Fossil Free California

What Fossil Free California does

Fossil Free California (FFCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization (EIN 81-1536876) founded around 2013 by California school teachers and based in Oakland, California. Its core mission is to pressure the California public pension funds CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from fossil fuel holdings, which FFCA estimates at more than $42 billion, on the dual grounds of climate accountability and protection of beneficiary retirement savings. The organization operates a coalition-led advocacy model, anchoring the California Fossil Fuel Divestment Coalition of more than 130 endorsing organizations including unions, youth climate groups, and healthcare associations.

FFCA's product surface is a portfolio of advocacy campaigns and supporting resources rather than commercial technology products. Active campaigns include CalPERS & CalSTRS Divestment, Fossil Free 529s, Fossil Fueled Fascism, Labor-Climate Solidarity, Make Polluters Pay, and Unrig CA. Supporting resources include an interactive Oil Drilling Map of pension-funded wells, a "Move Your Money" personal finance guide, voter-engagement platform Fossil Free CA Votes, and research reports including a finding that CalPERS and CalSTRS lost $9.6 billion over a decade by not divesting. FFCA has no API, no AI/ML products, and no proprietary software; the underlying technology stack is conventional web content (WordPress site hosted at fossilfreeca.org), email newsletters, and the ActionNetwork donations platform.

FFCA's revenue model is donation-based: monthly recurring and one-time contributions from individuals and supporters, accepted through ActionNetwork. The organization is staffed by two full-time employees (Executive Director Vanessa Warheit and Coordinating Director Miriam Eide), supplemented by full-time campaign volunteers and a CalSTRS Team Lead. Distribution channels are exclusively advocacy-oriented, spanning direct legislative engagement with California state senators, grassroots rallies at pension board meetings, coalition endorsements, and earned media. The organization does not sell products or services, has no disclosed revenue figures, and receives no disclosed venture capital or private equity funding.

Name

Fossil Free California

Legal name

Fossil Free California

Website

https://fossilfreeca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fossil Free California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization based in Oakland that campaigns for fossil fuel divestment by CalPERS and CalSTRS, leading a coalition of 130+ California organizations to advance legislative and pension fund policy change.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Advocacy Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Policy, Advocacy & Litigation (BPAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Fossil fuel divestment
• Climate advocacy campaigns
• Pension divestment activism
• Environmental nonprofit organizing
• Grassroots coalition advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that receives donations from individuals and supporters. EIN 81-1536876. Accepts monthly recurring contributions and one-time donations through ActionNetwork platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fossil Free California is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy organization (EIN 81-1536876) that runs fossil fuel divestment campaigns targeting California's public pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, which together hold more than $42 billion in fossil fuel investments. It pursues divestment through a coalition-based model that combines grassroots organizing, union coalition-building, direct action, education, research, and legislative advocacy for bills such as SB 252. The organization also operates adjacent advocacy initiatives including Fossil Free 529s, Labor-Climate Solidarity, Make Polluters Pay, Unrig CA, and Fossil Fueled Fascism, supported by tools such as the Oil Drilling Map, research reports, and the Fossil Free CA Votes voter accountability platform.

