GiveBetter x California

Coalition for Clean Air

California clean-air policy, community monitoring and education

Research time: 5 min on GPT-6 Astra Light
  • Research — reviewed programs, finances and impact evidence.

Updated: 2026-09-14

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Summary

What do they do? Coalition for Clean Air advocates for cleaner transportation and air policy across California and runs community monitoring and education projects. Its current YMCA project combines air-quality measurements with upgraded filtration, while its policy work seeks broader emissions reductions. A judgment-based partial-health central estimate is about $3.3 million per 10 California QALYs; it is not an observed return or a donor-ready recommendation.

Why we’re interested in this organization:

  • Air pollution has a strong external health-evidence base, and statewide policy changes can reach many people.

  • Current monitoring reports document actual filter upgrades and continuing measurements rather than only campaign reach.

  • Recent original accounts make operating scale, spending mix and financial deterioration inspectable.

Our main reservations:

  • Policy probability, exposed population, dose reduction and marginal funding response are judgment inputs, with no verified next-dollar work plan; zero or harm remains possible.

  • Indoor-versus-outdoor filtration percentages are not improvements against the no-upgrade counterfactual, and monitoring alone is not health.

  • Government grants, sponsors, existing regulations, legal reversals and benefits outside California complicate additionality and scope.

What do you get for your dollar? $3.3M per better life: ten additional quality-adjusted life years in California. Judgment-based partial-health; full recipient expenses; not all-resource social cost.

Additional annual ambient PM2.5 exposure reduction among an explicitly modeled older cohort; finite discounted all-cause survival differences, without adding overlapping mortality/morbidity or lead/IQ units.

1. What do they do?

Coalition for Clean Air, EIN 23-7120567, is the California nonprofit, not the similarly named international Climate and Clean Air Coalition or Pennsylvania Clean Air Council. Ordinary gifts fund its mix of policy advocacy, community projects, education and support costs. Current priorities include freight emissions, clean transportation investment and community air protection. Current organization Donation recipient

The original FY 2025 return describes education, advocacy, monitoring and work with schools and community organizations as a combined program. It does not provide a marginal allocation that would justify treating a general donation as a dedicated filtration or truck-repair grant. Original return

2. Monitoring and information sharing

AirAware is an EPA-funded partnership with TD Enviro, IQAir and three YMCAs. Its first annual report establishes pre-upgrade conditions and records Corona-Norco’s September 4, 2025 MERV-8 to MERV-16 upgrade. The reported 91% reduction is relative to outdoor concentration, not a 91% causal reduction from the old indoor exposure. Project Baseline report

The current quarterly report still finds effective filtration, but excludes two rooms from a higher-pollution-day comparison because of missing data and identifies indoor pollution spikes despite filtration. It includes observations through July 6 despite an April–June label and July 1 filename; no publication day is inferred from the filename. It discusses moving a monitor after the grant ends in October. That is a concrete continuation question, not proof that an unrestricted gift would otherwise buy replacement filters. Current quarterly report

Measure additional occupied person-hours at a given concentration reduction, maintenance and energy costs, equipment uptime and the no-gift replacement plan. For policy, measure changed implementation probability or compliance, emissions, dispersion and population-weighted exposure—not pledges, monitors, budget dollars or the total population covered by a rule.

3. Qualitative assessment

The health mechanism is credible, but its transfer requires care. A Medicare cohort study found a 7.3% mortality association per 10 micrograms/m³ higher long-term PM 2.5, with important age, pollution-mixture and residual-confounding limitations. Di study A later analysis of 68.5 million enrollees used several causal-inference approaches; its most conservative full-cohort hazard ratio was 1.06 per 10 micrograms/m³. Causal interpretation still requires adequate confounder control. Neither study directly estimates health gains from a few hours in a YMCA, especially for children. Wu study

Historical policy success is not a new gift’s return. CARB projects large Clean Truck Check benefits and its current guidance says testing requirements remain in effect. Those existing benefits belong in the no-new-donation counterfactual unless a specific marginal enforcement or protection role is shown. Program Current requirements CCA’s June 2026 budget statement supports further public spending, but does not identify a donation-sensitive probability of obtaining it. Its 2025 locomotive-rule repeal comment illustrates legal fragility rather than guaranteed permanent policy gains. Budget statement Repeal comment

4. What do you get for your dollar?

Full gross reported recipient expenses are $1,462,006 (FY2023), $2,150,922 (FY2024) and $2,494,912 (FY2025), averaging $2,035,946.67. These restore $58,761, $61,030 and $42,017 of separately netted direct event costs to Part IX; all program, administration and fundraising costs remain. Current original return

The central model charges five full budgets at the latest annual expense, not only a selected campaign cost. Policy/technical capacity changes the probability of additional transport/freight emissions controls or implementation beyond adopted rules, the current ports agreement and already-agreed public funding. Current activities establish a live mechanism, not the assumed probability or PM reduction. YMCA device gaps and indoor/outdoor percentages do not determine this ambient older-adult model.

