GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended March 31, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

1958 UNIVERSITY AVE, BERKELEY, CA 94704-1024

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

Christine Keith

Signed the 990

Christine Keith, Executive Dir.

Phone

(510) 883-9490

Website

http://www.no-burn.org

Return prepared by

Crosby & Kaneda CPAs LLP

California records

California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 45-3543427 or by the name GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES.

Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers

Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)

Secretary of State, bizfile Online

Corporation status, entity number, agent for service

Franchise Tax Board

Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)

Mission

GAIAs mission is to strengthen grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution, working towards a just, zero waste world where people are free from toxic pollution.

Program accomplishments

• GLOBAL PROGRAMS: GAIAs movement-building network model empowered members to build their own capacity, facilitated international solidarity, and coordinated collective research and initiatives around the issues of waste, pollution, climate and the environment, building critical linkages at local, regional and global levels. Zero Waste: Zero Waste Month activities in January 2025 engaged more than 46,000 people, 104 organizations, 92 cities, and 20 countries in efforts to advance real solutions together, with 72 schools integrating zero waste learning while 86 government entities engaged in meaningful dialogue and commitments. GAIA facilitated member engagement, capacity building and cross-programmatic and cross-regional learning through a variety of international and regional webinars and events. Notably, GAIA and member Nipe Fagio organized the International Zero Waste Cities Conference in Tanzania in July 2024, the first time this event was held in Africa.Climate: GAIA increased awareness of zero waste as a strategy for reducing methane emissions from landfills through improved organic waste management, organizing a Methane and Justice Summit to foster deeper alignment among GAIA members and key leaders at local, national, and international levels, yielding tangible commitments from an increasing number of government representatives, civil society organizations, and key partners. In October 2024, GAIA Asia Pacific organized the First Congress on Organics and Climate, with over 200 participants attending in person and more than 1,400 joining online. GAIA brought a 35-member delegation to COP29, and remains deeply engaged in the LOW Methane initiative, leading or co-leading (with members) LOW-M coordination of activities in 13 jurisdictions. GAIA Africa supported work in 11 countries on reducing methane through better organics management. Plastics: In work toward a global plastics treaty, GAIA has always understood that the treaty negotiations are a vehicle to galvanize action on plastics, and we and our members have maintained and built on regional and cross-regional coordination of members. At INC-4 and INC-5 negotiating sessions, we coordinated delegations of 70+ civil society participants from 30 countries. Our delegations built on the extensive efforts of regional working groups. We released a range of briefing papers and other resources, as well as contributing to significant academic articles related to plastic pollution issues. At INC-4, our robust communications efforts secured over 200 media mentions with a reach of 404 million. At INC-5, we secured over 220 media mentions with a reach of up to 2.22 billion.Waste Incineration: GAIA continued to support global information-sharing and solidarity around ending wasteful and polluting waste incineration, with notable work addressing incinerators and incinerator proposals in Brazil, Canada, Chile, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, and the U.S. During 2024, GAIA helped to mobilize and support civil society from multiple regions in strong advocacy around the Asian Development Banks draft Environmental and Social Framework, in the context of its role in supporting waste incineration projects. We also held a webinar, Rethinking Waste-to-Energy Investments: Economic Considerations for Policymakers highlighting the costs of incineration across the Asia-Pacific region in January 2025.Batteries Lifecycle: Both in the U.S. and globally, GAIA has helped to shape the conversation to address lifecycle issues of batteries that are playing an increasing role in energy transition, through webinars and brief publications addressing key issues.
  Expenses $2,390,778 · grants $401,472 · revenue $4,250
• UNITED STATES/CANADA REGIONAL WORK: GAIA supported members across the U.S. and Canada through technical support, regranting (including both larger grants and microgrants), skill-building and networking to challenge waste incineration and advance zero waste solutions with notable successes. Our Failing Incinerators Project, a multi-year cohort program aimed at building grassroots capacity to advocate for replacing aging incinerators across the U.S. with effective zero waste systems, celebrated two more incinerator closures (one led by a cohort member in Oregon and the other by a cohort affiliate in California). Another cohort member successfully advocated to change Maryland state policy so that incinerators could not qualify for state renewable energy tax credits. GAIA co-created a mini-documentary on another cohort member city, Breathing Free: Detroits Journey to Zero Waste, which launched in January 2025. As we wound down the Failing Incinerators Project, GAIA advanced new cohort work, seizing the energy of the Methane Moment to focus on organic waste management as a critical part of both zero waste and climate work. We supported frontline communities facing waste incineration proposals (including a new push from Canadas federal government) and questionable EV battery recycling facilities. We also raised concerns regarding proposed state and federal policies that could increase pollution or reduce oversight.
