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Climable.org (Climable Inc.)

 485 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 2
 Cambridge, MA 02139 		[P] (617) 5497708
[F] (617) 6610599
climable.org
[email protected]
Jean Ann Ramey 		Facebook Twitter
INCORPORATED: 2012
 Printable Profile (Summary / Full)
EIN 46-0797066
LAST UPDATED: 01/09/2019
MORE DETAILS
Organization DBA --
Former Names Environment Economics and Society Institute Inc. (2012)
Organization received a competitive grant from the Boston Foundation in the past five years No

Summary

Mission StatementMORE »

Climable(formerly EESI.us) is an organization committed to supporting economic and environmental research and demonstrations in the public interest. We are a woman-run non-profit in Cambridge, MA that strives to bridge the gap between scientists and citizens to answer the question of how we, as global and local communities, can understand and respond to the increasing threats of climate change. We connect citizens, advocates, experts, policy-makers and funders to craft programs likely to make real change. Climable.org promotes rigorous, transparent scientific analysis and responsible, well-informed decision-making, and aims to advance policies affecting our environment, society, and well-being.

Mission Statement

Climable(formerly EESI.us) is an organization committed to supporting economic and environmental research and demonstrations in the public interest. We are a woman-run non-profit in Cambridge, MA that strives to bridge the gap between scientists and citizens to answer the question of how we, as global and local communities, can understand and respond to the increasing threats of climate change. We connect citizens, advocates, experts, policy-makers and funders to craft programs likely to make real change. Climable.org promotes rigorous, transparent scientific analysis and responsible, well-informed decision-making, and aims to advance policies affecting our environment, society, and well-being.

FinancialsMORE »

Fiscal Year Jan 01, 2019 to Dec 31, 2019
Projected Income $138,300.00
Projected Expense $120,000.00

ProgramsMORE »

  • “Employment after Coal: Eastern Kentucky 2030” – A partnership with Synapse Energy Economics and Blue Moon Fund
  • Behind the Switch & The Good News Minute
  • Economics For Equity & Environment Proposal
  • Resilient Urban Neighborhoods
  • Technical Update of the 2013 Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order No. 12866

Revenue vs. Expense ($000s)

Expense Breakdown 2017 (%)

Expense Breakdown 2016 (%)

Expense Breakdown 2015 (%)

For more details regarding the organization's financial information, select the financial tab and review available comments.

Overview

Mission Statement

Climable(formerly EESI.us) is an organization committed to supporting economic and environmental research and demonstrations in the public interest. We are a woman-run non-profit in Cambridge, MA that strives to bridge the gap between scientists and citizens to answer the question of how we, as global and local communities, can understand and respond to the increasing threats of climate change. We connect citizens, advocates, experts, policy-makers and funders to craft programs likely to make real change. Climable.org promotes rigorous, transparent scientific analysis and responsible, well-informed decision-making, and aims to advance policies affecting our environment, society, and well-being.

Background Statement

Climable was created to address the gap in accessing reliable, concrete, and visible information through complex research analysis of environmental data for the interest of public and social good. Climable hopes to reduce the disparity between large energy corporations that focus on their bottom line and stakeholders who have an interest in policy decisions based on their commitment to the public good. Climable plans to create a positive impact by enabling the research to combat our generation’s most pressing problem of climate change and transferring the knowledge into the hands of policymakers, invested stakeholders, and the general public through education and outreach.
 
Climable’s vision is to make the information behind climate science and clean energy understandable, accessible, and actionable for everyone.

Impact Statement

In 2016, we grew our capabilities, connections and staff. We employed four paid interns, up from one intern in past years, due in part to the generosity of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's internship program.  We became certified as a woman-run non-profit organization by the Commonwealth of MA Supplier Diversity Office. This status will open opportunities for us to work with state contractors interested in diversifying their teams. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, we launched our very first podcast, Behind the Switch. This series is available on Soundcloud, iTunes, and Facebook at Behind the Switch. Our goal with the podcast is to extend our reach to a bigger audience, and share our energy and climate experience with folks in an easy to listen to way.
 
