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Washington · Public charity

Breakthrough Energy Action Inc

The world's economic and energy policies are built around technologies that emit greenhouse gases. That must change. We develop and advocate for smart policies that public and private sector leaders can implement to support clean energy solutions.

$29M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
33
Grants FY2024
26
Organizations funded FY2023
46%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$250,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$10,500,000
Organizations funded a year
1 to 26
FY2021 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
12
Total assets, FY2024
$24M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 46% of the organizations Breakthrough Energy Action Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 37% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 63% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $6.6M went to new ones.

50%100%’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’22’23
EnvironmentCommunity ImprovementCivil RightsPublic BenefitScience & TechHuman ServicesOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving29$29M31%
FY202326$18M46%
FY202223$32M96%
FY20211$472kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2021 to 2024.

Environment$69MPublic Benefit$8.3MCivil Rights$2.0MCommunity Improvement$200kScience & Tech$150kSocial Science$75k

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
MN
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
OH
CA
VA
NC
DC
TX

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2021 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
League of Conservation Voters Inc$20,450,00039%
Clearpath Action for Conservative Clean Energy Inc$6,730,549387%
Future Forward USA Action$6,500,00025%
Fund for a Better Future Inc$5,900,000110%
Climate Power$4,850,00025%
Catf Action Inc$4,065,231383%
BlueGreen Alliance Inc$2,625,701334%
Clean Energy Buyers Association$2,600,275313%
Third Way$2,556,95438%
American Council On Renewable Energy$2,500,000132%
Show all 44 grantees
All grantees of Breakthrough Energy Action Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
League of Conservation Voters Inc$20,450,00039%
Clearpath Action for Conservative Clean Energy Inc$6,730,549387%
Future Forward USA Action$6,500,00025%
Fund for a Better Future Inc$5,900,000110%
Climate Power$4,850,00025%
Catf Action Inc$4,065,231383%
BlueGreen Alliance Inc$2,625,701334%
Clean Energy Buyers Association$2,600,275313%
Third Way$2,556,95438%
American Council On Renewable Energy$2,500,000132%
Climate Jobs National Resource Center Inc$2,000,000113%
Rainey Center Freedom Project$1,795,0003100%
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Inc$1,758,660317%
Nrdc Action Fund Inc$1,660,27535%
Clean Energy For America Inc$1,416,000370%
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions Inc$1,283,080310%
Bbt Inc$1,250,000311%
Counterspark Inc$1,150,000228%
Sierra Club$950,00011%
Evergreen Action$950,000323%
Conservatives for a Clean Energy Future$777,000222%
Bipartisan Policy Center Action Inc$767,884211%
Potential Energy Action Network Inc$750,000185%
Environmental Defense Action Fund$725,00013%
Clean Energy Grid Action$550,0002100%
Clean Energy Business Network$400,0002n/a
Energy Action Fund$400,00021%
Carbon Removal Alliance$300,000122%
Clean Power Campaign$280,000173%
The Pew Charitable Trusts$250,00010%
In Union USA Action$250,000120%
Tides Advocacy$219,50010%
Renewable Hydrogen Alliance$206,700144%
American Concrete Pavement Association$200,00016%
Electricity Consumers Resource Council$175,000137%
Researchamerica$150,00012%
The Advanced Power Alliance$150,00014%
Texas Transmission Project$150,0001100%
Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions Action Inc$100,0002100%
Gen-Z For Change Inc$100,000113%
Securing America's Future Energy Foundation$100,00011%
Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance$75,000140%
Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund$75,000112%
Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy$75,00014%

