irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $419KCLEAN WATER FOR ALL: FROM LAKE TO RIVER TO FAUCET, NEW YORK STATE HAS SOME OF THE BEST WATER IN THE WORLD AND WE MUST KEEP IT THAT WAY. WE INTEND TO PROTECT OUR SOURCE WATERS AND PUSH FOR MANDATORY TESTING FOR DANGEROUS CHEMICALS. WHERE WATER IS CONTAMINATED, WE INTEND TO RESPOND RAPIDLY, ENCOURAGING SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES TO MAKE THE REQUIRED SUSTAINED COMMITMENTS TO CLEAN WATER. SO COMMUNITIES HAVE THE FUNDS TO FIX AND MAINTAIN WATER SYSTEMS, WE WILL HELP THEM SECURE BILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR OVERDUE UPGRADES AND REPAIRS. OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT WHEN NEW YORKERS TURN ON THEIR FAUCETS, NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, THEY'LL HAVE SAFE WATER TO DRINK.
- #2 $99KCLEAN AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES FOR ALL: WITH MORE THAN 50,000 SQUARE MILES OF SPACE, NEW YORK HAS A COMMUNITY TO FIT EVERY TASTE - SKYSCRAPER APARTMENTS, SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN SUBURBS, SMALL TOWNS, SPRAWLING TOWNS, FARMLAND, WILDERNESS, BEACHES, VALLEYS, RIVERFRONTS AND LAKEFRONTS. OUR NEED FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES UNITES US ALL. THIS MEANS CLEAN AIR AND WATER, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT TOXIC CHEMICALS THAT HAVE PERMEATED ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES ARE EITHER BANNED OR STRICTLY REGULATED AND THAT CLEANUP DOESN'T FALL ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE TAXPAYER.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
2026 Action Agenda
Set of legislative, regulatory, and budget priorities for 2026 aimed at maintaining New York’s climate leadership, including advancing clean water, healthy communities, and sustainable land use policies.
Environmental Scorecard
Annual assessment of state legislators’ voting records on environmental issues, with Superbills weighted heavily to track key legislative priorities.
Model Climate Laws Initiative
Program promoting the adoption and implementation of strong climate and environmental policies in New York and beyond, serving as a model for other states.
New York Food Waste Action Network (NYFWAN)
Coalition initiative co-founded by Environmental Advocates NY to reduce food waste through policy advocacy, public education, and stakeholder collaboration, focusing on legislation like the Food Date Labeling Act and NYC’s solid waste management planning.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 6 activities
- Advocacy for state environmental legislation and policy implementationPlayed a leading role in the development and passage of New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) in 2019 and continues to advocate for its full implementation, including through renewable energy expansion and fossil fuel phaseout. Develops a 2026 Action Agenda outlining legislative, regulatory, and budget priorities to maintain New York's climate leadership amid federal rollbacks.
- Engaging in legal action to enforce environmental protectionsParticipated in legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a pipeline project, and advocated to end free gas hookups, using litigation as a tool to advance environmental policy goals.
- Mobilizing grassroots supporters and activistsFacilitates advocacy actions by supporters—28,438 actions in the reporting period—and mobilizes a network of 22,885 activists to advance environmental policy goals through grassroots organizing and public engagement campaigns.
- Monitoring and influencing state legislative and regulatory processesMonitors 54 legislative bills relevant to environmental policy in New York, issues bill memos with a rating system to evaluate environmental impact, tracks lawmakers’ voting records through an annual Scorecard, and submits public comments on key plans such as the NYC Solid Waste Management Plan to influence policy outcomes.
- Public education and coalition-based environmental advocacyFights for policies to restore and protect New York's environment through education, partnerships, and coalition-building, including spearheading a coalition for corporate emissions and climate risk disclosure and opposing hydraulic fracturing in New York.
- Securing public funding for environmental infrastructureHelped secure $5.5 billion since 2017 for clean water infrastructure in New York and mobilized support for the $4.2 billion 2022 Environmental Bond Act, which passed with public approval.
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Food Policy Advocacy & Nutrition Education 1 activity
- Advancing waste reduction and food waste policyCo-founded the New York Food Waste Action Network, advocates for the Food Date Labeling Act (A7291/S7618) to reduce consumer confusion and food waste, and played a key role in expanding New York's Bottle Bill to reduce consumer waste.