Product overview

Fossil Free California is a 501c3 nonprofit advocacy organization (EIN 81-1536876) that operates as a single-purpose activism entity focused on fossil fuel divestment rather than a commercial technology product company. The organization runs multiple interconnected advocacy campaigns including CalPERS & CalSTRS Divestment, Fossil Free 529s, Fossil Fueled Fascism, Labor-Climate Solidarity, Make Polluters Pay, and Unrig CA. It also provides knowledge resources including reports, a mapping tool showing pension-funded oil drilling, and personal finance guidance through Move Your Money. The organization has no commercial product offerings, API services, or AI/ML technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CalPERS & CalSTRS Divestment Campaign Multi-year advocacy campaign holding California's public pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS, accountable for their fossil fuel investments and seeking legislative and policy changes to mandate divestment by 2031.
• Fossil Free 529s Campaign to promote fossil-fuel-free 529 college savings plans, helping families invest in education without supporting the fossil fuel industry.
• Fossil Fueled Fascism Campaign documenting and opposing the alignment between the fossil fuel industry and fascist political movements.
• Labor-Climate Solidarity Initiative building bridges between labor unions and climate action movements, focusing on a just transition for workers.
• Make Polluters Pay Campaign advocating for fossil fuel companies to bear the financial costs of climate change impacts and environmental damage.
• Unrig CA Campaign focused on campaign finance reform and reducing corporate influence in California politics.
• Oil Drilling Map Interactive mapping tool showing oil wells across California that are funded by CalPERS and CalSTRS pension investments.
• Fossil Free CA Votes Voter engagement and political accountability platform tracking California legislators' positions on fossil fuel divestment.
• Reports Research reports and analyses on fossil fuel divestment, pension fund investments, and climate-related financial risks.
• Move Your Money Guide and resources for individuals to move their personal finances away from fossil fuel investments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Santa Clara County voted to divest roughly $10 billion from fossil fuel companies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• California Fossil Fuel Divestment CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of over 130 California organizations endorsing SB 252 divestment legislation. Includes unions, climate groups, and advocacy organizations working together on fossil fuel divestment campaigns.
• Youth vs. ApocalypsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth climate activist coalition partnering on divestment campaigns, rallies, and legislative advocacy. Key youth voice in the movement.
• 350.orgmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational climate organization supporting FFCA campaigns. Brett Fleishman serves as Fossil Finance Campaigns Associate Director.
• Stand.earthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate organization providing climate finance expertise and campaign support for pension divestment efforts.
• Climate-Safe Pensions CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth American public pension divestment network launched in 2020, linking pension divestment campaigns from Alaska to Maine and Canada.
• Earth Guardians Bay Area CrewminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth environmental organization advocating for CalSTRS divestment.
• California Faculty AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion representing California faculty members supporting divestment legislation and providing legislative testimony.
• California Nurses AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNursing union advocating for fossil fuel divestment as a health emergency response.
• AFSCME CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic employees union representing California workers supporting SB 252 divestment legislation.
• American Federation of Teachers CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeachers union supporting pension divestment campaigns.
• Sierra Club CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization supporting divestment legislation and holding polluting industries accountable.
• California State Treasurer Fiona MacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState official who issued statements supporting divestment legislation following CalPERS board meetings.
• Senator Lena GonzalezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthor of SB 252, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, leading legislative efforts for pension divestment.
• Senator Scott WienercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint author of SB 252 supporting fossil fuel divestment legislation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Union of Concerned Scientists: Science-based advocacy organization that combines research and policy advocacy. Comparable in combining research output (reports) with legislative advocacy, though with a much broader science-policy portfolio.
• NextGen America: Climate advocacy and voter mobilization organization with substantial California presence. Operates in adjacent climate-advocacy space with overlapping voter-engagement and legislative accountability work, but broader scope.

Direct peers

• Divest Ed: Fossil fuel divestment organization focused on higher education and pension funds. Comparable mission to FFCA's pension-focused work, with shared divestment playbook and movement alignment.
• Sierra Club California: Environmental advocacy organization supporting FFCA's SB 252 divestment legislation and broader climate accountability work in California. Operates in the same state-level environmental advocacy space with overlapping coalition partners.
• Climate-Safe Pensions Coalition: North American public pension divestment network launched in 2020, of which FFCA is a member. Directly comparable as it coordinates pension divestment campaigns across states, sharing FFCA's mission and methodology.
• 350.org: International climate organization running the global fossil fuel divestment movement. FFCA's Brett Fleishman serves as 350.org's Fossil Finance Campaigns Associate Director, indicating close organizational alignment and shared campaign infrastructure.
• Earth Guardians: Youth environmental organization advocating for CalSTRS divestment as a FFCA partner. Comparable grassroots youth-climate advocacy methodology focused on institutional accountability.
• Stand.earth: Climate advocacy organization providing climate finance expertise and direct campaign support to FFCA's pension divestment work. Operates in the same fossil fuel divestment / climate accountability space with overlapping target institutions.
• Youth vs. Apocalypse: Youth climate activist coalition that partners with FFCA on divestment campaigns, rallies, and legislative advocacy. Operates in the same California climate-justice space with overlapping grassroots organizing methodology.

Regional players

• California Environmental Associates: California-based environmental policy and advocacy organization. Comparable as a California-focused environmental advocacy group with research and policy expertise, though operating more as a consultancy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FossilFreeCA
• Facebookfacebook.com/fossilfreeca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fossilfreecalifornia
• Instagraminstagram.com/fossilfreeca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fossil Free California