino voters. ¹⁰

Virginia Organizing, a liberal state-policy group in Virginia received $202,353 in 2017¹⁰ and $150, 571 in 2016 from Partnership Project. ¹⁰

African American Issues

Partnership Project gave $86,875 to Hip Hop Caucus, a group that brings together the hip-hop culture to promote left-progressivism. ¹⁰ In 2017, $15,000 was given to the U.S. Black Chambers, a group that supports African-American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations. ¹⁰ The NAACP received $10,000. ¹⁰

Labor Union Activism

The Center for Popular Democracy, a non-profit that is focused on working with labor unions and left-wing organizing alliances, received $200,000 in 2017. ¹⁰ Partnership Project gave $16,000 to the American Federation of Government Employees Council, the largest federal employee union. ¹⁰

Partnership Project Coalition Members Donations

Of the 19 Partnership Project coalition members, nine received grants from Partnership Project in 2017, while Partnership Project received grants from coalition members. Partnership Project’s largest donations, some exceeding $800,000 were given to fellow partner organizations. Most of Partnership Project’s grantees in 2017 received under $100,000; however, the largest amounts were given to coalition members, while lesser amounts were given to non-coalition members.

Many coalition members received grants from Partnership Project and in the same year Partnership Project received money from those same groups. In 2017, Partnership Project allocated $123,450 to partner group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),¹⁰ and NRDC allocated $540,000 to Partnership Project. ¹³ This practice occurred with several other coalition members, including Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the League of Conservation Voters. Environmental Defense Fund received $303,093 and Environmental Defense Fund – Mom’s Clean (an arm of EDF) received $315,936 ¹⁰  from Partnership Project, while Partnership Project received $530,000 from EDF. ¹⁴ League of Conservation Voters received $851,033 from Partnership Project, while Partnership Project Action Fund, an arm of Partnership Project, received $2.5 million from the League of Conservation Voters in 2017. ¹⁵

Of the nine coalition members, many organizations allocated monies to fellow members, for example, NRDC received grants from EarthJustice,¹⁶ Partnership Project,¹⁰ and National Wildlife Federation. ¹⁷ Sierra Club received money from NRDC,¹³ Wilderness Society,¹⁸ and Partnership Project. ¹⁰ The League of Conservation Voters received money from Sierra Club,¹⁹ EarthJustice,¹⁶ NRDC,¹³ National Wildlife Federation,¹⁷ and Partnership Project. ¹⁰

The coalition members all identify as organizations that advocate for environmentalist issues or animal liberation welfare, however, at least half of the members granted monies to organizations and groups that are active in broader left-leaning advocacy work, including medical reform, voter turnout and voter education, poverty, and progressive initiatives. Coalition members donated to the same outside groups, including Taxpayers for Common Sense, Hip Hop Caucus, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, and Virginia Organizing.

Funding

Partnership Project is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit corporation. It reported $23,393,123 in revenue and $22,938,567 in expenditures in its 2017 fiscal year. ²⁰ It reported 58 employees and 13 volunteers. ²¹ Benjamin Metcalf, chief operating officer, is the highest paid employee and receives $260,961 in total compensation, while Jason Waskey, one of three deputy directors, receives $171,329 in total compensation. ²² Partnership Project paid $1,561,113 to Brass Tactics, a Washington, D.C.-based company that developed and assisted in executing advocacy campaigns. ²³ The group spent $347,609 on lobbying efforts. ²⁴

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, a left-leaning grantmaking foundation, has been a regular donor to the Partnership Project donating dozens of times, with single donations ranging from $50,000 to $3.5 million. ²⁵ In April 2018, Rockefeller Brothers Fund allocated $50,000 to Partnership Project for two years. ²⁶

The Partnership Project has a 501(c)(4) affiliated group, the Partnership Project Action Fund, which is a left-wing environmentalist advocacy. In 2017, the Partnership Project paid Partnership Project Action Fund $63,319 for use of shared facilities and $220,000 in grant contributions. ¹⁰ In 2016, the grant contribution was $500,000. ¹¹

1. “Who We Are.” Save Our Environment. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://saveourenvironment.org/who-we-are/
2. “Our Issues.” Protect NEPA. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://protectnepa.org/
3. Hartl, Brett. “Trump Administration Attacks National Environmental Policy Act on Bedrock Law’s 50^th Anniversary.” Protect NEPA Press Release. January 6, 2020. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://protectnepa.org/nepa-50-anniversary-attack-2020/
4. Bowe, Rebecca; Moderow, Andy; and Sentner, Rebecca. “Trump Administration Paves Way for Old-Growth Clearcutting in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.” Protect NEPA. October 15, 2019. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://protectnepa.org/tongass-old-growth-roadless-rule-trump-administration/
5. “Grants.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/partnership-project-for-the-climate-action-campaign-1/
6. “Grants.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/partnership-project-for-the-climate-action-campaign-5/
7. “About.” Climate Advocacy Lab. Accessed February 28, 2020. https://climateadvocacylab.org/about-public
8. “Grants.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed February 28, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/partnership-project-for-the-climate-advocacy-lab/
9. “Grants.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed February 28, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/partnership-project-for-the-climate-advocacy-lab-and-methane-partners-campaign/
10. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
11. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2016, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/10_2018_prefixes_52-54%2F522192070_201706_990_2018102915846612
12. “About Us.” League of United Latin Citizens. Accessed February 26, 2020. https://lulac.org/about/
13. National Resources Defense Council, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/nrdc-2017-form-990.pdf
14. Environmental Defense Fund Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/content/FY18_EDF_990.pdf
15. League of Conservation Voters, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/521733698/02_2019_prefixes_52-54%2F521733698_201712_990O_2019021116085678
16. EarthJustice, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Earthjustice-Form990_FY17.pdf
17. National Wildlife Federation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Annual-Reports/FY18_NWF-990-Tax-Form-Public-Disclosure.ashx?la=en&hash=FAD3EE501F4CFFF351733DD86878EFFC47BF5A71
18. Wilderness Society, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Lines 12 and 18. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/530167933/04_2018_prefixes_51-57%2F530167933_201709_990_2018042015266282
19. Sierra Club, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule I, Part II. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2017%20Sierra%20Club%20Form%20990.pdf
20. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Lines 12 and 18. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
21. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part I, Lines 5 and 6. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
22. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part VII, Section A. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
23. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Part VII, Section B. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
24. Partnership Project Inc., Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2017, Schedule C, Part II-A. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/522192070/05_2019_prefixes_51-53%2F522192070_201806_990_2019053016359686
25. “Grants.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Accessed February 25, 2020. https://hewlett.org/grants/?keyword=partnership%20project&sort=relevance&current_page=2
26. “Grants. Partnership Project.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed February 28, 2020. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/partnership-project-inc