The Language conservancy's mission is to preserve the maximum number of endangered languages in the americas and the world. We believe that all languages have an inherent right to exist-that they are fundamental and irreplaceable facets of people's culture and humanity's linguistic heritage. The Language conseervancy (tlc) is dedicated to restoring endangered languages to stability and health and to document the benefits of Language recovery to indigenous communities and individuals. Tlc increases international public awareness of Language loss and recovery and supports indigenous tribes committed to revitalizing their Language.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 31 volunteers and 25 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $213K a year · 9% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $733K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.7 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $4K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2.5M
123% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 123% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$832K
-78% vs prior year
Spent
$1.3M
To programs
100%
Net assets
−$474K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$832K
FY2025▼ -78%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.5M
FY2021$2.1M
FY2022$3.1M
FY2023$3.8M
FY2025$832K
Expenses
$1.3M
FY2025▼ -73%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.7M
FY2021$1.8M
FY2022$2.7M
FY2023$4.8M
FY2025$1.3M
Net assets
−$474K
FY2025▼ -1416%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$139K
FY2021$303K
FY2022$632K
FY2023−$31K
FY2025−$474K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2009.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $1.3M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

1 person listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Administrati
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Wilhelm Meya’s $107K as Board Chair is at the 91st percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Wilhelm Meya$107,127$90,508$83,408

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Preserves and revitalizes endangered languages worldwide, documenting their cultural importance.

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1 program · $1.3M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The language conservancy's mission is to preserve the maximum number of endangered languages

$1.3Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$4K
Grants paid · 6 grants · $548K · 2019–2021
Lakota Language Consortium INCND · FY2019$282,351
Cash Awards and Grants - OtherFY2019$51,700

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$832K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$691K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$176K
Investment incomeLn 3−$36K
Money outPt IX
$1.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.3M
Owns and owesPt X
−$474K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$180K
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.5M
PeoplePt VI, VII
1
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$176K
Government grantsLn 1e$161K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$691K
Investment incomeLn 3−$36K
Total revenueLn 12$832K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$180K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$180K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$733K
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.5M
Net assetsLn 32−$474K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 525
VolunteersI 631
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$613K$180K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$733K$733K
Total assetsLn 16$2.3M$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.3M$2.5M
Net assetsLn 32$0−$474K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.0M$1.0M
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$3K$3K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$27K$27K
Payroll taxesLn 10$85K$85K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$11K$11K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$117K$117K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$22K$22K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$2K$2K
InsuranceLn 23$3K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.3M$1.3M$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $832K$1.3M−$474K−$474K 990 PDF
FY2024 Not on file
FY2023 $3.8M$4.8M−$991K−$31K 990 PDF
FY2022 $3.1M$2.7M$328K$632K 990 PDF
FY2021 $2.1M$1.8M$263K$303K 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.5M$1.7M−$189K−$139K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $831,636 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grants$176,402
I-9 Program service revenue$691,112
I-10 Investment income−$35,878
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenue$831,636
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$1,144,367
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expenses$160,858
I-18 Total expenses$1,305,225
I-19 Revenue less expenses−$473,589
Part VI · Governance 5 of 6 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $831,636 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$160,670
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$15,732
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$176,402
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $691,112$691,112
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission −$35,878−$35,878
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $655,234$831,636
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,305,225 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,028,908$1,028,908
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $3,060$3,060
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $27,421$27,421
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $84,978$84,978
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $2,357$2,357
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $10,763$10,763
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $116,505$116,505
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,240$4,240
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $21,636$21,636
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officialsPrograms $2,421$2,421
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,936$2,936
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,305,225 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$1,305,225
Part X · Balance sheet $2,056,975 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $613,487$179,800
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $961,371$1,144,304
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $732,871$732,871
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,307,729$2,056,975
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $354,162$329,911
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $847,030$823,126
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $1,106,537$1,377,527
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,307,729$2,530,564
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictions−$473,589
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $0−$473,589
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,307,729$2,056,975
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$473,589 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$831,636
XI-2 Total expenses$1,305,225
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$473,589
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$473,589

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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