Southern Environmental Law Center

Nonprofit and nonpartisan, we are the Southern Environmental Law Center. The South’s largest and most effective environmental advocate and protector.

aka SELC | Charlottesville, VA | www.SouthernEnvironment.org

GuideStar Charity Check

EIN: 52-1436778

Contributions tax deductible
as of November 2023

IRS BMF 509(a)(1)
as of November 13, 2023

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Charity Check report

Mission

We are the Southern Environmental Law Center — the largest nonprofit, nonpartisan environmental legal advocacy organization rooted in and focused on the South. Our mission is to protect the basic right to clean air, clean water, and a livable climate; to preserve our region’s natural treasures and rich biodiversity; and to provide a healthy environment for all. Rooted in the South with over 200 attorneys and professional staff, we use strong legal and policy work, strategic vision, and pragmatic problem solving in all three branches and at all levels of government. With our commitment to place, SELC is building on nearly 40 years of success in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and driving results that resonate across the nation.

Ruling year info

1986

Executive Director

Mr. DJ Gerken

Main address

120 Garrett Street Suite 400

Charlottesville, VA 22902 USA

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EIN

52-1436778

Subject area info

Environment

Environmental health

Public interest law

Forestry

Urban development

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Population served info

Children and youth

Adults

NTEE code info

Natural Resource Conservation and Protection (C30)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (S01)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Clean Energy & Air

If the South were a country, it would be the seventh-largest emitter of carbon in the world. Recognizing that the South is central to any solution to global warming, SELC seeks to prevent further construction of coal-fired power plants in the Southeast; to retire old, dirty, coal-burning plants; and to increase investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

Clean Water

The water-rich South has iconic and treasured waterways throughout our region. SELC seeks to protect the South’s cleanest waters, to rescue the most polluted ones, and to make sure there remains enough water flowing in our rivers and streams to support a healthy and diverse array of aquatic life.

Mountains & Forests

The Southern Appalachian Mountains are the backbone of the South, ranging uninterrupted from Virginia to Alabama. We are fortunate to have five million of these acres in public trust as national forest—the largest concentration of public land east of the Rockies. SELC is a staunch defender of these treasures, advocating particularly for long-term protection of old growth forest remnants, wildlife habitat, headwater streams, and places enjoyed for backcountry recreation.

Land & Community

Throughout our rapidly growing region, poorly planned development and road projects threaten the scenic landscapes and the everyday quality of life that we take for granted in our southern communities. SELC is focused on stopping destructive highway projects; reforming asphalt-centered transportation policies and wasteful land-use practices; and advancing cleaner, more efficient transportation choices such as rail and transit.

Coast & Wetlands

The coast is one of the South’s defining natural features. Nowhere else in the world can you find such an assemblage of sandy beaches, barrier islands, marshes, maritime forests, and estuaries. SELC is using our powerful arsenal to fend off destructive activities related to growth pressures and lax enforcement—and to proactively shape a sustainable future for our precious coastline.

Wildlife & Special Places

“Nature lacks a voice with which to speak for itself. Recognizing this, Congress has charged under federal law that agencies listen to the interests of the environment.” SELC couldn’t agree more with this pivotal decision, handed down in our litigation to prevent a Navy landing field, which ultimately protected a pocosin lake landscape that harbors tundra swans, snow geese, coastal black bears, and endangered red wolves. SELC’s legal team continues to defend the wild areas that are home to the South’s impressive array of wildlife. Our efforts are needed now more than ever, in light of attempts to undermine the Endangered Species Act and remove protections for sensitive species and critical habitat.

Where we work

External reviews

Photos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of organizational partners

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

As lawyers, policy and issue experts, and community advocates and partners, we take on the toughest challenges to defend and protect our air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and the people who live in the South. Our region is home to natural wonders and some of the greatest environmental issues facing our world today.

Transforming our region away from fossil fuel to clean energy, righting environmental injustice, stopping pollution, and protecting nature—When we solve these issues here, we lead the way for others.

The landmark work we do in court, in government, and in our communities helps shape and drive environmental policies and protections across our country. That's why we say: Solutions start in the South.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

Through our regional planning and coordination, we think strategically across issues and states, and focus our resources where they are most needed to achieve broad impacts and meaningful legal and policy results at the local, state, and federal levels.

