Foundation News

We are happy to announce the hire of a new Executive Director, Dan Chu, who previously led the Sierra Club's efforts to protect public lands. He is replacing Peter Martin, who led the Foundation for eight years. The Sierra Club Foundation is the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor of the Sierra Club, the nation's largest and most effective grassroots environmental organization. During his tenure as Senior Director of the Sierra Club's Our Wild America national campaign, Dan protected wild lands and wildlife, kept dirty fuels in the ground, and engaged a diversity of families and kids with exploring and protecting nature. Prior to joining the Sierra Club, Dan was the National Wildlife Federation’s Vice President for Affiliate and Regional Strategies.

"I am excited to help the Sierra Club Foundation create a clean energy future for all, protect our priceless wild places, and nurture new conservation leaders," said Chu.

"After conducting an extensive search for candidates for the position, we are thrilled to have Dan join us as our new Executive Director," says Steven Berkenfeld, Chair of the Board of the Sierra Club Foundation. "Dan has been doing very important work leading the Our Wild America campaign, but his new responsibilities should provide him with a broader platform to make an even larger impact. On behalf of the Board, we are all very excited to be working more closely with him."

The Sierra Club Foundation promotes efforts to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment. The Foundation partners with individual and institutional donors to align financial resources with strategic, measurable outcomes; provide flexible funding for innovation; build capacity in the environmental movement; and create partnerships with a broad spectrum of allied organizations around shared values and goals. As the fiscal sponsor of the charitable programs of the Sierra Club, the Foundation provides resources to the Club and other nonprofit organizations to support scientific, educational, literary, organizing, advocacy, and legal programs that further our goals.

Allison Chin, from the Foundation's Board of Directors, will serve as Interim Executive Director until Chu starts on November 28, 2016.