Conservation Lands Foundation
Conservation Lands Foundation reported $10.2 million in revenue and $9.1 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.71 went to program services, $11.85 to management and general costs and $9.44 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $260,330 (Executive Director). 9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 55% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.1MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $10MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.7% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.8% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 9.4% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.09 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.5% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $260,330 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.87% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 14.4 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 16 of 16 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseConstituency Development Program: The Foundation works hand-in-hand with 80 plus organizations and hundreds of citizen advocates throughout the nation. Giving them financial and professional resources for policy, legal, restoration and advocacy work. Their individual strength and success on the ground authentically builds our collective impact, translating to bigger, better and more enduring protections for National Conservation Lands. Resources include but are not limited to: Grants for project-specific work; grants for general support and organizational development; fundraising support…
Policy and Legal/Conservation Campaigns: The Foundation leads a national movement of community-based advocates to care for America's National Conservation Lands of environmental, cultural and recreational significance. To achieve this, we are building place-based, local proposals to identify places that are worthy of durable and lasting protections now and for future generations. Our work ensures that the voices of conservationists, business owners, sportsmen, Native Americans and others from these local communities are respected and reflected in conservation management policies. This program…
Communications Program: The goal of the communications program is to increase awareness of the values and beauty of the National Conservation Lands to the American people and hold policymakers accountable for their conservation. CLF works with its Friends Grassroots Network and other allies to pursue media coverage of the National Conservation Lands
Highest reported compensation
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Director Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $231,624 | $0 | $28,706 | $260,330 |
| Chief Conservation Officer Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $151,914 | $0 | $21,847 | $173,761 |
| Chief Finance/Oper Officer Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $151,208 | $0 | $21,791 | $172,999 |
| Chief Comms Officer Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $149,297 | $0 | $20,390 | $169,687 |
| VP - Conservation Field Pr Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $145,183 | $0 | $20,142 | $165,325 |
| VP - Government Affairs Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $126,186 | $0 | $19,814 | $146,000 |
| VP - Development Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $115,707 | $0 | $19,512 | $135,219 |
| Program Director Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $107,798 | $0 | $18,088 | $125,886 |
9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Conservation Lands Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $383K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b16 · 16 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 526
Private foundation grants it received
25 private foundations reported grants to Conservation Lands Foundation totaling $2.3M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Conservation Lands Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Conservation Lands Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Conservation Lands Foundation spent in 2025, $78.71 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Conservation Lands Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Conservation Lands Foundation reported that 78.7% of its $9.1 million in expenses went to program services, 11.8% to management and general and 9.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Conservation Lands Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Conservation Lands Foundation reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $260,330, for the role of Executive Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Conservation Lands Foundation get its money?
Of $10.2 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 97.5% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Conservation Lands Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 20-8924520 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025 (amended), object 202621569349301027 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202541269349303334 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202411289349300931 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202331249349300013 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202221269349302062 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202132049349301238 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202041969349305544 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 20-8924520: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.