Environmental Defense Fund will lay off some US staff

Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp told an all-staff meeting on Monday that the environmental group will begin layoffs this week, the organization confirmed to POLITICO.

The decision to shed an unknown number of staff from its U.S. operations comes after EDF offered buyouts beginning late last year to navigate a funding crunch.

"Like many other non-profits, our revenue was lower than expected at the end of last year," Amy Todd Middleton, a senior vice president at EDF, said in an emailed statement. "We've adjusted our budget including, unfortunately, some layoffs."

EDF is the latest green organization to announce layoffs amid downturns in donations, following the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council.

Revenue from memberships and donations plummeted last year to $181.5 million, down from $240 million in fiscal 2022, according to EDF’s annual financial report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2023. Memberships and donations accounted for 71 percent of its $255 million in revenue last fiscal year.

EDF employs 1,000 people worldwide, according to its website.

No targets for layoffs were announced, said an EDF employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters. The employee said the staff meeting lasted about five minutes.