Where it is load-bearing

Breakthrough Energy Action Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 15 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 43 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetLeague of Conservation Voters Inc: $20,450,000 over 3y, 9.3% of budgetClearpath Action for Conservative Clean Energy Inc: $6,730,549 over 3y, 87% of budgetFuture Forward USA Action: $6,500,000 over 2y, 5.3% of budgetFund for a Better Future Inc: $5,900,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetClimate Power: $4,850,000 over 2y, 5.3% of budgetCatf Action Inc: $4,065,231 over 3y, 83% of budgetBlueGreen Alliance Inc: $2,625,701 over 3y, 34% of budgetClean Energy Buyers Association: $2,600,275 over 3y, 13% of budgetThird Way: $2,556,954 over 3y, 7.5% of budgetAmerican Council On Renewable Energy: $2,500,000 over 1y, 32% of budgetClimate Jobs National Resource Center Inc: $2,000,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetRainey Center Freedom Project: $1,795,000 over 3y, 100% of budgetCitizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Inc: $1,758,660 over 3y, 17% of budgetNrdc Action Fund Inc: $1,660,275 over 3y, 4.8% of budgetClean Energy For America Inc: $1,416,000 over 3y, 70% of budgetCenter for Climate and Energy Solutions Inc: $1,283,080 over 3y, 9.7% of budgetBbt Inc: $1,250,000 over 3y, 11% of budgetCounterspark Inc: $1,150,000 over 2y, 28% of budgetSierra Club: $950,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetEvergreen Action: $950,000 over 3y, 23% of budgetConservatives for a Clean Energy Future: $777,000 over 2y, 22% of budgetBipartisan Policy Center Action Inc: $767,884 over 2y, 11% of budgetPotential Energy Action Network Inc: $750,000 over 1y, 85% of budgetEnvironmental Defense Action Fund: $725,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetClean Energy Grid Action: $550,000 over 2y, 100% of budgetEnergy Action Fund: $400,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCarbon Removal Alliance: $300,000 over 1y, 22% of budgetClean Power Campaign: $280,000 over 1y, 73% of budgetThe Pew Charitable Trusts: $250,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetIn Union USA Action: $250,000 over 1y, 20% of budgetTides Advocacy: $219,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetRenewable Hydrogen Alliance: $206,700 over 1y, 44% of budgetAmerican Concrete Pavement Association: $200,000 over 1y, 5.8% of budgetElectricity Consumers Resource Council: $175,000 over 1y, 37% of budgetResearchamerica: $150,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetThe Advanced Power Alliance: $150,000 over 1y, 4.0% of budgetTexas Transmission Project: $150,000 over 1y, 100% of budgetConservative Coalition for Climate Solutions Action Inc: $100,000 over 2y, 100% of budgetGen-Z For Change Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetSecuring America's Future Energy Foundation: $100,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetTexas Geothermal Energy Alliance: $75,000 over 1y, 40% of budgetOhio Environmental Council Action Fund: $75,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetJoseph Rainey Center for Public Policy: $75,000 over 1y, 4.2% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 43.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Sixteen Thirty FundDC38.4× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Sixteen Thirty Fund · The Heising-Simons Action Fund · Breakthrough Energy Foundation · Energy Action Fund · Fund for a Better Future Inc · Advocacy Action Fund Inc · League of Conservation Voters Inc · United States Energy Foundation · NEO Philanthropy Action Fund Inc · Clean Future Action Fund Inc · Oakw Fund · Climateworks Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Breakthrough Energy Action Inc with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Breakthrough Energy Action Inc?

Find your warmest path to Breakthrough Energy Action Inc through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Breakthrough Energy Action Inc

How much does Breakthrough Energy Action Inc give?
Breakthrough Energy Action Inc reported 33 grants totaling $29,479,864 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 1 and 26 organizations a year over FY2021 to FY2023.
What does Breakthrough Energy Action Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2021 to FY2024, its largest causes are Environment (87%), Public Benefit (10%), Civil Rights (3%).
Who are Breakthrough Energy Action Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2021 to FY2024: League of Conservation Voters Inc ($20M), Clearpath Action for Conservative Clean Energy Inc ($6.7M), Future Forward USA Action ($6.5M).
Does Breakthrough Energy Action Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 46% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as Breakthrough Energy Action Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Sixteen Thirty Fund, The Heising-Simons Action Fund, Breakthrough Energy Foundation.
Where is Breakthrough Energy Action Inc based?
Breakthrough Energy Action Inc is based in WA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 44 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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