Conditional on an additional policy increment, 1,500,000 older residents experience 0.2 micrograms/m³ less annual ambient PM2.5. A 10% recipient-specific increase in that policy probability over the five-year effort and 50% marginal funding response are judgments, not measured attribution. The funding response allows for reserves and replacement gifts; coalition contribution is already inside the probability change and is not discounted twice. The assumed exposed cohort is alive at implementation, three years after model start.

Using the external HR 1.06 per 10 micrograms/m³, a 0.7 log-risk transport factor, annual baseline mortality hazard 0.035 and survivor utility 0.75, integrate competing all-cause survival curves for ten years and discount at 3%. Half the modeled effect is durable within that window; half is three-year acceleration of an otherwise identical policy. Acceleration retains only the finite survival difference versus delayed implementation. No lifetime QALYs are appended. All inputs beyond the external study estimate and financial accounts are judgments. External clinical study

The $10,000 normalization yields 0.029906 local QALYs and $3,343,795 per 10. Favorable and poor joint scenarios give $32,706 and $200,200,526,078 per 10; they are sensitivity cases, not confidence limits. Zero and net-harm cases have no finite beneficial price. This is a partial-health estimate: omitted pathways have zero net central contribution by judgment, not proven absence of benefit or harm. Public implementation, regulated-facility, volunteer and partner resources are additional unpriced social costs; this is not an all-resource societal cost-effectiveness estimate.

Model, assumptions and sensitivity

Five full latest-year gross reported recipient budgets, across all programs and support, normalized linearly to a $10,000 ordinary gift. No policy-only cost carveout. External social resources unpriced.

Only California-resident health during the finite window is counted; 1.5 million older adults is an analyst-selected conditional exposed cohort, not observed reach. CA and LA are nested views of the same recipient; never add them. The statewide 1.5m and local 0.5m central cohorts are separate judgment exposure denominators, not measured shares. allPopulationQalys includes the modeled California branch only.

h1=h0*exp(-ln(HR)/10*transport*pm); rho=ln(1.03); F(a,t)=(1-exp(-a*t))/a. qD=u*(F(h1+rho,T)-F(h0+rho,T)). a=min(A,T). qT=u*(F(h1+rho,a)-F(h0+rho,a)+(1-exp(-(h0-h1)*a))*(exp(-(h1+rho)*a)-exp(-(h1+rho)*T))/(h1+rho)). q=(f*qD+(1-f)*qT)/1.03^L. Qgift=10000/(E*Y)*b*(p*N*q-harm). Price=100000/Qgift if positive. N is cohort alive at implementation; no extra survival-to-implementation multiplier. Costs are constant-real full budgets; no cost discount haircut.

E
2494912 USD per recipient year (observed). Latest original filing, full reported gross expense. [99025]
Y
5 budget years (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
N
1500000 local older people alive at implementation (judgment). Conditional policy exposure cohort selected for plausibility, not measured reach or demographic allocation.
Nall
1500000 people in all quantified branches (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
pm
0.2 micrograms/m³ sustained ambient reduction (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
p
0.1 incremental policy probability (judgment). Low incremental probability over five years reflects multiple actors, existing rules and legal reversal; unelicited analyst judgment.
b
0.5 marginal funding response (judgment). Replacement funding/reserves uncertainty; smaller CBE response reflects materially larger reported unrestricted balances.
HR
1.06 hazard ratio per 10 micrograms/m³ higher PM2.5 (observed). External older US Medicare cohort estimate; conditional causal interpretation, not a CCA/CBE trial. [wu]
transport
0.7 multiplier on log HR (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
h0
0.035 annual all-cause mortality hazard (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
u
0.75 utility among survivors (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
T
10 finite years after implementation (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
L
3 years to implementation (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
f
0.5 durable branch share (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
A
3 years of acceleration (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.
harm
0 other QALYs lost per five-year effort before b (judgment). Explicit finite partial-health modeling judgment; requires empirical refinement.

Judgment central: partial older-adult air health: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.029906141271821514; all-population QALYs: 0.029906141271821514. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Favorable joint assumptions, not a confidence bound: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 3.057568231992224; all-population QALYs: 3.057568231992224. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Poor joint assumptions, not a confidence bound: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 4.994991869352605e-7; all-population QALYs: 4.994991869352605e-7. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

One-tenth central incremental policy probability: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.0029906141271821515; all-population QALYs: 0.0029906141271821515. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Strong replacement funding: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.005981228254364303; all-population QALYs: 0.005981228254364303. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Entire effect durable within finite ten years: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.038752460347554314; all-population QALYs: 0.038752460347554314. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Only three-year acceleration; finite survival comparison: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.02105982219608871; all-population QALYs: 0.02105982219608871. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Comparable three-year gross expense mean: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0.03664791025932052; all-population QALYs: 0.03664791025932052. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

No causal clinical transfer: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0; all-population QALYs: 0. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

No additional policy or health effect: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: 0; all-population QALYs: 0. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

No policy benefit and ten QALYs of other harm per five-year effort: Cost: $10K; California QALYs: -0.004008157401944437; all-population QALYs: -0.004008157401944437. All nonfinancial parameters except the external HR are explicitly analyst judgment; scenario bundle is not an empirical interval. Full five-year expense denominator; no gift restriction assumed.