While we have this incredible work started through these efforts, we still need to focus on the following: 1) building capacity within our organization through adding a staff position focused on development; 2) establishing our web base and developing marketing strategies; 3) creating a robust presence in the environmental advocacy community; and 4) building connections with organizations and foundations that support our mission and work.
 

Needs Statement

We are seeking financial support for the following: 1) programs; 2) research projects; and 3) operational costs. Our hope is that we can raise between $100,000 to $500,000 within the next twelve months. Additionally, we would need to build capacity such as hiring full-time staff as well as have strategic input from professionals in the field. While we have an active and supportive board, we hope to develop an active advisory committee who are experts in related fields to knit together a diverse and committed team to help us tackle important environmental and economic issues. We hope to gain a greater presence within the Greater Boston nonprofit community and environmental advocacy network. Lastly, we hope to have the opportunity to work globally on policy initiatives, education, and projects that answer pressing problems of our time.

CEO Statement

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Board Chair Statement

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Geographic Area Served

STATEWIDE
NATIONAL
GREATER BOSTON REGION, MA
Climable plans to serve the geographic areas that range from the Boston Metropolitan area, to Massachusetts, to New England, the U.S., and globally.

Organization Categories

  1. Environment - Energy Resources Conservation & Development
  2. Public & Societal Benefit - Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis
  3. Social Science - Economics (as a Social Science)

Independent research has been conducted on this organization's theory of change or on the effectiveness of this organization's program(s)

No

Programs

“Employment after Coal: Eastern Kentucky 2030” – A partnership with Synapse Energy Economics and Blue Moon Fund

Currently, the steep, ongoing decline of Appalachian coal mining has caused the loss of thousands of jobs in eastern Kentucky. There is a need for a broader analysis that combines existing initiatives into a single vision of a working economy, mapping the sustainable occupations and industries that will fill the void left by coal. The program grew out of participation in a climate justice conference in eastern Kentucky in early 2014, co-hosted by Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth (KFTC). While the heart of the work is primarily technical analysis and a report, its purpose and its value to the world depend on its connection with local groups. We plan to form an Advisory Committee and conduct background research to collect economic data on the region and relevant industries. Then, we will conduct an economic analysis to propose a new pattern of employment for eastern Kentucky.
Budget  $65,000.00
Category  Employment, General/Other
Population Served General/Unspecified
Program Short-Term Success  The principal mechanism for ensuring local connection will be the project’s Advisory Committee. We will invite MACED and KFTC to suggest a number of interested residents of eastern Kentucky, from their own groups or others, to act as advisors to the project. Initially, we will focus on six areas identified by MACED as having potential job growth: tourism, wood products, environmental remediation, health care, energy conservation, and local food production. We will develop realistic scenarios for growth based on specified level of infusion of funding into the region.
Program Long-Term Success 
The vision of this work is to create new pattern of employment after the declining coal industry. Through our work, we hope to explore the development strategies and investment incentives needed to attract private funding to the post-coal growth sectors of eastern Kentucky.
 
Currently, it appears that unemployment plus coal employment total around 46,000 in Appalachian Kentucky. Thus, 23,000 new jobs would be enough to eliminate half of prime-age unemployment and at the same time replace half of the remaining coal jobs. Another statistic that may be helpful is eastern Kentucky had just under 12,000 people employed in coal mining in 2012. On this basis, it seems reasonable to suggest an employment target in the range of 20,000 – 25,000 new jobs per year, and to analyze spending required to reach that target.
 
Program Success Monitored By 
We will consult with the Advisory Committee in choosing the industries and scenarios to be analyzed; we will discuss preliminary results with them before publication of report; and we will seek their advice throughout the project in making our analysis relevant to their local conditions. The Project Director, Dr. Frank Ackerman, senior economist at Synapse, will travel to the eastern Kentucky to assist in the presentation of the results.
 
