The Sierra Club: Secret money, board coups, and the trouble with anonymous gifts.

This episode traces its remarkable origin story, from Muir’s devastating loss at Hetch Hetchy to the audacious campaign that stopped two Grand Canyon dams and provoked the IRS. We follow the rise and firing of David Brower, the architect of the modern Sierra Club; uncover the secret gas money behind its campaign against coal; and revisit the immigration battles that exposed both the vulnerability and the power of its member-run democracy.Along the way, we encounter a $101.5 million anonymous gift, a disastrous partnership with Clorox, an attempted board takeover, the birth of Earthjustice, and Beyond Coal’s role in accelerating the retirement of hundreds of U.S. coal plants.It is a story about wilderness, money, power, and the recurring question at the heart of every mission-driven organization: Can democracy survive without disclosure?And after you listen to this, we encourage you to visit one of our favorite podcasts from Devex!