The Vital Ground Foundation
The Vital Ground Foundation reported $10.2 million in revenue and $7.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.97 went to program services, $5.99 to management and general costs and $5.04 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 93.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $234,223 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 364% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $7.2MFor 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
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) | 89.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.0% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.0% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.04 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 93.9% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.6% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $234,223 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 3.25% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 46.0 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 15 | 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 expenseLand conservation: Vital Ground identifies crucial grizzly bear habitat on privately owned land and works with willing landowners to protect the land's conservation values. This is accomplished by acquiring conservation easements through donation or bargain purchase, or by purchasing land in fee title then managing it to benefit wildlife and the public. Vital Ground has a perpetual responsibility to monitor the lands on which it holds conservation easements to ensure compliance with the terms of the conservation easements. Vital Ground also manages and works to restore the land it owns to…
Conservation education: Vital Ground provides information about grizzly bear and associated wildlife habitat conservation through its print and digital publications, special mailings, website, email communications, social media, in-person and online events, videos and other media opportunities. The organization also participates in collaborative educational programs to promote the conservation of grizzly bears and their habitat, prevent conflicts between bears and humans and enhance the survival of grizzly bears. 2025 accomplishments include:- produced roughly 12,000 copies of vital news, the…
Other: in addition to its habitat conservation and conservation education programs, the Vital Ground Foundation also partners with federal, state, and tribal agencies, other nonprofit organizations and local community groups to support programs preventing conflicts between bears and people. Through its 2025 conservation partners program, Vital Ground awarded $75,000 in small grants to 17 communities, organizations and agencies working to prevent conflicts between bears and people in 16 high priority landscapes. These investments helped:- install 25 electric fences around a track field, fruit…
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 | $206,850 | $0 | $27,373 | $234,223 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $116,550 | $0 | $8,159 | $124,709 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $110,550 | $0 | $14,159 | $124,709 |
3 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Vital Ground Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $234K (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–1b15 · 15 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 4No
- 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 512
- Volunteers Part I, line 615
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to The Vital Ground Foundation totaling $263 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 Vital Ground 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 The Vital Ground Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Vital Ground Foundation spent in 2025, $88.97 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Vital Ground Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, The Vital Ground Foundation reported that 89.0% of its $7.2 million in expenses went to program services, 6.0% to management and general and 5.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Vital Ground Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Vital Ground Foundation reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $234,223, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Vital Ground Foundation get its money?
Of $10.2 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 93.9% came from contributions and grants (including 0.6% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Vital Ground Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 87-0483446 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, object 202641979349300524 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202511559349300441 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202411519349301406 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202342059349300444 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202232419349300763 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202112289349302321 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202031979349307963 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 87-0483446: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.