About Earthjustice and Earthjustice Action

Earthjustice (a 501(c)3 organization) and Earthjustice Action (a 501(c)4 organization) are separate, affiliated organizations.

Both organizations are focused on protecting health, preserving magnificent places and wildlife, advancing clean energy, and combating climate change.

Learn more about Earthjustice and Earthjustice Action:

Established in 2017, Earthjustice Action is Earthjustice’s 501(c)4 advocacy partner, focusing on grassroots advocacy, education, and electoral work.

As a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization, Earthjustice Action is legally permitted to engage in a broader range of activities than Earthjustice, including lobbying beyond 501(c)3 limits and electoral activities.

Earthjustice Action serves a much-needed role in ensuring that our courts are front and center in environmental politics, working to:

  • Educate voters on the critical importance of federal judges
  • Help confirm federal judges who recognize that the government has a responsibility to protect the environment, public health, and public lands for all people
  • Protect the environmental laws that Earthjustice’s attorneys depend on to win in court, including the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act
  • Catalyze bipartisan support in Congress to safeguard our health and environment, and more

Connect with Earthjustice Action on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter

Named after the relevant sections in the U.S. federal tax code, 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations are distinguished by types of allowable activities.

  • 501(c)3 organizations are nonprofits serving charitable, religious, or educational purposes. They are permitted to engage in a limited amount of lobbying, advocacy, or political activity. Donations are tax-deductible. Earthjustice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
  • 501(c)4 organizations are nonprofits serving “social welfare” purposes. They are permitted to engage in a broader range of advocacy and lobbying than 501(c)3 organizations. Donations are not tax-deductible. Earthjustice Action is a 501(c)4 nonprofit.

Established in 1971, Earthjustice is the legal backbone for the environmental movement. We are the attorneys and legal strategists for hundreds of public-interest national and community organizations, representing all our clients for free. With 200 attorneys, Earthjustice enforces our nation’s environmental laws to protect the environment, our health, and our climate.

Earthjustice Action complements Earthjustice’s litigation victories through work on Capitol Hill and with electoral efforts. Earthjustice Action increases the political strength of the environmental and broader progressive communities, defending Earthjustice’s court wins from legislative attacks and extending the power of our nation’s environmental laws.

Both Earthjustice and Earthjustice Action are not-for-profit organizations, but tax-deductibility varies.