# Sierra Club Foundation

Sierra Club Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Oakland, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Oakland, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Oakland, CA, United States
- **Founded:** 1960
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** sierraclubfoundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sierraclubfoundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Sierra Club Foundation is a non-profit organisation established in 1960 in California, United States. It focuses on environmental interests and the agricultural business sector.

## Sectors

- ClimateTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Real Estate

## People

- Dan Chu — Executive Director
- Patrick Murphy — President of the Board of Directors
- Rebekah Saul Butler — Board Member

## Questions

### How does the Sierra Club Foundation relate to the Sierra Club itself?

The Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the fiscal sponsor for the Sierra Club, which is a 501(c)(4). This structure allows the Foundation to receive tax-deductible donations, primarily to fund the Club's charitable activities in conservation, education, and environmental justice. The two share a name and mission but are legally distinct entities with separate boards and financial controls.

### What is the Foundation's fossil-fuel divestment posture?

The Foundation was an original signatory to DivestInvest Philanthropy in January 2014 and a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment since October 2017. Its investment policy screens out fossil-fuel holdings across the endowment. This commitment binds the portfolio to a fossil-free mandate, meaning its public-equity and fixed-income allocations exclude companies tied to extraction, processing, and combustion of coal, oil, and gas.

### Does the Sierra Club Foundation make impact investments or direct venture deals?

The Foundation does not operate a venture-capital or private-equity strategy. Its capital deployment happens primarily through annual grantmaking to the Sierra Club and other environmental groups. The endowment itself is structured as a traditional public-markets portfolio with mission-aligned screens. Conservation properties held directly — such as the Shasta Alpine Hut — represent mission-relevant real estate rather than a real-asset investment program.

### How is the Sierra Club Foundation funded?

Funding comes from individual donors, bequests, and grants. The Foundation also runs a vehicle-donation program in San Diego that generates revenue for its programs. Unlike a typical endowment with a single corpus, the Foundation operates as an active fundraising entity that aggregates charitable contributions and then regrants them to the Sierra Club and other environmental initiatives.

## Related profiles

- [Siena Heights University Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/siena-heights-university-endowment)
- [Sightline Wealth Advisors](https://altss.com/profile/sightline-wealth-advisors)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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