Strong partnerships with local, state, regional, and national organizations enable us to accomplish our collective goals. Our Washington, D.C. team strengthens our ability to work effectively at the federal level on issues of critical importance to our region.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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Financials

Southern Environmental Law Center

Fiscal year: Apr 01 - Mar 31

Financial documents

Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant.

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

12.46

Average of 100.93 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

2.3

Average of 2.6 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2023

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

21%

Average of 20% over 10 years

Funding sources

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

Southern Environmental Law Center

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Apr 01 - Mar 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$16,235,372
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$105,783
Investments	$97,348
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$16,438,503

Expenses
Program Services	$7,563,065
Administration	$770,884
Fundraising	$964,589
Total Expenses	$9,298,538
Net Gain/Loss	$7,139,965

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$25,098
Advertising & Promotion	$50,640
Information Technology Expenses	$212,390
Insurance Expenses	$40,604
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$84,504
Pension Plan Contributions	$269,551
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$63,383

Revenue
Contributions	$12,564,774
Government Grants	$146,600
Program Services	$477
Investments	$414,695
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$13,126,546

Expenses
Program Services	$8,292,761
Administration	$764,321
Fundraising	$1,014,567
Total Expenses	$10,071,649
Net Gain/Loss	$3,054,897

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$24,554
Advertising & Promotion	$84,502
Information Technology Expenses	$125,879
Insurance Expenses	$46,314
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$151,794
Pension Plan Contributions	$311,908
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$42,122

Revenue
Contributions	$15,572,575
Government Grants	$306,156
Program Services	$116,211
Investments	$138,035
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$16,132,977

Expenses
Program Services	$8,860,148
Administration	$903,476
Fundraising	$1,019,113
Total Expenses	$10,782,737
Net Gain/Loss	$5,350,240

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$28,235
Advertising & Promotion	$96,484
Information Technology Expenses	$140,545
Insurance Expenses	$48,301
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$92,583
Legal Fees	$131,241
Pension Plan Contributions	$376,331
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$29,215

Revenue
Contributions	$12,547,683
Government Grants	$114,739
Program Services	$358,877
Investments	$788,883
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$13,810,182

Expenses
Program Services	$10,117,252
Administration	$977,590
Fundraising	$989,508
Total Expenses	$12,084,350
Net Gain/Loss	$1,725,832

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$27,975
Advertising & Promotion	$65,650
Information Technology Expenses	$156,710
Insurance Expenses	$50,798
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$106,380
Legal Fees	$90,539
Pension Plan Contributions	$406,799
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$16,331,664
Government Grants	$171,721
Program Services	$38,507
Investments	$538,514
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$17,080,406

Expenses
Program Services	$12,180,236
Administration	$1,023,908
Fundraising	$988,840
Total Expenses	$14,192,984
Net Gain/Loss	$2,887,422

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$44,419
Advertising & Promotion	$189,221
Information Technology Expenses	$215,258
Insurance Expenses	$60,959
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$122,241
Legal Fees	$124,431
Pension Plan Contributions	$442,180
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$22,982,313
Government Grants	$8,955
Program Services	$143,625
Investments	$719,128
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$23,854,021

Expenses
Program Services	$14,398,905
Administration	$1,724,741
Fundraising	$974,303
Total Expenses	$17,097,949
Net Gain/Loss	$6,756,072

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$41,400
Advertising & Promotion	$393,418
Information Technology Expenses	$295,462
Insurance Expenses	$62,607
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$146,748
Legal Fees	$108,058
Pension Plan Contributions	$376,777
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$38,106,261
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$169,346
Investments	$756,488
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$39,032,095

Expenses
Program Services	$18,021,778
Administration	$1,867,203
Fundraising	$922,767
Total Expenses	$20,811,748
Net Gain/Loss	$18,220,347

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$57,285
Advertising & Promotion	$495,688
Information Technology Expenses	$405,176
Insurance Expenses	$76,771
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$199,645
Legal Fees	$629,655
Pension Plan Contributions	$548,423
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$34,321,929
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$92,828
Investments	$984,060
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$35,398,817

Expenses
Program Services	$19,436,091
Administration	$1,774,716
Fundraising	$1,069,060
Total Expenses	$22,279,867
Net Gain/Loss	$13,118,950