We also are using data from an earlier economic impacts analysis done for MACED by Synapse Energy Economics who did a study 2012 about the potential impacts of a Renewable and Energy Efficient Portfolio Standard (REPS) in Kentucky. That study estimated the statewide expenditures that would be required to meet the REPS, and combined those expenditures with a realistic ten-year projection of other features of the state and national economy. It was then possible, using the IMPLAN model, to calculate the employment, income, and other impacts of the REPS scenario, compared to a business-sas-usual scenario without REPS.
 
Examples of Program Success 
Our analysis of overall employment opportunities after goal will examine the effects of specified amounts of federal and state investment in the eastern Kentucky region, if targeted at key growth sections. This will help groups such as MACED and KFTC participate in the SOAR process, allowing them to advocate numbers and plans that support their goals, backed up by rigorous economic analysis.
 
We will explore development strategies and investment incentives needed to attract private funding to the post-coal growth sectors of eastern Kentucky. Some level of partial federal or state funding, combined with appropriate incentives and publicity, may be able to create a wave of private investment, reaching higher than the public can afford on its own.
 

Behind the Switch & The Good News Minute

Part of Climable's mission is to explain concepts behind energy and climate in easy to understand language. To reach a larger audience, Climable developed both a podcast and short news video program. Both are dedicated to maintaining a positive message as Climable realizes people are easily discouraged by negative reports. 
Budget  $50,000.00
Category  Environment, General/Other Environmental Education
Population Served US College Aged (18-26 years) General/Unspecified
Program Short-Term Success 
  • Increased followership
  • Increased presence on social media
Program Long-Term Success 
  • The resources to produce more series of the podcast 
  • The resources to produce more episodes of the video news program
  • Consistent feedback from existing and new followers
Program Success Monitored By  Mainly through social media metrics and feedback from our audience.
Examples of Program Success  Program success can be new followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube as a result of having watched a video or listened to a podcast episode.

Economics For Equity & Environment Proposal

Economics For Equity & Environment (E3) is a network that includes hundreds of applied economists across the globe with wide-ranging expertise related to climate, energy, natural resources, and the environment. E3 Network economists are dedicated to building a new applied economics of the environment that is committed to social equity and environmental sustainability at its core. E3 Network is currently in transition and is seeking an institutional home. EESI proposed to house this network and build out our work and mission to accommodate their existing programs.
Budget  $100,000.00
Category  Environment, General/Other
Population Served General/Unspecified
Program Short-Term Success  The short-term success would be providing a home to the E3 Network and establishing base funding to ensure E3 Network can continue its important work on social equity and environmental sustainability.
Program Long-Term Success  Success of this initiative would be the continuing work and growth of EESI with the addition of the E3 Network. This includes hiring a new staff member and establishing a successful fundraising campaign. More importantly, this proposal seeks to expand both EESI and E3 Network through a collaborative support for active engagement, public outreach, research, and economic practice for shaping public policy and opinion around environmental sustainability.
Program Success Monitored By 
If EESI becomes the institutional home of the E3 Network, the first year we would conduct a phone survey sampling the E3 economics to gauge their satisfaction of this transition. We would focus our survey on the following 4 domains as measurements based on their current scope of work:
  • Active engagement — E3 Network facilitates collaboration between economists and the organizations and individuals who desire their expertise through the Green Economist Directory — an online guide to economists committed to working on real world environmental issues. E3 economists regularly consult and work with major environmental organizations, influential foundations, members of Congress, state and federal agencies, and the public.
  • Public outreach — Affecting change in the public discourse on the economics of the environment is central to E3 Network’s mission. E3 economists publish op-eds in major newspapers, policy briefs, and expert commentaries that make the case for environmental protection accessible to a broad audience.
  • Research — E3 brings economists together from universities and institutions across the country to consult on economic research, produce timely policy-relevant reports, and publish in academic journals. Their reports and white papers have been cited widely by influential sources, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, Huffington Post, Scientific American and others.
  • Economic practice — E3 Network promotes their vision of a new and applied economics of the environment at professional meetings, through academic publications, and lectures. To support the next generation of economists in environmental protection, they offer workshops, internships, and fellowships for economics graduate students
Examples of Program Success  The program success of E3 Network’s transition to EESI will be shown by E3 Network’s ability to continue to provide timely answers to policy relevant questions, to inform decision-making and public debate, and to shape economic practice. The satisfaction and testimonials of impact with the E3 economists based upon the initial phone survey conducted will provide us a good measure of the transition’s success.

