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Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA

CharityWatch rating issued
January 2026

F
CharityWatch Rating
Our independent rating based
on a number of factors.
 
8%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$80
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA
8918 South Green Street
Chicago, IL 60620

Other Names

Gaia
The Gaia Movement USA

Tax Status

501(c)3

Stated Mission

To protect the environment through reuse & recycle of clothes & shoes, keeping them out of landfills; to educate the general public about the environment; and to generate funds for environmental projects.

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Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 12/31/2024

Program Percentage: 8%

The percentage of Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$1,100,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $80

How many dollars Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$1,100,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
The Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA Inc. IRS Form 990 36-4284332
Entity: The Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA Inc.
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 36-4284332

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA
does not meet governance benchmarks.
 
Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA
does not meet transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy

Unable to Provide Salaries

CharityWatch is unable to provide a range of Top Three Salaries for this charity for the above fiscal reporting year because we lack complete salary data for the organization. Except for officers, directors, and trustees, the IRS does not require breakouts of salaries totaling less than $100,000.

For example, XYZ charity would be required to provide a breakout in its tax form of compensation to its president of $55,000, but would not be required to provide a breakout of $99,000 in compensation to its top medical researcher if that person is not also an officer, director, or trustee of the organization.

This charity reports that compensation to its officers, directors, and trustees is under $100,000 per individual. Donors who would like to view limited salary data for this organization should refer to its tax form, which may be available on the charity's web site or from a number of third-party sources. See CharityWatch's Links page for information on obtaining copies of charity tax forms.


CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

CharityWatch's determination of the Program % and Cost to Raise $100 for Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA (Gaia) for the year 2024 includes the reallocation of $953,391 in "reuse and recycle" expenses from program services to fundraising expenses. Gaia considers the costs associated with collecting and processing donated clothing, shoes, and other textiles to be a recycling program expense in support of its effort to divert the items from landfills, as described in Part III of its 2024 IRS Form 990 tax filing.

In CharityWatch's opinion, these recycling expenses should be considered fundraising expenses for reasons that include: (1) Gaia raised almost all of its funds in 2024 by selling the donated textiles it collected rather than giving the items to needy people; (2) CharityWatch believes that the cost to collect donations of used goods for later sale is a fundraising expense, not a program expense; and (3) there are many nonprofit and for-profit organizations that compete for clothing donations, thereby minimizing the chances such items otherwise would end up in a landfill if Gaia had not collected them. 

For a more detailed explanation, read Gaia-Movement Living Earth's "Recycling" Program, Debunked!