Elemental Excelerator (organization) is a nonprofit delaware corporation whose mission is to redesign the systems at the root of climate change. The organization conducts a technology funding and deployment program that serves to connect, coach, and support startups building important, innovative, and equitable companies that have the potential for significant impact in the areas of energy, water, transportation, food and agriculture, and circular economy.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.0M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $7.1M a year · 27% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.0M
to officers and key staff · 9% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 9% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
23 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 22.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
10
named funders · $9.5M
Looks good: 10 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$906K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$15.9M
Spent
$11.6M
To programs
86%
Net assets
$23.6M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$15.9M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$15.9M
FY2021$17.1M
FY2022$26.1M
FY2023$35.7M
FY2024$34.1M
Expenses
$11.6M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$11.6M
FY2021$15.9M
FY2022$18.9M
FY2023$20.0M
FY2024$27.2M
Net assets
$23.6M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$23.6M
FY2021$24.7M
FY2022$30.3M
FY2023$46.1M
FY2024$53.2M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim
You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Dec 2017.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $9.9M Management & general 13% · $1.5M Fundraising 2% · $179K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Something off? Claim to add context

Who runs it and what they're paid

14 people listed on the 990; $1.0M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Director/Chief Executive Officer
$168,888Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Staff
$149,475Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Director Accelerator
$148,116Pt VII · Sec A
Partnerships Manager
$146,470Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Energy Innovation
$143,694Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Innovation, Mobility
$143,381Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Director, Finance
$139,199Pt VII · Sec A
Chair of the Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Avra Celine Van Der Zee’s $385K as Chief Operating Officer is at the 80th percentile of top reported officer pay among 324 $10–100M environment nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Avra Celine Van Der Zee$384,847——$123,416—
Avra Van Der Zee—$379,765$229,694——
Dawn Lippert$335,248$343,976$194,447$181,735$168,888
Christina Angelides$255,894$285,693———
Mark Calvin Chambers$280,625————
Aparna Reddy$244,301$204,034———
Michael R Curtis$244,176————
Saritha Kaderali—$231,114$217,327——

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Elemental Excelerator INC executive salaries →

On this list? Claim this org

Something off? Claim to add context

Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Funds and coaches climate-tech startups to deploy innovative, equitable solutions in energy, water, agriculture, and transportation for local communities worldwide.

Questions for Elemental Excelerator INC

Tap to ask. Elemental Excelerator INC sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Elemental Excelerator INC answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

Know this org? Add your story

1 program · $9.9M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Elemental excelerator (organization) is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to accelerate solutions to climate change and other urgent environmental issues and deploy those solutions in communities that need it the most.

$9.9Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 10 funders →
Grants paid · 210 grants · $23.1M · 2020–2024
Community Energy Labs INCFY2024$210,000
Forum Mobility INCFY2024$200,000
Project VestaFY2024$100,000
Shifted EnergyFY2024$67,600
Transcend SoftwareFY2024$50,000
Source Global PbcFY2024$50,000
Gro Enterprises INCFY2024$50,000
GradientFY2024$50,000
Frontline GigFY2024$50,000
Uncharted Power INCFY2024$35,200
Climate VineFY2024$25,600
Walker-Miller Energy ServicesFY2024$24,200
Neer Technologies INCFY2024$20,000
Futuremap LLCFY2024$12,025
Molg INCFY2024$10,300
Terrado INCFY2024$10,000
See all 210 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$15.9M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$14.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$1.2M
Other incomeLn 4–11$32K
Money outPt IX
$11.6M
Ln 25
Programscol B$9.9M
Managementcol C$1.5M
Fundraisingcol D$179K
Owns and owesPt X
$23.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$22.0M
Total assetsLn 16$24.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$906K
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A7
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$14.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$7.9M
Investment incomeLn 3$1.2M
Other incomeLn 4–11$32K
Gains on assetsLn 7$1.1M
Total revenueLn 12$15.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$11.8M
SavingsLn 2$10.2M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$22.0M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$7K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$284K
Total assetsLn 16$24.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$906K
Net assetsLn 32$23.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 548
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$16.1M$22.0M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$2$7K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$178K$284K
Total assetsLn 16$19.8M$24.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$541K$906K
Net assetsLn 32$19.3M$23.6M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$4.6M$4.6M
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$504K$504K
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$642K$642K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$328K$281K$41K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$3.0M$2.1M$703K$161K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$92K$68K$20K$4K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$175K$150K$22K$3K
Payroll taxesLn 10$239K$205K$30K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$30K$30K
Accounting feesLn 11c$102K$102K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$19K$19K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$992K$816K$174K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$16K$11K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$50K$21K$29K
Information technologyLn 14$152K$13K$139K
OccupancyLn 16$231K$141K$91K
TravelLn 17$28K$15K$14K$92
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$29K$2K$27K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$43K$35K$9K
InsuranceLn 23$14K$14K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$318K$293K$25K
Total functional expensesLn 25$11.6M$9.9M$1.5M$179K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $34.1M$27.2M$6.9M$53.2M 990 PDF
FY2023 $35.7M$20.0M$15.8M$46.1M 990 PDF
FY2022 $26.1M$18.9M$7.1M$30.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $17.1M$15.9M$1.2M$24.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $15.9M$11.6M$4.3M$23.6M 990 PDF