Resilient Urban Neighborhoods

The Climable Consortium, a group of technical experts, works together to progress the Resilient Urban Neighborhood (RUN) concept. The concept believes that clean, reliable energy should be available to any neighborhood, especially those that are most vulnerable. Partnering with local grassroots organizations, the RUN team creates community-owned and led virtual hybrid, clean energy microgrids. 
Budget  $500,000.00
Category  Public Safety, Disaster Services, General/Other Disaster Preparedness
Population Served Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent Elderly and/or Disabled Minorities
Program Short-Term Success  Climable is currently participating in two feasibility studies. One is in partnership with GreenRoots in Chelsea, MA. The other is with the Chinese Progressive Association in Boston's Chinatown. Proving technical and economic feasibility is a major first step for the team. Once feasibility is confirmed, the model can be rolled out to other neighborhoods that are interested in pursuing clean energy microgrids. 
Program Long-Term Success 
Stage two of the process is the design stage. This will involve identifying subscribers to the microgrid such as multi-family housing units, small businesses, and municipally-owned properties. It will also involve establishing legal entities to operate and maintain the microgrid once it is built.
 
Stage three of the process is build stage. This will involve signing contracts with engineering, procurement and construction entities that will allow for the solar panels, battery storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and uninterruptible communications hardware to be purchased and installed. 
Program Success Monitored By 
  • Lower utility bills for subscribers (as compared to pre-microgrid expenditures)
  • Better air quality, determined by measuring particulates in the air and/or lower incidences of asthma
  • Reliable energy in a larger grid outage (in island mode, the microgrid is tested)
  • Reliable communications in a larger grid outage (charging of cell phones as well as the ability to contact loved ones outside of the effected area)
  • Interest from other jurisdictions interested in implementing similarly styled microgrids
Examples of Program Success  The two neighborhood groups involved in feasibility studies are committed to bringing the clean energy grids to their communities. Long term success cannot be measured until all assets are installed and the microgrid is up and running. 

Technical Update of the 2013 Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order No. 12866

"Technical Update of the 2013 Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis Under Executive Order No. 12866: Comment on the Office of Management and Budget’s Technical Update of the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC)"
 
The estimate of the SCC used in federal regulatory analyses is an important and controversial calculation that has received too little public comment and outside review. In our comments, we argue that the result of the 2013 revision is a move in the right direction, but it is based on a flawed methodology that should be substantially revised. The choice of the three models used to calculate the SCC has never been justified, except by reference to frequency of citations to the models. Many other models are available. Our work promoted a pragmatic approach to carbon pricing, based on its expected effect on emissions. We proposed to the federal government that they continue their work on developing a more robust SCC, a process that would incorporate a broader range of expert knowledge and research, and in which regulatory authorities carry out their responsibility to justify the technical choices that affect public policy.
Budget  $10,000.00
Category  Environment, General/Other
Population Served General/Unspecified
Program Short-Term Success  Throughout the month-long project, we provided our comments based upon years of research and analysis to the federal government. Our comments were then posted on the OMB website for all public stakeholders and interested citizens to view.
Program Long-Term Success  Based upon our findings through research and analysis of the federal government’s methodology on social cost of carbon, we recommended an alternative approach to cost-benefit analysis. Instead, we recommended the expected market cost of reducing emissions (the marginal abatement cost). If the federal government adopts the marginal abatement cost methodology, the resulting SCC would better represent the economy-wide cost of mitigation, and would not suffer from the problems of incomplete estimation that plague environmental benefits assessment, in general, and SCC estimates.
Program Success Monitored By  --
Examples of Program Success         -

CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments

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Management


CEO/Executive Director Ms. Jean Ann Ramey
CEO Term Start May 2012
CEO Email [email protected]
CEO Experience Jean Ann Ramey is founder and executive director of Climable.org, where she directs and supports projects focused on the impacts of energy use and climate change. She is also a co-founder of the energy and environmental consulting firm Synapse Energy Economics. At Synapse, Ms. Ramey organized the development and achievement of current and long-term organization goals, objectives, policies, and procedures; advised in facilities and business management functions; and consulted on issues within the electric industry, with particular attention on public health and consumer education. Her professional experience also includes working as an economist in the Electric Power Division of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and as an analyst at Tellus Institute. Ms. Ramey holds an MA in Energy and Environmental Studies from Boston University, and a BA in English from the University of Oklahoma. She spent a summer studying climate change at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Co-CEO --
Co-CEO Term Start --
Co-CEO Email --
Co-CEO Experience --

Former CEOs and Terms

Name Start End
-- -- --

Senior Staff

Name Title Experience/Biography
-- -- --

Awards

Award Awarding Organization Year
-- -- --

Affiliations

Affiliation Year
-- --
Member of state association of nonprofits? No
Name of state association --

External Assessments and Accreditations

External Assessment or Accreditation Year
-- --

Collaborations

--

CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments

--

Foundation Comments

--

Staff Information

Number of Full Time Staff 1
Number of Part Time Staff 0
Number of Volunteers 1
Number of Contract Staff 0
Staff Retention Rate % --

Staff Demographics

Ethnicity African American/Black: 0
Asian American/Pacific Islander: 0
Caucasian: 2
Hispanic/Latino: 1
Native American/American Indian: 0
Other: 0
Other (if specified): --
Gender Female: 2
Male: 1
Not Specified 0

Plans & Policies

Organization has Fundraising Plan? Under Development
Organization has Strategic Plan? Under Development
Years Strategic Plan Considers --
Management Succession Plan Under Development
Business Continuity of Operations Plan No
Organization Policies And Procedures No
Nondiscrimination Policy Under Development
Whistle Blower Policy No
Document Destruction Policy --
Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Yes
State Charitable Solicitations Permit No
State Registration --

Risk Management Provisions

--

Reporting and Evaluations

Management Reports to Board? Yes
CEO Formal Evaluation and Frequency No N/A
Senior Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency N/A N/A
Non Management Formal Evaluation and Frequency No N/A

Governance


Board Chair Ms. Sonia DeMarta
Board Chair Company Affiliation From Seed to Supper
Board Chair Term Sept 2012 - Sept 2019
Board Co-Chair --
Board Co-Chair Company Affiliation --
Board Co-Chair Term -

Board Members

Name Company Affiliations Status
Asa Aulin Ahlberg -- Voting
Mary Custic Community Volunteer Voting
Sonia DeMarta From Seed to Supper Voting
Patricia Flaherty Community Volunteer Voting
Carolyn Gillette -- Voting
Awinja Otiato Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Voting

Constituent Board Members

Name Company Affiliations Status
-- -- --

Youth Board Members

Name Company Affiliations Status
-- -- --

Advisory Board Members

Name Company Affiliations Status
-- -- --

Board Demographics

Ethnicity African American/Black: 1
Asian American/Pacific Islander: 0
Caucasian: 3
Hispanic/Latino: 1
Native American/American Indian: 0
Other: 0
Other (if specified): --
Gender Female: 6
Male: 0
Not Specified 0

Board Information

Board Term Lengths 1
Board Term Limits 0
Board Meeting Attendance % 100%
Written Board Selection Criteria No
Written Conflict Of Interest Policy Yes
Percentage of Monetary Contributions 100%
Percentage of In-Kind Contributions 0%
Constituency Includes Client Representation No

Standing Committees

    --

CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments

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Foundation Comments

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Financials


Revenue vs. Expense ($000s)

Expense Breakdown 2017 (%)

Expense Breakdown 2016 (%)

Expense Breakdown 2015 (%)

