The Land Institute
The Land Institute reported $10.1 million in revenue and $9.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.04 went to program services, $12.23 to management and general costs and $9.73 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 86.1% of the total. Government grants made up 9.7%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $218,585 (PRESIDENT). 15 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 60% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $9.6MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $10MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 12.2% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 9.7% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.11 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 86.1% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 9.7% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 4.7% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $218,585 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.28% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 15 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 28.1 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 12 of 14 | 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
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe Land Institute is developing a new farming system, natural systems agriculture (nsa), including developing new perennial grain crops and diverse cropping systems that provide their own fertility, weed control and water management and hold the soil year-round. Nsa responds to the urgent need to stop soil erosion and mitigate and adapt to climate change worldwide
Education and public policy - work that focuses on encouraging others to become more active in work that promotes ecology and agriculture. Includes publications, communications, educational convening, events, and research into the education, public policy, and social transformations required for a just society that thrives within ecological limits
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $183,176 | $0 | $35,409 | $218,585 |
| LEAD SCIENTIST, KERNZA Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $127,609 | $0 | $27,903 | $155,512 |
| LEAD SCIENTIST, OILSEEDS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $128,886 | $0 | $26,386 | $155,272 |
| CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $126,676 | $0 | $20,050 | $146,726 |
| COO Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $134,148 | $0 | $8,915 | $143,063 |
| LEAD SCIENTIST, WHEAT Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $111,875 | $0 | $28,836 | $140,711 |
| SENIOR RESEARCHER - ECOSPHERE Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $115,654 | $0 | $20,473 | $136,127 |
| DIRECTOR / EMPLOYEE REP Director/trustee, 40.0 hrs/week | $96,837 | $0 | $26,426 | $123,263 |
15 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Land Institute (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $398K (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
FY2025 · 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–1b14 · 12 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 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 592
- Volunteers Part I, line 612
Private foundation grants it received
36 private foundations reported grants to The Land Institute 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 The Land Institute's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Land Institute, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Land Institute spent in FY2025, $78.04 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Land Institute's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Land Institute reported that 78.0% of its $9.6 million in expenses went to program services, 12.2% to management and general and 9.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Land Institute pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Land Institute reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $218,585, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Land Institute get its money?
Of $10.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 86.1% came from contributions and grants (including 9.7% from government grants) and 4.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Land Institute a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 48-0842156 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), 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
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202610619349301701 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202511079349300626 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202400599349300035 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341229349302324 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202221369349312602 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100219349300830 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 48-0842156: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.