More to add? Claim this org

Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support F · Foreign J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $15,915,259 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $15,626,900$14,661,986
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,410$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $630,675$1,221,664
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $3,090$31,609
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $16,263,075$15,915,259
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $2,765,899$5,752,712
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,945,288$3,825,165
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,579,230$2,024,850
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $8,290,417$11,602,727
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $7,972,658$4,312,532
Part VI · Governance 4 of 5 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body5
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $15,915,259 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$840,000
VIII-1e Government grants$7,873,422
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,948,564
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$14,661,986
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $72,761$72,761
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $1,148,903$1,148,903
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $31,609$31,609
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $31,609 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,221,664$15,915,259
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $11,602,727 across 21 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $4,606,262$4,606,262
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $503,950$503,950
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $642,500$642,500
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $281,227 · Management $41,466 · Fundraising $5,022$327,715
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $2,126,142 · Management $703,218 · Fundraising $161,393$2,990,753
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $67,501 · Management $20,136 · Fundraising $4,482$92,119
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $150,464 · Management $22,187 · Fundraising $2,686$175,337
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $205,304 · Management $30,272 · Fundraising $3,665$239,241
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $30,492$30,492
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $102,126$102,126
IX-11d Lobbying feesPrograms $18,501$18,501
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $816,383 · Management $174,363 · Fundraising $1,296$992,042
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $11,317 · Management $4,518$15,835
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $20,868 · Management $28,830$49,698
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $13,006 · Management $139,358$152,364
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $140,774 · Management $90,511$231,285
IX-17 TravelPrograms $14,675 · Management $13,695 · Fundraising $92$28,462
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,249 · Management $26,566$28,815
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $34,731 · Management $8,683$43,414
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $13,729$13,729
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $293,305 · Management $24,782$318,087
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $9,949,159 · Management $1,474,932 · Fundraising $178,636$11,602,727
Part X · Balance sheet $24,490,108 assets, 14 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $1,220,531; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $103,189$11,799,984
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $16,015,497$10,199,424
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $3,351,433$902,612
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $165,451$76,854
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $177,511$284,119
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $2$6,584
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $19,813,083$24,490,108
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $541,142$815,635
X-18 Grants payable$90,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $541,142$905,635
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $15,278,831$19,564,347
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $3,993,110$4,020,126
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $19,271,941$23,584,473
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $19,813,083$24,490,108
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $23,584,473 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$15,915,259
XI-2 Total expenses$11,602,727
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$4,312,532
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$19,271,941
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$23,584,473

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

Similar organizations you could support · Compare with another nonprofit

Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

Your org? Add context

Made it to the end? Claim this org

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the pay comparisons above.