Land Trust of Santa Cruz County
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County reported $43.9 million in revenue and $19.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $93.71 went to program services, $5.54 to management and general costs and $0.75 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 92.9% of the total. Government grants made up 53.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $244,343 (Executive Dir.). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 2035% 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 $20MFor 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
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $44MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 93.7% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 5.5% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.7% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 92.9% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 53.9% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $244,343 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.25% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 52.9 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 15 of 20 | 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 expenseLand protection: guided by its strategic plan and conservation blueprint, the organization works with willing landowners to permanently protect lands with significant conservation value and habitat connetivity. The organization protects working lands (famrs, forests, and grazing lands) and natural lands. The organization acquires land through fee simple purchase (which may include a bargain sale), donation and purchases or receives donations of development rights through a conservation easement
Public access/education: the organization provides recreational and educational opportunities to the public. The organization provides public access on six properties, educates the greater community on local ecology and conservation strategies, and builds and maintains 29 miles of trails. The organization is currently developing a community harvest amenity on its 500-acre farm
Land stewardship: the organization stewards its 5,500 acres of fee title conservation lands by implementinghabitat protection and restoration projects, and undertakes species monitoring, grazing, forest management, and research. Annual management plans guide the work to support the conservation values of the lands. The organization holds 45 conservation easements protecting 5,100 acres. Using a baseline report as a benchmark, the organization monitors the values of the easements and ensures compliance with the permanent protection goals
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Dir. Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $236,335 | $0 | $8,008 | $244,343 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $187,772 | $0 | $26,225 | $213,997 |
| CONSERVATION DIR. Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $173,395 | $0 | $21,752 | $195,147 |
| EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $104,395 | $0 | $14,165 | $118,560 |
| ENGATEMENT DIR. Listed in Part VII, 40.00 hrs/week | $107,339 | $0 | $9,503 | $116,842 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Land Trust of Santa Cruz County (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $458K (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–1b20 · 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 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 532
- Volunteers Part I, line 650
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| SSA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS INC Consulting | $242,218 |
| MANNING DEVELOPMENT INC Building construction | $215,415 |
| WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH Consulting | $159,328 |
| SPECTOR CORBETT ARCHITECTS Consulting | $116,601 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
11 private foundations reported grants to Land Trust of Santa Cruz County totaling $123K 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 Land Trust of Santa Cruz County's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Land Trust of Santa Cruz County spent in FY2025, $93.71 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Land Trust of Santa Cruz County's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Land Trust of Santa Cruz County reported that 93.7% of its $19.5 million in expenses went to program services, 5.5% to management and general and 0.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Land Trust of Santa Cruz County pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Land Trust of Santa Cruz County reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $244,343, for the role of Executive Dir. (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Land Trust of Santa Cruz County get its money?
Of $43.9 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 92.9% came from contributions and grants (including 53.9% from government grants) and 1.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Land Trust of Santa Cruz County a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 94-2431856 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
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202611179349301656 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501169349300115 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202420579349301312 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202301219349302655 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201199349301615 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131339349305233 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 94-2431856: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.