We are Earth Resource Guardian Foundation (ERGF)
Promoting the conservation and stewardship of America’s energy, water, and other natural resources.
A Brief FAQ About ERGF
-
We promote the conservation and stewardship of oil and gas resources.
Through our core programs, we aim to:
Hold and provide stewardship over mineral rights.
Conduct site visits to oil and gas wellsites to monitor for contamination issues.
Produce and distribute educational materials relevant to the public, land owners, mineral owners, and operators of oil wells.
In short, our programs work toward our believe that oil and gas can be produced profitably, but with a higher regard to farm/ranch lands, water supplies, and air quality.
-
We have 2 primary programs, and 2 secondary programs. More details about all of them can be found here.
Mineral Stewardship Initiative is a primary program. Through it, we manage over 19,500 estimated gross acres of mineral/royalty rights in 8 states.
ECOSite is our other primary program. We conduct site visits of oil and gas wellsites and look for signs of contamination, or success stories of when things are done right.
Our Earth Resource Learning Lab produces educational articles and guides, and highlights other outside resources that the public may find useful.
When funds permit, our Scholarship and Support Fund seeks to encourage students and other like-minded organizations to keep pursuing common goals, such as healthy croplands, clean air, dark skies, and clean water.
-
No. In fact, we believe in a strong domestic oil and gas industry while the world is still dependent on fossil fuels.
Only in the United States can private individuals and organizations like ERGF own and control mineral rights and how they are developed. Meaning, we can demand terms that go beyond the minimum required by law.
In other countries, the public is at the mercy of their government to make sure oil and gas development is done responsibly. It is no secret that other oil and gas producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have some of the most polluted air in the world. They may talk the talk by signing climate agreements, but they certainly don’t walk the walk.
We believe a strong US oil and gas industry means less need for foreign production. Which, ideally, means less “dirty” oil being produced.
Our mindset makes us unique. We are one of the only environmentally focused non-profits centered in reality and a recognition that banning domestic production is counter-productive.
-
We take transparency seriously. We believe every non-profit owes their donors, and the public, a duty to go beyond the minimum required by law.
This is proven by our earning 2026 Platinum Certification by Candid (formerly GuideStar), a leading non-profit analyst. This is the highest level of certification, which places us in the estimated Top 1% of US non-profits for transparency.
Check out our Governance and Transparency page for detailed information on our commitment to transparency.
You’ll find links to our tax returns, by-laws, internal policies, and more.
-
Donated mineral and royalty rights are the backbone of our organization. By donating your minerals, you are leaving a lasting legacy. And currently, we steward over 19,500 estimated gross acres of mineral rights in 8 states.
Un-producing minerals give us the ability to decide if and how those minerals are ever produced. We can negotiate terms that go beyond a dollar figure, which ensures the surrounding lands are protected.
Producing minerals provide an income stream that enables us to fund our other programs. We can afford to conduct site visits, buy safety equipment, produce educational materials, and provide scholarship support.
Check out our mineral donation page for more information.
-
Visit our contact page to send an electronic message or find more contact details. Or:
Call us at 817-717-5452
Email us at info@ergf.org
To accomplish our goals, ERGF seeks to oversee the responsible management of oil and gas minerals in order to exercise more control on how our natural resources are developed. To our knowledge, we are one of the only non-profit organizations proactively working to this end. While many non-profits may own mineral rights, these groups typically view the minerals as an income stream to fund their other programs or pay administrative expenses. ERGF believes a non-profit owes a duty to everybody to be a steward of these natural resources.
Click to learn more about Core Programs. Project ECOSite is our oil and gas well environmental education and oversight program. The Mineral Stewardship Initiative (MSI) seeks to hold and safeguard oil and gas rights anywhere in the United States. Our Earth Resource Learning Lab creates and distributes educational and awareness materials. Finally, the Guardian Scholarship and Support Fund (SSF) aims to support students and other non-profits with similar goals as ERGF.
Please explore our website for more information about our Vision, our Core Programs, interesting links to outside resources, and how you can help contribute to our goals.
ERGF is proud to be in the estimated Top 1% of non-profit organizations for transparency and donor trust. Check out our Transparency page to learn more about how we go beyond other non-profits.