Fiscal Year Jan 01, 2019 to Dec 31, 2019
Projected Income $138,300.00
Projected Expense $120,000.00
Form 990s

2017 990 EZ

2016 990 EZ

2015 990 EZ

2014 990 EZ

2013 990 EZ
Audit Documents --
IRS Letter of Exemption

IRS Letter of Determination

Prior Three Years Total Revenue and Expense Totals

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Total Revenue $30,824 $17,721 $104,450
Total Expenses $37,690 $113,735 $50,061

Prior Three Years Revenue Sources

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Foundation and
Corporation Contributions		 $30,824 $17,721 $104,450
Government Contributions $0 $0 $0
    Federal -- -- --
    State -- -- --
    Local -- -- --
    Unspecified -- -- --
Individual Contributions -- -- --
Indirect Public Support -- -- --
Earned Revenue -- -- --
Investment Income, Net of Losses -- -- --
Membership Dues -- -- --
Special Events -- -- --
Revenue In-Kind -- -- --
Other -- -- --

Prior Three Years Expense Allocations

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Program Expense $35,793 $113,735 $49,901
Administration Expense $1,897 -- $160
Fundraising Expense -- -- --
Payments to Affiliates -- -- --
Total Revenue/Total Expenses 0.82 0.16 2.09
Program Expense/Total Expenses 95% 100% 100%
Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 0% 0% 0%

Prior Three Years Assets and Liabilities

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Total Assets $19,251 $27,751 $121,778
Current Assets $19,066 $27,438 $121,340
Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $0
Current Liabilities $741 $2,375 $388
Total Net Assets $18,510 $25,376 $121,390

Prior Three Years Top Three Funding Sources

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
1st (Source and Amount) -- --
 -- --
 -- --
2nd (Source and Amount) -- --
 -- --
 -- --
3rd (Source and Amount) -- --
 -- --
 -- --

Financial Planning

Endowment Value --
Spending Policy N/A
Percentage(If selected) --
Credit Line No
Reserve Fund No
How many months does reserve cover? --

Capital Campaign

Are you currently in a Capital Campaign? No
Capital Campaign Purpose --
Campaign Goal --
Capital Campaign Dates -
Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Amount --
Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? --

Short Term Solvency

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities 25.73 11.55 312.73

Long Term Solvency

Fiscal Year 2017 2016 2015
Long-term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 0%

CEO/Executive Director/Board Comments

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Foundation Comments

Financial summary data in the charts and graphs above is per the nonprofit's IRS Form 990-EZs. Contributions from individuals are listed under foundations and corporations when the breakout was not available. 

Documents


Other Documents

No Other Documents currently available.

Impact

The Impact tab is a section on the Giving Common added in October 2013; as such the majority of nonprofits have not yet had the chance to complete this voluntary section. The purpose of the Impact section is to ask five deceptively simple questions that require reflection and promote communication about what really matters – results. The goal is to encourage strategic thinking about how a nonprofit will achieve its goals. The following Impact questions are being completed by nonprofits slowly, thoughtfully and at the right time for their respective organizations to ensure the most accurate information possible.

1. What is your organization aiming to accomplish?

We strive to make climate science understandable and help communities take action on the issues most pertinent to their needs.

2. What are your strategies for making this happen?

  • Informing people through as many channels as possible: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, podcast, blog, small events, annual large event
  • Partnering with grassroots organizations to realize clean energy projects in their communities
  • Participating in advisory committees related to social equity and climate change/clean energy
  • Serving as mentors to college-aged interns or research groups

3. What are your organization’s capabilities for doing this?

  • Internal resources (i.e. staff bandwidth and budget) are limited, but external partnerships through our microgrid work and other professional organizations maximize our ability to serve as technical translators, ensuring the topics discussed are accessible to all in plain language
  • Extended experience in the energy industry gives a depth of knowledge to our work

4. How will your organization know if you are making progress?

The following are used as indicators of progress:
  • donations
  • grants
  • requests for information or participation
  • increased followership through various outlets including our mailing list and social media 

5. What have and haven’t you accomplished so far?

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