Sierra Club

Not to be confused with Sierra Club Foundation or Sierra Club Canada.
Sierra Club
FormationMay 28, 1892; 132 years ago (1892-05-28)
FounderJohn Muir
TypeSocial welfare organization
94-1153307
Legal status501(c)(4) organization
PurposeTo explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; practice and promote responsible use of the Earth's ecosystems and resources; educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; use all lawful means to carry out these objectives
Headquarters2101 Webster St. Suite 1300
Location
Membership
1+ million[1]
Exec. Dir.
Ben Jealous
President
Allison Chin
AffiliationsSierra Club Foundation, Sierra Student Coalition, Sierra Club Books, Sierra Club Canada
Budget
$97,891,373 (2013)[2]
StaffApproximately 600[3]
Websitewww.sierraclub.org

The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the progressive movement, it was one of the first large-scale environmental preservation organizations in the world. Since the 1950s, it has lobbied politicians to promote environmentalist policies, even if they are controversial. Recent goals include promoting sustainable energy and mitigating global warming, as well as opposing the use of coal, hydropower, and nuclear power. Its political endorsements generally favor liberal and progressive candidates in elections.

In addition to political advocacy, the Sierra Club organizes outdoor recreation activities, and has historically been a notable organization for mountaineering and rock climbing in the United States.[4] Members of the Sierra Club pioneered the Yosemite Decimal System of climbing, and were responsible for a substantial amount of the early development of climbing. Much of this activity occurred in the group's namesake, the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Club operates only in the United States and holds the legal status of 501(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organization. Sierra Club Canada is a separate entity.

  1. ^ Gelles, David. "The Sierra Club Tries to Move Past John Muir, George Floyd and #MeToo". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "IRS Form 990 2013" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pope was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "About the Sierra Club". Sierra Club. 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2019-10-11.