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Toxic Chemicals and Plastics Reform 1 activity
- Advocacy for chemical safety and clean water protectionsAdvocates for mandatory testing of dangerous chemicals in water sources, helps communities secure funding for water system upgrades, and promotes bans or strict regulation of toxic chemicals such as PFAS and chlorpyrifos, ensuring cleanup costs are not borne by taxpayers.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Advancing climate-resilient agriculture and land conservationAdvanced policies banning toxic insecticides, including through the Birds and Bees Protection Act and chlorpyrifos restrictions, supported climate-resilient agriculture, and contributed to the conservation of over one million acres of forests and land in New York.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.70M
Contributions & grants$2.60M96%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$150K6%
Other revenue$-54K
expenses
Total expenses$1.98M
Program expenses82%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$1.49M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.97M
Cash$2.02M
Investments$1.52M
Liabilities$282K
Net assets$3.69M
Liquid reserves21.5 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +21.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| VANESSA FAJANS-TURNER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DOH JUL | 42 | $283K |
| PATRICIA STERLING | FINANCE DIRECTOR | 38 | $123K |
| BRIAN KEEGAN | SENIOR DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS | 38 | $123K |
| CONOR D BAMBRICK | POLICY DIRECTOR | 38 | $115K |
| ROBERT HAYES | CLEAN WATER DIRECTOR | 38 | $109K |
board members · 20
- ANDY DARRELL — DIRECTOR
- BARBARA LIFTON — DIRECTOR/FORMER SECRETARY
- BETH BRAUN — DIRECTOR
- BLYTHE DANNER — DIRECTOR
- CHARLES UPDIKE — DIRECTOR
- DOUGLAS BATESON — TREASURER
- EDDIE BAUTISTA — DIRECTOR
- ERIC GOLDSTEIN — DIRECTOR
- ERNEST TOLLERSON — DIRECTOR
- FRED KOWAL — DIRECTOR
- JAMES TB TRIPP — DIRECTOR
- JOHN BUTTRICK — CHAIRMAN
- LUIS AGUIRRE TORRES — DIRECTOR
- MATTHEW MORREALE — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL KINK — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL O'LOUGHLIN — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL WARD — DIRECTOR
- PETER LEHNER — DIRECTOR
- RAHWA GHIRMATZION — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD AMPER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 10
Who they work with
- City Harvest Partner — Co-founding member of the New York Food Waste Action Network
- Earthjustice Partner — Co-founding member of the New York Food Waste Action Network
- Environmental Advocates Action Partner — Organization that publishes the Legislator of the Year and Oil Slick awards, affiliated with Environmental Advocates NY.
- Island Harvest Partner — Co-founding member of the New York Food Waste Action Network
- New York League of Conservation Voters Coalition — Joint recipient of advisory input from The Green Council, alongside Environmental Advocates NY.
- RGGI Government — Monitors and advocates on legislative actions related to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in New York.
- The Green Council Coalition — Ad-hoc advisory committee that selected the 2026 Superbills, jointly advising the New York League of Conservation Voters and Environmental Advocates NY.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Government — Engaged in legal action against the EPA to challenge environmental rollbacks.
- frontline organizations Partner — Collaborates with frontline organizations to align policy advocacy with community needs and priorities.
- impacted communities Partner — Collaborates with impacted communities to build advocacy strategies and political power.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Evidence-Based Advocacy Using Science and Researchmethodology: evidence_based_advocacyBy grounding advocacy in science, rigorous research, and analysis, we produce more credible and durable policy outcomes because data-driven arguments are more persuasive to policymakers, regulators, and courts.
- Intersectional Collaboration with Frontline Communitiesmethodology: intersectional_collaborationBy collaborating with impacted communities and frontline leaders through an intersectional approach, we build more effective and equitable advocacy strategies because policies shaped by those most affected are more likely to address root causes and generate sustained political power.
- Multi-Channel Advocacy for Policy Changemethodology: multi-channel_advocacyBy combining legislative advocacy, regulatory action, and public mobilization, we drive systemic policy change because coordinated pressure across multiple institutional channels increases the likelihood of adoption and enforcement of strong environmental protections.
- Strategic Prioritization of High-Impact Legislationmethodology: superbill_campaign_strategyBy focusing advocacy efforts on "Superbills" — high-impact environmental legislation — we achieve significant policy change because concentrated resources on strategically selected bills increase the probability of passage and maximize systemic impact.