Counterfactual: Existing grants, planned YMCA upgrades, partner work, statutory testing and public budgets continue absent the new gift. Measure only extra duration, coverage, compliance, policy probability or exposure reduction. A monitor that reveals pollution without changing exposure yields no health in this branch. Policy/technical capacity changes the probability of additional transport/freight emissions controls or implementation beyond adopted rules, the current ports agreement and already-agreed public funding. Current activities establish a live mechanism, not the assumed probability or PM reduction. YMCA device gaps and indoor/outdoor percentages do not determine this ambient older-adult model.

Attribution: p is the incremental recipient-specific probability effect of a five-year whole-organization effort versus partner/regulator action without it. b models donation-sensitive capacity after replacement funding, distinct from coalition p. Local linear extrapolation to a small gift is judgment and can fail at lumpy capacity thresholds.

Explicit judgment central, not identified causal charity effectiveness. Wide scenarios include clinical-null, no-policy-effect and harm. This is not a complete portfolio estimate or a reason to override donor diligence.

Sensitivity

  • Favorable/poor bundles vary several linked assumptions and are not probabilistic credible intervals.
  • Tenfold reduction in p increases price tenfold.
  • N and exposure are conditional on reform, not multiplied by total state population or total historic policy benefits.
  • Timing-only model compares gift and delayed-policy survival through the same finite endpoint.
  • Zero-net omitted pathways is a provisional central judgment; harms can reverse the result.

Unresolved inputs

  • Costed current ordinary-gift allocation and the work not funded without it.
  • Gift-induced policy probability/timing/compliance change or additional filtration duration/deployments, net of grants and partner replacement.
  • Unique California beneficiaries, time-activity patterns, counterfactual exposure concentration and pollutant mixture.
  • Age-specific health hazards, utility trajectories, causal transfer, implementation duration and reversals.
  • Incremental societal costs, geographic spillovers, harms and overlap across pollution, climate and clinical outcomes.

5. Funding and previous grants

FY 2025 revenue was $2,149,048, $303,847 below reported expenses. Program, management and fundraising expenses were $1,479,082, $647,639 and $326,174. Consultants accounted for $974,336; salaries and benefits totaled $1,019,943. Year-end net assets were $1,113,614, including $1,036,114 without donor restrictions. Fee-for-service contracts generated $321,468. Original return

The deficit makes a current funding plan important, but does not establish a productive unrestricted gap by itself. The public project description explicitly identifies EPA support, so an ordinary gift might extend, substitute for or support work outside that grant. The original return does not isolate a current dollar cost per additional filter installation or successful policy intervention. Ask which consultant or staff capacity, maintenance or implementation work is unfunded; whether restricted grants, sponsors, equipment partners or reserves would otherwise cover it; and what measured exposure reduction would result. Financial index Project funding

Annual expenses

Organization-level spending, including programs, administration and fundraising. The research list averages three comparable, consecutive full fiscal years when available.

  • FY 2023: $1.5M; Coalition for Clean Air, EIN23-7120567, 12-month period, Accrual Form 990 Part IX plus separately netted direct event expenses; gross reported recipient expenses; fiscal year ending June 30. Source
  • FY 2024: $2.2M; Coalition for Clean Air, EIN23-7120567, 12-month period, Accrual Form 990 Part IX plus separately netted direct event expenses; gross reported recipient expenses; fiscal year ending June 30. Source
  • FY 2025: $2.5M; Coalition for Clean Air, EIN23-7120567, 12-month period, Accrual Form 990 Part IX plus separately netted direct event expenses; gross reported recipient expenses; fiscal year ending June 30. Source

6. Sources

  1. Coalition for Clean Air: current mission and projects. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  2. General individual donation form. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  3. Form 990 for July 2024–June 2025. Coalition for Clean Air / IRS. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  4. Form 990 for July 2023–June 2024, with FY2023 comparison. Coalition for Clean Air / IRS. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  5. Financial information and current returns. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  6. AirAware YMCA project and current report index. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  7. First annual AirAware air-quality report. AirAware team / Coalition for Clean Air. Published: 2025-10-22; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  8. Corona-Norco YMCA quarterly report, April–June 2026, including July 6 data. AirAware team / Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  9. Statement supporting 2026 state clean-transportation budget agreement. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: 2026-06-30; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  10. Comment on proposed locomotive-rule repeal. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: 2025-06-16; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  11. Clean Truck Check program and projected benefits. California Air Resources Board. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  12. Clean Truck Check current requirements and guidance. California Air Resources Board. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  13. Evaluating long-term fine particulate exposure and mortality among the elderly. Wu and colleagues / Science Advances. Published: 2020-07-17; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  14. Air pollution and mortality in the Medicare population. Di and colleagues / New England Journal of Medicine. Published: 2017-06-29; retrieved: 2026-09-13.
  15. Original organization-posted FY2023 Form990 copy. Coalition for Clean Air. Published: not stated; retrieved: 2026-09-14.