FAQs

The Sierra Club Foundation (SCF) is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity that supports a variety of environmental programs and organizations. SCF is the fiscal sponsor of the Sierra Club's charitable environmental programs. The Sierra Club is the principal, though not exclusive, recipient of SCF’s charitable grants. In 2015, SCF made over $53 million in charitable grants to the Sierra Club. We rely on the generosity of many foundations and thousands of individual donors across the country to help fund hundreds of worthwhile environmental projects nationwide. We ensure that our donors’ financial support is used appropriately and effectively to further our charitable mission. By law, SCF retains control and discretion/variance power over all charitable funds received, including how they are disbursed within the purposes for which they were contributed and the unilateral right to select those recipients SCF believes will best accomplish those purposes.

Sierra Club’s Board of Directors is elected by the Sierra Club membership. Sierra Club's Board of Directors sets Club priorities and policies and approves the national Club budget with Club member input. The Sierra Club Foundation Board members are nominated and approved by the Board. The Foundation's Board of Directors carries out the core governance functions of the Foundation, ensures that the assets are managed appropriately, ensures that funds are expended in line with its charitable mission, provides fiduciary oversight of project fiscal sponsorship and grantmaking, and assists in expanding the organization’s reach and fundraising success.  

In 2015, the Sierra Club Foundation earned its sixth consecutive 4-star rating, the highest rating a charity can achieve, from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only 3 percent of charities evaluated by Charity Navigator have received at least six consecutive 4-star ratings.The Sierra Club Foundation has an A rating from CharityWatch, a nationally prominent charity watchdog service whose purpose is to help donors make informed giving decisions.

To make a memorial or commemorative gift to the Sierra Club Foundation, please fill out this form and mail it in with your check. If you would prefer to make your donation using a credit card, you can call (415) 977-5653. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to you for tax purposes, and if you choose, we will send a letter to friends or loved ones close to the individual being honored, informing them of the gift. The gift amount will be kept confidential.

To receive a replacement acknowledgement for a tax-deductible gift to the Sierra Club Foundation, please send an e-mail containing your name, address, donation date, and donation amount to foundation@sierraclubfoundation.org. Please also let us know whether you would like to receive your replacement acknowledgement through e-mail or postal mail.   

After making your donation, contact your company's Human Resources or Corporate Relations Department to obtain matching gift paperwork. Submit this to the Sierra Club Foundation either online or through mail, depending on your company's matching gift process. The Sierra Club Foundation will confirm the amount of your gift with your employer, who will then forward a matching gift to the Sierra Club Foundation - doubling the value of your generous gift! Please visit our Matching Gifts page and contact matchinggifts.tscf@sierraclubfoundation.org if you have any questions. 

The Sierra Club Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization and donations to the Sierra Club Foundation are considered charitable and tax-deductible. The Sierra Club Foundation therefore is unable to provide you with any goods, services, or other benefits, including Sierra Club membership, in exchange for your donation. However, complimentary Sierra Club membership through the John Muir Society is provided to donors making gifts of $1,000 or more to the Sierra Club Foundation, the Environmental Law Program, or the Sierra Club, consistent with IRS charitable giving rules regarding membership benefits. If you are interested in becoming a Sierra Club member or renewing your Sierra Club membership, please contact the Sierra Club’s Member Services Department at (415) 977-5653.

The Sierra Club Foundation does not have an open application process. Grants to non-Sierra Club organizations are initiated by the Foundation only. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted.