Philanthropedia - Natural Resources Defense Council nonprofit profile

Natural Resources Defense Council
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
World Resources Institute
Union of Concerned Scientists
Environmental Defense Fund
Sierra Club
Energy Action Coalition
Alliance for Climate Protection
League of Conservation Voters
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA
World Wildlife Fund
National Wildlife Federation
Nature Conservancy
1Sky
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Learn more about the Climate Change Top Performing Nonprofits:

Climate Change: Natural Resources Defense Council

Mission: The Natural Resources Defense Council's purpose is to safeguard the Earth. They work to restore the integrity of the elements that sustain life and to defend endangered natural places. They seek to establish sustainability and good stewardship of the Earth as central ethical imperatives of human society. NRDC affirms the integral place of human beings in the environment. They strive to protect nature in ways that advance the long-term welfare of present and future generations.

BASIC INFORMATION	EXPERT ASSESSMENT	BENEFICIARY REVIEW

Basic Information
Social Cause: Climate Change
Issue Area: Climate Change

Year Founded: 1970
Problem

The NRDC focuses on
• curbing global warming
• saving endangered wildlife and wild places
• creating a clean energy future
• reviving the world’s oceans
• stemming the tide of toxic chemicals
• accelerating the greening of China
Solution

The NRDC uses law, science, and the support of 1.2 million members to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places, and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.
Impact

Polar Bears: The NRDC helped list the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.

Oil Drilling: In 2005, NRDC staved off the Bush administration's attempts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Read more environmental victories since 1971 at http://www.nrdc.org/about/victories.asp.
Financial Breakdown

Expenses Breakdown

Program Expenses : 65693036
Administrative Expenses: 4797094
Fundraising Expenses: 8463132
Charity Navigator Profile
Contact Information

Website: http://www.nrdc.org/
Email: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
Phone: 212-505-2375

The contents of this page are primarily from this nonprofit organization's website. The views expressed on this page are those of this organization and not necessarily those of Philanthopedia.

SummaryLearn more about these experts>>

Summary: Climate Change experts believe that the Natural Resources Defense Council has been so effective because of a combination of their science-based, politically-savvy, litigation strategy, their outstanding professional staff, their high quality work, and their respect in the community.

At the same time, some experts believe that the Natural Resources Defense Council should expand their focus areas to things like carbon rents, economic analysis, E2 and drop their focus on ethanol. Additionally, the NRDC would have a much wider impact if they could make their name more visible to the public. They could do this through grassroots action, well-known spokespeople, corporate sector outreach, global campaigns, etc.

Strengths

Good Strategy

"They have a good litigation strategy and an effective, informative blog."
"They have very good outreach."
"They are the best at integrating science and policy without seeming to tilt toward corporations (as EDF does) or to tilt toward adversarial advocacy (as Sierra Club does.)"
"They are science based and politically astute."
"They combine practical solutions with legal expertise."
"Through their sponsorship of E2, they are putting a business face on the environmental movement."
"They have a pragmatic, market-based approach combined with aggressive advocacy."
"They do ‘smart policy.’"
"They have great access to policy making officials."
"They provide practical, technical information to inform/convince decision makers."
"They are interested in a tough legislative and legal agenda guided by pragmatism."
"They focus on getting the job done."

Top Experts

"They are top experts, have a broad set of tools, and are a leader in the community."
"NRDC has world-class expertise in a balance of advocacy and science."
"They have high quality staff and a broad and deep presence at state and federal level."
"David Hawkins is brilliant."
"They have a very strong team."
"They have high quality, knowledgeable advocates."
"They have an outstanding professional staff."

High Quality Work

"They perform great analysis and are policy-savvy."
"They do good legal work."
"They do strong policy work and lobbying."
"They are on top of science and law."

Well Respected

"They have connections, respect, and smarts."
"NRDC is one of the most highly regarded NGOs in the US."

Areas for Improvement

Expand Area of Focus

"They should come out strongly against the Clean Air Act preemption - it is being too middle-of-the-road regarding the climate change bill."
"They should look at carbon rents."
"They should drop their interest in ethanol, a losing technology."
"They should increase their focus on economic analyses."
"Don't rush into deals with utilities!"
"They should further ramp up E2."

Reach Out to a Broader Base

"They should develop a global reach."
"NRDC should become more engaged in state advocacy."
"They should increase their link to public action."
"They should improve their grassroots clout."
"The NRDC should publicize its cases to the general public."
"They need to balance policy-driven work with a connection to affected communities."
"They should get a few visible, attractive, articulate spokesmen (on the order of Bill Moyers) to promote both the brand and NRDC policies."
"They could use some new experts in the climate change area and not use the same people for all the different policy topics."
"They should increase their corporate sector outreach."

Internal Improvements

"They should improve their campaign staff."
"They could improve their internal management."
"They should be okay being critical if legislation goes bad."
"They should not follow the Environmental Defense Fund’s lead in capitulating to win political support."
"Rather, they should create the evidence base to support a stronger outcome."

The views expressed on this page are those of each individual expert and not necessarily those of Philanthopedia. Note that each quote represents the views of just one person and may not reflect the sentiments of the entire group. We do not disclose the names of the experts who gave each comment to protect their anonymity

" I worked with NRDC in my capacity as an employee of another environmental organization and found them to be one the most effective national green groups. They have sound strategy and a powerful network of spokespeople, which enables them to get things done. A very savvy operation...The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were very sharp, better understood how to use the media to get their message out than many other environmental groups."
-Vinay (Professional with expertise in this field & campaigner to protect public lands from energy development)

" This organization is hands down the best for organizing a collective voice to protect our earth. The NRDC does everything right- they pick the right battles, use the right strategies, communicate clearly and effectively with their constituents and make a difference. As a fundraiser and grass roots organizer, I aspire to the standards the NRDC lives up to."
-racheldelcau (Donor & activist)

" The NRDC is an organization that is a positive and effective voice in environmental policy. They have a great website where they keep you updated on government issues dealing with the environment. You can send messages to your representatives through their site. It's very easy, and from looking at results, also has an impact. They also have plenty of information on how to improve your own personal environmental choices and how to get involved in your community. They are highly rated by organizations such as Charity Navigator, so if you donate, you know your money is being spent correctly."
-Kermit (Donor)

" The NRDC is organized into several fronts dealing with the spectrum of environmental issues--Climate, Energy, Water, Legislation, etc. This is a well-run and capable organization with a focus on personal power and grassroots change, they have the dedication and prowess to engender lasting change."
-jonwestwood (Donor)

" They continue to work in the legal and policy arena and have the visibility and means (although dwindling quickly) to raise consciousness and promote action."
-mxbmama (Donor)

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