Ecosystem Sciences Foundation is an applied science and research organization dedicated to integrating the fields of ecology and design, specializing in the development of interrelated ecological systems.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$60K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2020 · 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 $4K a year · 2% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$60K
to officers and key staff · 46% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 46% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $65K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$33
0.04% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$122K
Spent
$132K
To programs
79%
Net assets
$84K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$122K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$122K
FY2021$141K
FY2022$180K
FY2023$300K
FY2024$177K
FY2025$389K
Expenses
$132K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$132K
FY2021$149K
FY2022Not on file
FY2023$295K
FY2024$205K
FY2025$368K
Net assets
$84K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$84K
FY2021$76K
FY2022$87K
FY2023$92K
FY2024$64K
FY2025$85K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 2001.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $104K Management & general 21% · $27K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990; $60K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$30,500Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$29,900Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Zach Hill’s $61K as President is at the 41st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1990 $100K–1M environment 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2022FY2021FY2020
Zach Hill$61,300$28,100$30,500
Tim Maguire$29,150$23,800$29,900
Derek Risso$400$6,000—

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 Ecosystem Sciences Foundation executive salaries →

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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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Integrates ecology and design to develop interrelated ecological systems.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $104K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Silver Creek Alliance

Since 2011, ecosystem sciences foundation has led the formation of the silver creek annual monitoring and reporting program as part of the alliance; an association of conservation-minded landowners working collaboratively to practice and promote ecologically and economically sound land and water management in the silver creek watershed…

$59Kprogram expense
02

Idaho forests economic evaluation and health assessment- ecosystem sciences foundation is developing a geodatabase (gis) of idaho department of lands (idl) implemented projects describing over 100 state & private forestry program funded projects throughout the state of idaho since 2008.

$31Kprogram expense
03

Urban tree canopy development and treasure valley canopy network (canopy) is the connected network of tree canopy and greenspace within and around a community. This canopy provides the environment and society with great benefits, that when incorporated into our urban infrastructure can result in happier, healthier and more sustainable…

$15Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$65K

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$122K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$92K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$27K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Money outPt IX
$132K
Ln 25
Programscol B$104K
Managementcol C$27K
Owns and owesPt X
$84K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$67K
Total assetsLn 16$84K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$92K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$27K
Investment incomeLn 3$283
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Total revenueLn 12$122K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$11K
SavingsLn 2$56K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$67K
Total assetsLn 16$84K
LiabilitiesLn 26$33
Net assetsLn 32$84K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$89K$67K
Total assetsLn 16$93K$84K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$33
Net assetsLn 32$93K$84K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$19K$15K$4K
Payroll taxesLn 10$2K$1K$332
Accounting feesLn 11c$1K$1K$270
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$91K$72K$19K
Office expensesLn 13$1K$1K$294
OccupancyLn 16$10K$8K$2K
TravelLn 17$2K$1K$368
InsuranceLn 23$3K$2K$568
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$3K$3K$664
Total functional expensesLn 25$132K$104K$27K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $389K$368K$21K$85K 990 PDF
FY2024 $177K$205K−$28K$64K 990 PDF
FY2023 $300K$295K$5K$92K 990 PDF
FY2022 $180K$87K 990 PDF
FY2021 $141K$149K−$8K$76K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $122K$132K−$10K$84K 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $122,196 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $104,046$92,429
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $677$26,616
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $276$283
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$2,868
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $104,999$122,196
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $13,993$20,644
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $77,710$111,202
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $91,703$131,846
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $13,296−$9,650
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, 5 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
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
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $122,196 across 5 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $26,616 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$92,429
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$92,429
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $283$283
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,868$2,868
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $29,484 · Unrelated business $283 · Excluded from tax $0$122,196
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $131,846 across 9 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $15,091 · Management $3,951$19,042
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $1,270 · Management $332$1,602
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,030 · Management $270$1,300
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $71,939 · Management $18,836$90,775
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $1,123 · Management $294$1,417
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $7,925 · Management $2,075$10,000
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,405 · Management $368$1,773
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,168 · Management $568$2,736
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,537 · Management $664$3,201
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $104,488 · Management $27,358 · Fundraising $0$131,846
Part X · Balance sheet $83,710 assets, 8 lines filed
Asset lines not itemized here account for $3,059; see the IRS return.
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $13,912$11,326
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $75,568$55,825
X-4 Accounts receivable$13,500
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $93,327$83,710
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$33
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$33
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $93,327$83,677
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $93,327$83,710
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $83,677 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$122,196
XI-2 Total expenses$131,846
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$9,650
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$93,327
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$83,677

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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