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$36,375
Advertising & Promotion	$739,361
Information Technology Expenses	$451,599
Insurance Expenses	$103,347
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$126,352
Legal Fees	$849,728
Pension Plan Contributions	$571,996
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$35,875,013
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$150,748
Investments	$1,625,713
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$37,651,474

Expenses
Program Services	$23,459,227
Administration	$1,832,477
Fundraising	$1,259,767
Total Expenses	$26,551,471
Net Gain/Loss	$11,100,003

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$46,175
Advertising & Promotion	$508,892
Information Technology Expenses	$563,186
Insurance Expenses	$137,406
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$50,498
Legal Fees	$1,225,978
Pension Plan Contributions	$644,195
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$44,811,460
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$135,598
Investments	$2,069,516
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$47,016,574

Expenses
Program Services	$24,151,226
Administration	$2,094,554
Fundraising	$1,522,730
Total Expenses	$27,768,510
Net Gain/Loss	$19,248,064

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$53,250
Advertising & Promotion	$724,499
Information Technology Expenses	$618,858
Insurance Expenses	$128,894
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$174,019
Legal Fees	$1,413,373
Pension Plan Contributions	$795,666
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$36,304,744
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$646,735
Investments	$23,125,491
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$60,076,970

Expenses
Program Services	$25,079,225
Administration	$2,195,291
Fundraising	$1,844,502
Total Expenses	$29,119,018
Net Gain/Loss	$30,957,952

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$58,550
Advertising & Promotion	$673,880
Information Technology Expenses	$738,486
Insurance Expenses	$141,765
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$49,885
Legal Fees	$1,086,835
Pension Plan Contributions	$852,372
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$35,642,317
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$793,859
Investments	$3,453,210
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$39,889,386

Expenses
Program Services	$26,176,867
Administration	$1,895,342
Fundraising	$1,789,052
Total Expenses	$29,861,261
Net Gain/Loss	$10,028,125

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$59,000
Advertising & Promotion	$518,568
Information Technology Expenses	$861,546
Insurance Expenses	$140,527
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$13,047
Legal Fees	$1,118,606
Pension Plan Contributions	$899,011
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$36,650,729
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$264,770
Investments	$4,075,534
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$40,991,033

Expenses
Program Services	$25,325,247
Administration	$1,944,799
Fundraising	$1,787,794
Total Expenses	$29,057,840
Net Gain/Loss	$11,933,193

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$60,800
Advertising & Promotion	$626,949
Information Technology Expenses	$991,382
Insurance Expenses	$157,201
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$12,944
Legal Fees	$1,115,466
Pension Plan Contributions	$989,451
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$47,760,793
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$138,462
Investments	$34,918,710
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$272
Total Revenue	$82,818,237

Expenses
Program Services	$28,343,403
Administration	$2,245,249
Fundraising	$2,231,958
Total Expenses	$32,820,610
Net Gain/Loss	$49,997,627

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$64,100
Advertising & Promotion	$1,744,224
Information Technology Expenses	$1,763,196
Insurance Expenses	$159,541
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$28,662
Legal Fees	$31,365
Pension Plan Contributions	$1,141,613
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$45,327,569
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$2,034,876
Investments	$6,106,880
Special Events	$0
Sales	$0
Other	$19,719
Total Revenue	$53,489,044

Expenses
Program Services	$33,972,413
Administration	$3,352,126
Fundraising	$3,195,444
Total Expenses	$40,519,983
Net Gain/Loss	$12,969,061

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$107,333
Advertising & Promotion	$2,312,300
Information Technology Expenses	$1,233,526
Insurance Expenses	$167,528
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$14,465
Legal Fees	$158,746
Pension Plan Contributions	$1,213,446
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Southern Environmental Law Center

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Apr 01 - Mar 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Contributions	$16,235,372
Cash & Equivalents	$11,643,778	$13,083,140	$1,439,362
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$275,000	$3,523,015	$3,248,015
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$67,391	$89,916	$22,525
Other	$216,689	$248,779	$32,090
Total Assets	$12,202,858	$16,944,850	$4,741,992

Liabilities	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Accounts Payable	$421,239	$444,987	$23,748
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$149,785	$91,398	($58,387)
Total Liabilities	$571,024	$536,385	($34,639)

Fund balance	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	$1,219,259	$2,277,239	$1,057,980
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	$100,000	$4,100,000	$4,000,000
Total Restricted Net Assets	$1,319,259	$6,377,239	$5,057,980
Unrestricted Net Assets	$10,312,575	$10,031,226	($281,349)
Net Assets	$11,631,834	$16,408,465	$4,776,631

