Climate Defense Project
Defending the defenders
Climate Defense Project
EIN: 81-3513347
as of September 2024
as of September 09, 2024
Mission
Climate Defense Project (CDP) offers free, comprehensive, movement-aligned legal support to climate justice and anti-extractive campaigns, and to community-led efforts that intersect with these issues. We support front-line communities, connect attorneys with experts and community members, and provide direct representation to those criminalized for protest. Our ethos as lawyers is to be on tap, not on top; to reject harmful hierarchies and center movements instead of ourselves; to be zealous and skilled advocates; to balance urgency with efficacy and care; to engage generously in information-sharing and collaboration; to value creativity and a willingness to advance novel legal theories; and to bring to our practice anti-racist, anti-colonizer, anti-carceral, and anti-capitalist values.
Ruling year
2017
Principal Officer
Alexander Marquardt
Main address
P.O. Box 4403
Vallejo, CA 94590 USA
EIN
81-3513347
Climate change
Environmental justice
Justice rights
Individual liberties
Social rights
Population served
Activists
Incarcerated people
Economically disadvantaged people
Victims and oppressed people
Students
NTEE code
Natural Resource Conservation and Protection (C30)
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
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Defense Lawyering
We give free defense representation and other legal support to grassroots activists using a movement-centered approach. This involves working with front-line climate campaigns and other social justice campaigns at all stages of their lifecycle, from strategic planning to jail support to trial and appellate work, in both civil and criminal cases. We practice all over the country, with hubs in Minnesota, New England, and Appalachia.
Divestment
We work with students, staff, and faculty who are trying to get their colleges and universities to divest from harmful industries. We've helped over 20 campaigns file divestment complaints with their state attorneys general. We can provide advice about legal options, media strategies, and public advocacy.
Movement Support
We advise social justice campaigns about how to choose a legal structure (or not), protect themselves against legal and privacy risks, raise money, work with lawyers, and create cultures founded on care and trust.
Where we work
Photos
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2023 info
1236.04
Months of cash in 2023 info
15.8
Fringe rate in 2023 info
8%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Climate Defense Project
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Sep 01 - Aug 31
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: Sep 01 - Aug 31
This snapshot of Climate Defense Project’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.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$18,890 | -$46,798 | -$11,764 | $115,226 | $67,472 |
| As % of expenses | -10.6% | -29.1% | -9.0% | 56.1% | 32.7% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$18,890 | -$46,798 | -$11,764 | $115,226 | $67,472 |
| As % of expenses | -10.6% | -29.1% | -9.0% | 56.1% | 32.7% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $164,559 | $113,863 | $119,391 | $320,750 | $273,710 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -41.6% | -30.8% | 4.9% | 168.7% | -14.7% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 22.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 100.0% | 100.0% | 77.9% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $178,156 | $160,662 | $131,155 | $205,524 | $206,238 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 23.0% | -9.8% | -18.4% | 56.7% | 0.3% |
| Personnel | 74.5% | 85.9% | 86.9% | 92.6% | 88.1% |
| Professional fees | 10.3% | 3.4% | 6.9% | 3.5% | 5.0% |
| Occupancy | 5.7% | 6.0% | 2.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 9.5% | 4.7% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 7.0% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $178,156 | $160,662 | $131,155 | $205,524 | $206,238 |
| One month of savings | $14,846 | $13,389 | $10,930 | $17,127 | $17,187 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $193,002 | $174,051 | $142,085 | $222,651 | $223,425 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 9.9 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 15.8 |
| Months of cash and investments | 9.9 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 15.8 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 9.6 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 11.9 | 15.8 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $147,572 | $100,774 | $89,010 | $204,236 | $271,928 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $142,279 | $100,774 | $89,010 | $204,236 | $271,708 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $5,293 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $5,293 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $147,572 | $100,774 | $89,010 | $204,236 | $271,708 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 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
Principal Officer
Alexander Marquardt
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Climate Defense Project
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Climate Defense Project
Board of directorsas of 09/11/2024
Board of directors data
Alexander Marquardt
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