League of Conservation of Voters
The League of Conservation Voters, Inc (LCV) is a 501(c)(4) organization focused on supporting candidates who back an environmentalist agenda. It has been criticized as a “dark money heavyweight” by the Center for Public Integrity. Founded in 1969 by David Brower, LCV advocates for stricter environmental policies, educates voters, and produces a “National Environmental Scorecard” to assess political votes on issues like clean air and land use. It has 34 state and local affiliates across the United States including CHISPA AZ, which actively engages in lobbying and advocacy at the Arizona Legislature and Arizona Corporation Commission.
In addition to their C4, LCV also operates a 501c3, the League of Conservation Energy Fund (LCVEF). LCVEF describes their mission as working “to turn environmental values into National, State and Local priorities. LCVEF, in collaboration with our state LCVEF partners, educates the public, media and public officials about key environmental issues.” LCV also has several 527 organizations that play in federal and state and local elections including:
The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund - The League of Conservation Action Fund is an endorsement program seeks to elect environmental champions who will address the climate crisis and advance a more equitable clean energy future. The LCV Action Fund is committed to “elevat[ing] leaders to elected office to invest in clean energy, strengthen clean air and water safeguards, to protect our public lands, and more”
LCV Victory Fund – The LCV Victory Fund is the super PAC affiliate of LCV. LCV Victory Fund “runs independent campaigns to defeat federal candidates who will undermine environmental progress and elect environmental champions who will prioritize just and equitable climate solutions.”
CHISPA Arizona PAC – CHISPA AZ PAC is a non-federal 527 entity that has spent heavily in recent election cycles in state and local races in Arizona.
OVERVIEW
The League of Conservation Voters and its affiliates do not disclose their funders. However, publicly available data filed in other organizations’ 990 disclosures (from 2023) reveal some notable funding sources including the Sixteen Thirty Fund ($825,000 to the C4), the Energy Action Fund ($787,000 to the C4), the Western Conservation Foundation ($127,671 to the C3) and the U.S. Energy Foundation ($465,429 to the C3). See total 2023 revenue for LCV’s C4 and C3 below.
FUNDING
LCV Education Fund, 501 (c)(3)
LCV, Inc., 501(c)(4)
The League of Conservation Voters’ state affiliate in Arizona is Chispa Arizona. Because CHISPA AZ operates as part of the LCV C4, there are no public records that document how much funding their Arizona Chapter receives to support their operations, lobbying and advocacy work. However, due to Arizona campaign finance law, there are records that shed light on the electioneering activities of LCV and its affiliates.
LCV Inc and the LCV Victory Fund play heavily to support Democratic candidates running for office all across the country. In Arizona, LCV Inc funded independent expenditures (IE) in support of Democratic candidates in 2020 and, along with LCV Victory Fund, donated heavily to their affiliated 527, CHISPA AZ PAC 527, to fund IE campaigns in 2018, 2022 and 2024.
This graph reflets money from LCV, INC and LCV Victory Fund into the CHISPA AZ PAC. In 2020, CHISPA AZ spent through their (c)(4) which does not disclose donors.
SPENDING
LCV Donations to CHISPA AZ PAC by Cycle
The League of Conservation Voters is one of the longest running, agenda-driven environmental organizations in the U.S. While they claim to be fighting for the underserved, they themselves are a billionaire-funded organization with a highly paid staff (see below). Their tunnel-visioned agenda has the LCV and its affiliates fighting for what they perceive as ‘cleaner’ energy sources, while not acknowledging the realities of available technology. In doing so, the advocacy efforts of LCV sideline the energy and economic needs of society, and individuals, particularly those with lower income. This is an inconsistency in leftist ideology that they refuse to grapple with.
Furthermore, despite its environmental focus, LCV opposes nuclear energy, even though nuclear power produces no greenhouse gases and accounts for 20% of U.S. electricity. In November 2020, LCV was among 100 organizations that signed a letter opposing the “American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020.” The letter argued that nuclear energy worsens climate change and perpetuates reliance on "dirty energy," despite nuclear energy being a significant source of zero-carbon electricity.
ADVOCACY
Renewable Energy
Anti-Nuclear
Anti Oil and Gas
Transportation and Building Electrification
LCV pays six of its executive team $150,000 or more.
Staff
Gene Karpinski, President
Leslie Hinkson, Chief Officer for Racial Justice and Equity
Board of Directors
Carol Browner, Chair, Former EPA Administrator
Roger Kim, Vice Chair
Trip Van Noppen, Treasurer, Earthjustice
Carrie Clark, Secretary, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters
Roxanne Brown, United Steelworkers
Brendon Cechovic, Western Conservation Foundation
Donna Edwards, Former Member of Congress
Michael Fox, Eloise Capital
Elaine French, The John and Elaine French Family Foundation
Maria Handley, The Wilderness Society
Michael Kieschnick, Green Advocacy Project
Mark Magaña, GreenLatinos
Brionté McCorkle, Georgia Conservation Voters
Lisa Minsky-Primus, 216 Fund
Greg Moga, Moga Investments LLC
Ning Mosberger-Tang, Innovo Foundation
Reuben Munger, Vision Ridge Partners, LLC
Bill Roberts, Corridor Partners
Laura Turner Seydel, Turner Foundation
Kerry Schumann, Wisconsin Conservation Voters
Kathleen Welch, Corridor Partners
Antha Williams, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Hip Hop Caucus