Assets	Apr 01, 2009	Mar 31, 2010	Change
Contributions	$12,564,774
Cash & Equivalents	$13,083,140	$21,714,880	$8,631,740
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$3,523,015	$959,647	($2,563,368)
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$89,916	$147,338	$57,422
Other	$248,779	$236,248	($12,531)
Total Assets	$16,944,850	$23,058,113	$6,113,263

Liabilities	Apr 01, 2009	Mar 31, 2010	Change
Accounts Payable	$444,987	$369,658	($75,329)
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$91,398	$98,580	$7,182
Total Liabilities	$536,385	$468,238	($68,147)

Southern Environmental Law Center

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Apr 01 - Mar 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of Southern Environmental Law Center’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

Created in partnership with

Fiscal year: Apr 01 - Mar 31 View full report Download data

Business model indicators

Profitability	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation	$21,764,051	$18,215,449	$60,617,646	$4,114,599	$16,819,269
As % of expenses	75.5%	61.6%	210.7%	12.7%	42.3%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation	$21,457,383	$17,930,002	$60,332,379	$3,724,231	$16,032,209
As % of expenses	73.7%	60.0%	207.6%	11.3%	39.6%

Revenue composition
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted)	$60,076,970	$39,889,386	$40,991,033	$82,818,237	$53,489,044
Total revenue, % change over prior year	27.8%	-33.6%	2.8%	102.0%	-35.4%
Program services revenue	1.1%	2.0%	0.6%	0.2%	3.8%
Membership dues	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Investment income	4.5%	8.1%	7.0%	3.3%	6.4%
Government grants	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
All other grants and contributions	60.4%	89.4%	89.4%	57.7%	84.7%
Other revenue	34.0%	0.5%	3.0%	38.9%	5.0%

Expense composition
Total expenses before depreciation	$28,812,350	$29,575,814	$28,772,573	$32,430,242	$39,732,923
Total expenses, % change over prior year	5.2%	2.6%	-2.7%	12.7%	22.5%
Personnel	63.7%	64.4%	67.7%	68.3%	63.7%
Professional fees	8.4%	9.0%	8.8%	2.0%	2.1%
Occupancy	6.8%	7.6%	7.7%	8.0%	9.7%
Interest	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Pass-through	0.4%	0.2%	0.5%	0.1%	0.9%
All other expenses	20.8%	19.0%	15.3%	21.6%	23.7%

Full cost components (estimated)	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Total expenses (after depreciation)	$29,119,018	$29,861,261	$29,057,840	$32,820,610	$40,519,983
One month of savings	$2,401,029	$2,464,651	$2,397,714	$2,702,520	$3,311,077
Debt principal payment	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Fixed asset additions	$0	$0	$0	$3,950,019	$0
Total full costs (estimated)	$31,520,047	$32,325,912	$31,455,554	$39,473,149	$43,831,060

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Months of cash	3.4	1.4	4.9	3.6	2.3
Months of cash and investments	54.2	53.4	75.9	73.2	58.2
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets	34.3	40.7	67.0	59.5	53.4

Balance sheet composition	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Cash	$8,116,595	$3,454,821	$11,859,350	$9,619,501	$7,755,533
Investments	$122,056,767	$128,242,959	$170,084,934	$188,125,562	$184,999,424
Receivables	$525,000	$479,859	$132,766	$1,350,000	$2,538,514
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE)	$3,026,792	$3,265,925	$2,978,003	$6,928,024	$7,556,018
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE)	74.5%	77.8%	76.3%	38.4%	45.7%
Liabilities (as a % of assets)	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%	7.0%	7.3%
Unrestricted net assets	$83,026,747	$100,956,749	$161,289,128	$165,013,359	$181,045,568
Temporarily restricted net assets	$43,927,255	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Permanently restricted net assets	$4,100,000	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total restricted net assets	$48,027,255	$31,482,621	$21,109,529	$36,824,910	$16,803,047
Total net assets	$131,054,002	$132,439,370	$182,398,657	$201,838,269	$197,848,615

Key data checks

Key data checks	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Material data errors	No	No	No	No	No