  Expenses $1,742,996 · grants $976,500 · revenue $450
• HOSTED PROGRAMS BREAK FREE FROM PLASTIC & URBAN MOVEMENT INNOVATION FUND:Break Free From Plastic Global: BFFP, a fiscally-sponsored project of GAIA, is aglobal movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Launched inSeptember 2016, the movement has attracted more than 13,000 organizations and individuals worldwide to call for massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.Break Free From Plastic U.S. & Canada: GAIA continued as fiscal sponsor of the Break Free From Plastic movement of nearly 200 member organizations in the U.S. and Canada working across the plastics value chain for systemic change. This work includes challenging the petrochemical buildout, pushing for corporate accountability, promoting systemic solutions, building zero waste communities, and leveraging grassroots support to drive plastic pollution reduction policies at the local, state, and federal level. BFFP-U.S. & Canada has worked to shift the narrative about plastic, foster an enabling policy environment, and build a strong, intersectional, and resilient movement, ensuring connections between zero waste strategy and implementation and work addressing plastic pollution. BFFP-U.S. & Canada has sustained working groups focused on zero waste, state and federal policy, extended producer responsibility, petrochemicals and false solutions. Additionally, BFFP-U.S. & Canada has built significant capacity among regional members to work on the global plastics treaty, especially among impacted communities in the Gulf South and Appalachia. The Urban Movement Innovation Funds Convenings Program: GAIA served as host of UMIFsConvenings Program, which supported coordination of UMIF partner gatherings,provided administrative backstopping to enhance the focus of gatherings, andevaluated meetings for impact.
  Expenses $1,731,427 · grants $198,175 · revenue $7,500
• INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL: GAIA worked with locally-based staff to directly coordinate regional work in Africa and Latin America and also provided support and collaboration to sister networks in the Asia/Pacific region and in Europe. Africa: Zero waste cities work took off in numerous cities across the continent, with technical assistance and regranting support from GAIA. We sustained regional working groups on climate and on plastics, as well as a Youth Task Force, recognizing the powerful role of youth in environmental movements. We successfully launched the African Journalists Network to provide a deep-dive conversation on a specific issue monthly to support informed reporting. We organized a series of webinars on zero waste cities, enabling practical information sharing between groups in various countries. Co-hosting the International Zero Waste Cities Conference in Tanzania allowed us to showcase successful implementation of solutions on the continent, as well as to learn from experts, practitioners, and policymakers worldwide. The development and publication of our Life Before Plastic report around traditional practices helped to advance the regional conversation about reuse.Latin America & the Caribbean: Regional work included multifaceted support for wastepicker organizing; anti-incineration efforts, including an August 2024 webinar addressing different types of waste burning as false solutions; and work addressing the waste trade and its harmful impact. We supported zero waste cities implementation, national zero waste alliances in multiple countries, and a Zero Waste Academy held in Ecuador in May 2024. Work to harness the energy of youth advocates included the first subregional gathering of zero waste youth in January 2025, bringing together youth from Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala. More than 40 member initiatives benefitted from regranting support. Work with journalists included a webinar on the plastic crisis in October 2024 in conjunction with an Argentinian media partner. Extensive public education was undertaken, including a free, public online course in Spanish addressing plastic pollution, organized in the summer of 2024 in conjunction with a prominent research hub.
  Expenses $1,316,405 · grants $657,000

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in March, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

45-3543427

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

2014

Accounting year ends

March

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Environment (C35)

Assets (IRS master file)

$5,426,804

Income (IRS master file)

$8,241,301

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 45-3543427).

Questions about GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES

What is the EIN of GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES?

The employer identification number (EIN) of GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES is 45-3543427.

Is GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2014.

Are donations to GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending March 31, 2026) is due August 17, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended March 2025.

Who is the principal officer of GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES?

The 990 for the year ended March 31, 2025 names Christine Keith.

Who are the officers and directors of GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES?

The 990 for the year ended March 31, 2025 lists 12 people; 7 received compensation from the organization, the highest $141,004 (Brieshen McKee, Fin. & Bus. Dir).

How much revenue does GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR INCINERATOR ALTERNATIVES have?

On its 990 for the year ended March 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $8,241,301, expenses of $8,360,518 and total assets of $5,426,804 at year end.

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