Corporate Donation Policy

Ours is advice and advocacy that money can't buy

Over the past thirty years, Environmental Defense has established itself successfully in the environmental community and on the national stage as one of the most effective member-based, non-partisan organizations working to protect the environment and human health. To be truly effective in achieving meaningful and significant environmental gains, we must maintain our independence and our organizational integrity. To ensure this, we have established the following set of corporate guidelines.

Environmental Defense will not accept a donation from any corporation that is:

1. Engaged in any significant activities that are in direct conflict with Environmental Defense’s environmental protection objectives or activities;

2. Involved in litigation with Environmental Defense;

3. A potential beneficiary of advocacy measures Environmental Defense is promoting; or

4. Engaged in a direct Environmental Defense program activity or partnership.

5. In a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code listed below. Environmental Defense will not, for example, accept donations from companies in the following industries: automobiles, chemicals, electric utilities, forestry, fishing, mining, nuclear power, oil/gas, pulp/paper, tobacco, waste management, or weapons. Classifications of eligibility are based on corporate activities as defined by Standard and Poor’s Register of Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC).

Total corporate contributions shall not exceed three percent (3%) of Environmental Defense’s annual operating budget.

Environmental Defense reserves the right to refuse any contribution.

Relevant Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC)

Environmental Defense will not accept contributions from corporations that fall within the following SIC Code categories:

AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & FISHING:
Agricultural Production; Livestock; Agricultural Services; Forestry; Fishing.

MINING:
Metal Mining; Coal Mining; Oil and Gas Extraction; Mining of Non-Metals.

CONSTRUCTION:
Building Construction; Heavy Construction; Special Trade Contractor.

MANUFACTURING:
Tobacco; Textile Mill Products; Apparel from Fabrics; Lumber and Wood Products; Furniture and Fixtures; Paper and Allied Products; Chemicals; Petroleum Refining; Rubber; Leather and Leather Goods; Stone, Clay, Glass, and Concrete Products; Primary Metals Industries; Fabricated Metal Products; Industrial and Commercial Machinery; Electronic Equipment; Transportation Equipment; Measuring, Analyzing and Controlling Instruments; Photographic, Medical, and Optical Goods; Watches and Clocks.

TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, ELECTRIC, GAS, & SANITARY SERVICES:
Railroad Transportation, Local and Suburban Transit, Highway Passenger Transportation; Motor Freight and Warehousing; Water Transportation; Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services; Airports; Airport Terminal Services; Air Transportation, Transportation Services.

RETAIL TRADE:
Automotive Dealers; Liquor Stores; Petroleum Dealers; Tobacco Retailers.

SERVICES:
Automotive Repair; Laundries and Dry Cleaning; Pest Control; Computer Integrated Systems; Photo-finishing; Testing Laboratories.

Posted: 14-Feb-2007; Updated: 22-Dec-2008