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Executive Director

Mr. DJ Gerken

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

Southern Environmental Law Center

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

Southern Environmental Law Center

Highest paid employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of highest paid employee data for this organization

Southern Environmental Law Center

Board of directors
as of 11/07/2023

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board co-chair

Mrs. Laura Gates

Board co-chair

Grey McLean

Joel Adams

Financial Advisor, Raymond James Financial Services

Dell Brooke

EBSCO Foundation

Cathy Brown

Secretary, Stewart Home School

Marion Cowell

Of Counsel, Kilpatrick Stockton, Charlotte Office; Former Board Member, NC Dept. of Transportation

Wendy Brown

Founder, Center for Nonprofit Excellence; Co0founder, Community Investment Collaborative

Melvin Davis

Private Equity Professional

Stephen Dockery

Managing Partner, Fidus Partners

James Hanes

Owner/Manager, Senah Farm

Anna Kate Hipp

Trustee Emeritus, Mary Baldwin College

Mark Logan

Former Chair and CEO of VISX, Inc.

Nimrod Long

President, Nimrod Long and Associates Architects

Allen McCallie

Partner, Miller & Martin

Frederick Middleton

Founder and Executive Director, Southern Environmental Law Center

Edward Miller

Chair, WestWind Investment Management

Deaderick Montague

Writer; Board Chair of Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga

Susan Mullin

Owner/Manager, Ridgeway Farm

Jean Nelson

President, Land Trust for Tennessee

Stephen O'Day

Partner, Smith Gambrell & Russell

William Schlesinger

President, Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Thomas Taft

President, Taft, Taft & Haigler

William Want

Environmental Lawyer; Author, The Law of Wetlands Regulation

Nancy White

Board of Visitors, UNC Institute for the Environment

Marcia Angle

Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

Clay Rolader

President and COO, Fuqua Capital Corp.

Charles Patrick

Partner, Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook, & Brickman, LLC

Melanie Grinney

Writer & Photographer, Board of Directors, Alabama Symphony Orchestra

Jeanie Nelson

Land Trust for Tennessee Founder and Board Member Emeritus

John Simpkins

Former General Counsel for the US Agency for International Development; Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School

Marcia Angle

Adjunct Professor of Environmental Science, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke Universtiry

Laura Fjeld

Principal, Clear Voice Partners

Jeffrey Gleason

Executive Director, Southern Environmental Law Center

C. Grey McLean

Director, Adiuvans Foundaiton; Albemarle Housing Improvement Program President

Laura Gates

Trustee and Past Chair, Wellesley College; Director, National Archives Foundation

Phyllis D.K. Hildreth

Vice President for Strategy and Institutional Advancement, American Baptist College

Julie Price

Sustainability Manager, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Board Member, Cahaba River Society & Freshwater Land Trust

Zakiya Seymour

Principal Management Consultant, Arcadis Water & Wastewater Business Advisory Services

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/6/2023

Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity

White/Caucasian/European

Gender identity

Male

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 07/09/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data

We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

Policies and processes

We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

Contractors

Fiscal year ending

Professional fundraisers

Fiscal year ending

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G

Solicitation activities

Gross receipts from fundraising

Retained by organization

Paid to fundraiser

Southern Environmental Law Center

Nonprofit and nonpartisan, we are the Southern Environmental Law Center. The South’s largest and most effective environmental advocate and protector.

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

Our programs

Clean Energy & Air

Clean Water

Mountains & Forests

Land & Community

Coast & Wetlands

Wildlife & Special Places

Where we work

Our results

Evaluation documents

Number of organizational partners

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Liquidity in 2023 info

12.46

Months of cash in 2023 info

2.3

Fringe rate in 2023 info

21%

Funding sources info

Assets & liabilities info

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southern Environmental Law Center

Southern Environmental Law Center

Business model indicators

Capital structure indicators

Key data checks

Operations

Documents

Executive Director

Mr. DJ Gerken

Number of employees

Southern Environmental Law Center

Compensation data

Southern Environmental Law Center

Compensation data

Southern Environmental Law Center

Board of directors data

Mrs. Laura Gates

Grey McLean

Board leadership practices

Ethics and transparency

Board composition

Organizational demographics

Leadership

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Contractors

Professional fundraisers

Solicitation activities

Liquidity in 2023

Months of cash in 2023

Fringe rate in 2023

Funding sources

Assets & liabilities