ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND
NY · US
Tracked direct giving
$15,285,000
LDA reported lobbying spend
$3,533,080
Connections
36
How money flowed from ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND directed $15.0M to EDF ACTION VOTES across 14 contributions between July 2023 and December 2024.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND directed $100K to LCV VICTORY FUND.
Where ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE ACTION FUND’s money ended up
Attributed amounts are modeled estimates of how money flowed through intermediary PACs, computed by proportional apportionment of FEC-reported transactions. They are not reported transactions themselves. How we compute this
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
smallest single documented leg $50K (larger than the modeled estimate: the leg carried money from other sources too)
Plus 38 additional chains totaling $11K.
Outside Spending and Dark Money
Dark money is election spending by organizations that do not disclose their donors: 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and similar non-committee filers (FEC Form 5 and Form 9). Registered super PACs also make independent expenditures. But they itemize their donors with the FEC, so their spending is not dark money. Figures below are never combined with disclosed-donor totals.
IRS 990 Schedule I Grant Chain
Grants between nonprofits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule I. Grants between organizations are one route for dark money. A nonprofit may receive a grant from one entity and then spend that money on election ads.
IRS 990 Schedule I grants given
$11,907,700
| Grantee | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Energy Business Network | $9,000 | 2023 | — |
| Taxpayers for Common Sense Action | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| Natural Resources Council of Maine | $12,000 | 2023 | — |
| Partnership Project Action Fund | $200,000 | 2023 | — |
| Earthworks | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship | $15,000 | 2023 | — |
| LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS | $3,512,500 | 2023 | — |
| SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA | $40,000 | 2023 | — |
| Conserve and Protect Our Water | $280,000 | 2023 | — |
| Project for Clean Energy and Innovation | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| AMERICAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA | $100,000 | 2023 | — |
| EDF Action Votes Inc | $7,350,000 | 2023 | — |
| Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Edu & Charit | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| Hispanic Access | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| Clean Air Action Fund | $15,000 | 2023 | — |
| EEN Action Inc | $30,000 | 2023 | — |
| Minorities in Aquaculture | $7,500 | 2023 | — |
| Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund | $20,000 | 2023 | — |
| WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
| ProgressNow New Mexico | $50,000 | 2023 | — |
| Western Conservation Action | $25,000 | 2023 | — |
| Pennsylvania Environmental CouncilInc | $21,700 | 2023 | — |
| Future Freedoms | $150,000 | 2023 | — |
| NM Native Votes | $10,000 | 2023 | — |
IRS 990 Schedule I grants received
$5,441,270
| Grantor | Amount | Tax Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Venture Fund | $70,000 | 2024 | ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED | $5,371,270 | 2023 | — |
Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I (Grants and Other Assistance to Organizations) via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and IRS 990 XML e-files. Grant amounts represent the most recent filing year available.
IRS 990 data lags a year or more behind filing. Grants shown are for the stated tax year and do not establish current-cycle funding.
Methodology Disclosure
Dark money figures are derived from FEC Form 5 (independent expenditures by non-committee organizations) and Form 9 (electioneering communications). These filings capture spending on ads and election communications but do not reveal the identity of the organization's donors. QPQ totals may differ from benchmarks like the Brennan Center's estimates. QPQ includes all Form 5 filers, while some benchmarks count only a subset of non-disclosing nonprofits. Grant chain data is from IRS Form 990 Schedule I and may not include all years or all grantee organizations.
Lobbying Activity Detail
Disclosed lobbying expenditures from LDA filings where this entity is the client. Dollar amounts represent what was reported to the Senate Office of Public Records.
Top Lobbying Issues
Lobbying Firms Retained
Bills Referenced in Lobbying Filings
Lobbying data from Senate LDA filings and the LobbyView dataset (MIT/NSF, CC-BY-4.0). Dollar figures represent disclosed expenditures only and may not capture all influence activity. Issue codes follow the LDA general issue classification.
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Donations Given and Outside Spending
Largest 50 records. Rows badged “Spent to support” or “Spent to oppose” are independent expenditures this entity paid to vendors for or against the named candidate. That money was not given to them.
| Recipient | Amount | Date | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $3,750,000 | Sep 17, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $3,250,000 | Oct 7, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $3,000,000 | Oct 15, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $2,500,000 | Jul 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $1,250,000 | Sep 29, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $1,100,000 | Sep 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| LCV VICTORY FUND | $100,000 | Oct 23, 2018 | 2018 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $100,000 | Aug 25, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Mar 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jan 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Feb 28, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Sep 30, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | May 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Sep 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Nov 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jan 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jun 30, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Oct 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jun 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Dec 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jul 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Feb 29, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Mar 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Aug 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Apr 30, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | May 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Dec 31, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Apr 30, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Jul 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Oct 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Nov 30, 2023 | 2024 |
| EDF ACTION VOTES | $9,750 | Aug 31, 2024 | 2024 |
| LCV VICTORY FUND | $1,000 | Sep 18, 2018 | 2018 |
Relationships
| Type | Connected To | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobbied on | Repeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA) | LDA filing: lobbied on Repeal of EPA Methane Rule (CRA), period 3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30), reported amount $360,000 | Source |
| Gave money to | Clean Energy Business Network | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $9,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Taxpayers for Common Sense Action | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Natural Resources Council of Maine | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $12,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Partnership Project Action Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $200,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Earthworks | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $15,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $3,512,500 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $40,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Conserve and Protect Our Water | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $280,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Project for Clean Energy and Innovation | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | AMERICAN INDEPENDENT MEDIA | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $100,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | EDF Action Votes Inc | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $7,350,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Edu & Charit | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Hispanic Access | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Clean Air Action Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $15,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | EEN Action Inc | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $30,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Minorities in Aquaculture | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $7,500 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $20,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | ProgressNow New Mexico | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $50,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Retained | TIBER CREEK GROUP | Hired TIBER CREEK GROUP to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | WEST FRONT STRATEGIES LLC | Hired WEST FRONT STRATEGIES LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | CAPITOL STRATEGIES, LLC | Hired CAPITOL STRATEGIES, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | CONSERVATION PATHWAYS, LLC | Hired CONSERVATION PATHWAYS, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | K&L Gates, LLP | Hired K&L GATES, LLP to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | ESP ADVISORS, LLC | Hired ESP ADVISORS, LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | FGS Global (US) LLC (FKA FGH Holdings LLC) | Hired FGS GLOBAL (US) LLC (FKA FGH HOLDINGS LLC) to lobby (4th Quarter (Oct 1 - Dec 31) 2023) | Source |
| Retained | MERCHANT STRATEGIES LLC | Hired MERCHANT STRATEGIES LLC to lobby (1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2025) | Source |
| Retained | THE RUSSELL GROUP, INC. | Hired THE RUSSELL GROUP, INC. to lobby (3rd Quarter (July 1 - Sep 30) 2026) | Source |
| Gave money to | Western Conservation Action | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $25,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Pennsylvania Environmental CouncilInc | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $21,700 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | Future Freedoms | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $150,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Gave money to | NM Native Votes | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $10,000 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Received money from | ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $5,371,270 (tax year 2023) | Source |
| Received money from | New Venture Fund | IRS 990 Schedule I grant of $70,000 (tax year 2024). Purpose: ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS | Source |