CharityWatch is unable to provide a letter grade rating for Greenpeace at this time due to substantial doubt about the Organization's ability to continue as a going concern. For this reason we have assigned it a "?" rating for its 2024 fiscal year. As of the date of this note, April 8, 2026, Greenpeace is in the process of appealing a $345 million judgment made against it from the North Dakota District Court. More information on this ongoing case can be found here.
According to the Independent Auditors' Report within the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (Substantial Doubt about the Organization’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern): "The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that Greenpeace, Inc. will
continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 11 [cited below] of the financial statements, because of accruing a
loss related to a legal matter, Greenpeace, Inc.’s liabilities are significantly greater than its assets, and
management has stated that substantial doubt exists about Greenpeace, Inc.'s ability to continue as a
going concern. Management's evaluation of the events and conditions and management's plans regarding
those matters also are described in Note 11 [cited below]. The financial statements include an adjustment that reflects
the expected outcome of this uncertainty. Our opinion is not modified with respect to that matter."
According to the Greenpeace audit of December 31, 2024 (Note 11, Going Concern Uncertainty): "Greenpeace, Inc. is currently subject to a $404 million jury verdict rendered in March, 2025
in North Dakota in connection with litigation brought by Energy Transfer, LP and related
entities. The litigation between Energy Transfer and Greenpeace centers on the
environmental protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) that took place in 2016
and 2017. The plaintiff’s alleged that Greenpeace, Inc. engaged in defamation, trespass, and
civil conspiracy, which led to significant financial losses and project delays. The Organization has filed motions challenging the verdict and intends to appeal the verdict
should it become a judgement. However, as of the date of issuance of these financial
statements, the outcome and timing of those motions and the appeal process remain
uncertain. The verdict represents a liability far in excess of Greenpeace’s current financial resources. As
of December 31, 2024, Greenpeace, Inc. had cash and cash equivalents of $1.4 million and
total assets of $23 million. Absent a versal or substantial reduction of the verdict, the
Company does not have sufficient liquidity to satisfy the judgment or to continue its
operations beyond the next twelve months. As a result of these factors, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about
Greenpeace Inc.’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the
date that these financial statements are issued. The accompanying financial statements have
been prepared assuming Greenpeace, Inc. will continue as a going concern and do not
include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty." [Greenpeace's audited Statement of Financial Position for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, reflects a net asset deficit of $395,219,752].
CharityWatch issues a separate rating for the U.S.-based Greenpeace Fund (tax ID #95-3313195), a 501(c)(3) public charity. CharityWatch separates the ratings for 501(c)(4) & 501(c)(3) organizations, even when they are included together in a consolidated audit, due to their differing treatments under the IRS tax code. For more information on this topic, please see our sections on Types of Non-Profits, Tax Status, and Treatment of Related Organizations, which can be found on the Our Process page. For more information about things to consider when donating to organizations that have related public charity and social welfare entities, read "Sorting Out Nonprofit Pairs." |
