Sierra Club Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club is the Arizona state affiliate of the Oakland-based national environmental NGO. By aggressively lobbying against responsible mining, water infrastructure projects, and traditional energy sources like natural gas, the Sierra Club prioritizes ideological goals over people-centered, practical policy. Their influence on public policy can delay vital projects that create jobs and provide affordable energy, all while relying on out-of-state support and funding that doesn’t always reflect the interests of everyday Arizonans. Their rigid stance on environmental issues sometimes ignores the needs of rural communities and industries vital to the state’s economy.
OVERVIEW
Sierra Club is a massive organization funded by some of the largest climate and wealth funds in the world. Major donors include the Climate Imperative Foundation ($13M), Climateworks Foundation ($7M), Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Foundation for the Carolinas and the Sandler Foundation.
FUNDING
Sierra Club Foundation 501(c)(3):
Sierra Club 501(c)(4):
The Sierra Club Arizona PAC spent over $140,000 in AZ in the 2020 election cycle, and over $20,000 in the 2024 election cycle in contributions to campaign committees. In the 2020 and 2022 cycles combined they spent over $230,000 in Independent Expenditures. Below is a listing of the campaigns they have supported.
SPENDING
The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter lists energy/climate change as a top policy issue area. The organization supports utility scale clean energy, energy efficiency, rooftop solar, municipal climate action plans and renewable energy mandates and subsidies. They oppose traditional energy sources like coal, natural gas and nuclear.
ADVOCACY
Anti-Nuclear
Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director testifying at the Arizona Corporation Commission (August 2025)
The national Sierra Club organization has 13 executive leaders making over $250,000 per year. Their Executive Director Benjamin Jealous makes over $400,000. A full list of their executive team and Board Members is below.
Executive Team
Benjamin Jealous
Eva Hernadez
Gary Reinecke
Adrienne Frazier
Erica McKinley
Ana Yanez Correa
Kristin Macklin
Anne Kenney
Michael Parrish
Robert Cutler
Loren Blackrod
Gabe Gonzalez
Kevin Harris
Aida Davis
Philip Radford
Byron Ramos-Gudiel
Holly Bender
Deb Pasternak
Kia Brown
Hop Hopkins
Joanne Spalding
Salena Jegede
Shabina Bahl
Heather Wilson
Board of Directors
Allison Chin, President
Ramon Cruz
Ross MacFarlane
Jeremey Patrick Murphy
Marion Klaus
Meghan Sahli-Wells
Cheyenne Skye Branscum
Debbie Heaton
Rita Harris
Antonio Fuller
Chad Hanson
Aaron Mair
Cynthia Hoyle
Michael Dorsey
David Scott
David Holtz
Shruti Bhatnagar
Natalie Lucas