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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: June 2026 Expires: June 2028

Western Resource Advocates

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
1 7 16 18
(303) 444-1188
1401 Walnut Street, Suite 200
Boulder, CO, 80302
https://westernresourceadvocates.org
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Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Western Resource Advocates does not meet the following 4 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 1 (Oversight of Operations and Staff)
Organizations shall have a board of directors that provides adequate oversight of the charity's operations and its staff. Indication of adequate oversight includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled appraisals of the CEO's performance, evidence of disbursement controls such as board approval of the budget, fund raising practices, establishment of a conflict of interest policy, and establishment of accounting procedures sufficient to safeguard charity finances.

WRA does not meet this Standard because its board of directors did not:

  • Receive information about the financial arrangements made with outside fundraising firms and/or consultants hired in 2024.

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

WRA does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

WRA does not meet this Standard because the 2024 annual report did not include:

  • The organization's 2024 financial information.

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

WRA does not meet this Standard because the privacy policy on the organization's website, https://westernresourceadvocates.org, does not indicate:

  • What security measures are in place to protect personal information that is collected.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 3

Western Resource Advocates meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to fight climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West."

Year, State Incorporated:
1989, CO

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) reports that it works across seven Interior West states, designing and advocating for practical, evidence-based solutions to the region’s climate and conservation challenges. The organization focuses on state legislatures, agencies and commissions, and working directly with utilities, local governments, and municipalities to address local environmental impact. Alongside community partners, WRA has also helped pass clean energy laws and safeguarded thousands of miles of rivers and streams through its advocacy networks and legislative bills. In 2024, the organization states that it protected 780 stream miles and assisted in passing 25 environmental legislative bills across New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Western Resource Advocates's program expenses were:

Clean energy $6,368,486
Healthy rivers $2,556,267
Western lands $1,816,932
Total Program Expenses $10,741,685

Chief Executive
Jon Goldin-Dubois, President

Compensation*
$336,065

Chair of the Board
Jamie Starr

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Marketing Director, National Ability Center

Board Size
19

Paid Staff Size
82

*2024 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Workplace Giving

Fundraising costs were 19% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $10,140,400.00, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Western Resource Advocates's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Grants $7,182,605
Contributions $2,895,356
Interest income $390,328
Professional fees $168,038
Investment income, net $107,618
In-kind contributions $62,439
Miscellaneous income $25,300
Total Income $10,831,684

Programs: 79% Fundraising: 14% Administrative: 7%

Total Income $10,831,684
Total expenses: $13,572,923
  Program expenses $10,741,685
  Fundraising expenses $1,935,654
  Administrative expenses $895,584
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-2,741,239
Beginning Net Assets $20,220,052
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $17,478,813
Total Liabilities $882,488
Total Assets $18,361,301

Note: According to WRA's 2024 audited financial statements, the organization received $62,439 in contributed goods and services.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Great West - Pacific