Treepeople
Treepeople reported $18.0 million in revenue and $16.3 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $79.39 went to program services, $15.70 to management and general costs and $4.91 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.4% of the total. Government grants made up 43.6%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $193,045 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 111% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $16MFor 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 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $18MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 79.4% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.7% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 4.9% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 95.4% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 43.6% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 2.2% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $193,045 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.18% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 11.4 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 24 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseEnvironmental education and outdoor access: provide opportunities to youth in environmental education and outdoor learning to help students explore local environmental systems and issues such as waste, water and forestry in a fun and engaging way. This includes engaging youth at every age level, offering age-appropriate projects, field trips, and hands-on learning experiences to empower future generations. This program expands across los angeles county and prioritizes communities that have not historically been able to access nature. This program was able to serve approximately 23,500…
Urban and mountain forestry: the forestry programs expanded tree canopy, cared for young trees, reforested mountainous areas, and restored native habitat while engaging and activating thousands of individuals to participate and learn in the process. Treepeople's urban forestry teams planted trees in historically underserved communities across los angeles county and into the inland empire. Treepeople's mountain forestry team restored numerous project sites across the local mountains that have burned in recent fires. Treepeople engaged more than 6,800 volunteers, planted more than 14,600 trees…
Policy & research: develop cutting-edge research to advance the implementation of nature-based solutions and advocate for policies that are guided by research and community feedback. The research conducted applies to all related issues in the urban environment, such as water, soil and green infrastructure. The research team advanced the region's understanding of the use of urban soils for water capture, the feasibility for schools to capture stormwater and synthesis data related to the localized benefits of urban forests. Policies at the state and local levels were advanced and improved by…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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 | $148,887 | $0 | $44,158 | $193,045 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $164,286 | $0 | $400 | $164,686 |
| SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $139,219 | $0 | $13,292 | $152,511 |
| DIR. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION STRATEGY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $124,579 | $0 | $4,343 | $128,922 |
| DIRECTOR OF POLICY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $127,711 | $0 | $0 | $127,711 |
| ASSOCIATE CONTROLLER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $117,789 | $0 | $4,727 | $122,516 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $120,904 | $0 | $250 | $121,154 |
7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Treepeople (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $314K (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · 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–1b24 · 24 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 2Yes
- 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 5179
- Volunteers Part I, line 66,800
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SWA GROUP Landscape architecture | $691,983 |
| ARMANINO LLP Consulting and accounting services | $654,091 |
| SALAZAR LANDSCAPING Landscaping construction for green infra | $569,655 |
| LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Site assessment construction documents | $534,868 |
| RECON Construction and labor subcontractor for | $281,277 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 11 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
49 private foundations reported grants to Treepeople totaling $810K 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 Treepeople's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Treepeople, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Treepeople spent in 2024, $79.39 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Grand Canyon ConservancyGrand Canyon, AZ · revenue $18M · programs 61.5% · 2025
- Ecology CenterBerkeley, CA · revenue $18M · programs 92.9% · 2024
- Fairmount Park ConservancyPhiladelphia, PA · revenue $18M · programs 73.8% · 2025
- Oregon Climate TrustPortland, OR · revenue $18M · programs 93.7% · 2025
- Norfolk Botanical GardenNorfolk, VA · revenue $18M · programs 89.4% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of Treepeople's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Treepeople reported that 79.4% of its $16.3 million in expenses went to program services, 15.7% to management and general and 4.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Treepeople pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Treepeople reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $193,045, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Treepeople get its money?
Of $18.0 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 95.4% came from contributions and grants (including 43.6% from government grants) and 2.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Treepeople a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 23-7314838 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. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202543219349314774 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413199349301306 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202303199349332210 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202223209349301302 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202102549349300755 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202033109349301728 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 23-7314838: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.