Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jan 2009.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
80 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
5 people listed on the 990; $111K paid to officers and key staff (Part VII, Section A).
Scott Smith’s $131K as Superintendent of Ryan is at the 54th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1842 $1–10M recreation & sports 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
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Smith | $131,331 | $127,259 | $117,073 | $110,551 | $110,551 |
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.
See Death Valley Conservancy executive salaries →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 supports Death Valley National Park, its resources, and nearby communities.
Questions for Death Valley Conservancy
Your first name shows with your question. Death Valley Conservancy answers here, for everyone.
Ryan Camp
Preservation, maintenance and interpretation of the historical mining camp of ryan, ca. To restore and use it for education and a research facility. During 2020, the organization also spent $123,990 to develop and build assets related to ryan camp, including a major preservation and restoration of the CHURCH/REC hall & aux water storage.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 26-2551221) · Dispute this lineThe DVC produced and maintains a functioning set of reproductions of the 1880's era world-famous 20 mule team death valley borax wagons for use in demonstrations, parades, and living history displays and EDUCATION.THE 20-MULE team and our reproduction death valley wagons in the annual nationally acclaimed "mule days" celebrations in…
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 26-2551221) · Dispute this lineDeath Valley Fund
To support projects around the park and in conjunction with the national park service. For 2020, projects include:park partners gatheringan annual community development gathering connecting death valley community members and leaders from the government, education, nonprofit and business sectors.
Form 990 Part III, line 4, FY2020. The organization’s own words, as filed with the IRS. Find it at the IRS (EIN 26-2551221) · Dispute this lineFunders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of yearLn 1g | $20.2M | $17.8M | $13.5M | $15.1M | $13.1M |
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $103K | $104K |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $20.7M | $22.3M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $6.1M | $6.2M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $27.0M | $28.6M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $7K | $5K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $27.0M | $28.6M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of officers and key staff (Part IX, line 5)Ln 5 | $180K | $180K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $138K | $138K | ||
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $9K | $9K | ||
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $24K | $24K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $21K | $21K | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $7K | $7K | ||
| Investment management feesLn 11f | $148K | $148K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $7K | $7K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $5K | $5K | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $7K | $7K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $3K | $3K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $106K | $106K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $63K | $63K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $68K | $63K | $5K | |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $26K | $26K | $64 | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $813K | $653K | $160K | $0 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Nov 7, 2025 | $1.1M | $1.1M | $15K | $30.1M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 12, 2024 | $975K | $1.1M | −$79K | $28.7M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 7, 2023 | $1.2M | $1.1M | $126K | $26.4M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 7, 2022 | $2.2M | $856K | $1.4M | $30.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 10, 2021 | $1.1M | $813K | $277K | $28.6M | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990
Part I · Summary $1,090,211 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 3 of 4 board members independent, 3 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,090,211 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $812,868 across 15 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $28,600,986 assets, 12 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $28,595,702 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file FY2020 from the IRS (about our sources) · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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