Pacific Crest Trail Association EIN 33-0051202 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Pacific Crest Trail Association

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Protects, preserves, and promotes the Pacific Crest Trail as a world-class experience. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $5.6M in revenue, $5.3M in expenses, and $5.5M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1977
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Nonprofit
Location
Sacramento, CA
Website
www.pcta.org
Filings
6 on file (2020–2025)
Revenue
$5.6MFY2025
Expenses
$5.3M
Net assets
$5.5M
People
20
Filings
6
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  33-0051202 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Sacramento, CA Founded 1977
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/22/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Protects, preserves, and promotes the Pacific Crest Trail as a world-class experience.
Leadership
Megan Wargo · CEO · $171K
Money in and out
$5.6M revenue, $5.3M expenses
Bottom line
70% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2025
Total revenue
$5.6M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$5.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$5.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $307K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.70 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.20
Program efficiency
70%
of spending reaches programs-0.3% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
12.3mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +10% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+5%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +227% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2025 · Form 990
Revenue
$5.6M
FY2025▲ +7%
Expenses
$5.3M
FY2025▼ -3%
Total assets
$7.0M
FY2025▲ +8%
Total liabilities
$1.5M
FY2025▼ -5%
Total revenue
$5.6M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$5.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$5.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$307K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$7.0M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B70%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 315
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 415

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CPacific Crest Trail Association
EINHdr · item D33-0051202
Principal addressHdr · item CSacramento, CA
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.pcta.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1977
State of legal domicileHdr · item MCA
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFNonprofit
Ruling yearIRS BMFAug 1989

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a15
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b15
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$171,249Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Financial & Admin
$161,690Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Communications
$133,986Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Manager, Gifts and Partnerships
$116,202Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Trail Operations
$110,598Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Liz Bergeron$174,966$162,986
Megan Wargo$171,249$150,492$148,394$149,291$122,265$114,301
Teresa Raichart$161,690$149,695$148,394$145,090$130,478$112,429
Chris Rylee$133,986$133,986$133,314$110,094
Angie Williamson$116,202$114,009$115,310$110,306$104,827$100,084
Justin Kooyman$110,598$107,042
Jennifer Tripp$104,146$109,310$100,971
Mark Waters$101,800

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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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $3.7M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2025.
01

Trail Maintenance

Each year the pcta brings together agency partners and volunteers with shared values and serves as a liason between people and public lands. Volunteers and corps crew members perform the hard, physical labor of performing annual and deferred maintenance and reconstruction on the PCT, giving hikers and horseback riders the opportunity to…

$2.4Mprogram expense
02

Trail Promotion and Education

Through our print and electronic publications and personal outreach,- we promote the pacific crest trail as a recreation space for everyone- promote safe and responsible use of the trail by educating trail users in leave no trace principles, as well as informing trail users about trail closures and the impacts from wildfire- mobilize…

$930Kprogram expense
03

Trail and Land Management and Protection

In 2025, the pacific crest trail association (pcta) partnered with land trusts and federal agencies to evaluate acquisition opportunities from private owners that own land including or adjacent to the PCT. The pcta worked with partners on the acquisition of 3,325 acres of forestland in the castle crags and trinity alps wildernesses.

$408Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$3.1M · 55%
Program service revenue$2.4M · 42%
Investment income$149K · 3%
Contributions & grants55%$3.1M
Program service revenue42%$2.4M
Investment income3%$149K
Other revenue$27K
— government grantsLn 1e$114K
Total revenueLn 12$5.6M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.70 Management & general $0.10 Fundraising $0.20
Program services70%$3.7M
Management & general10%$522K
Fundraising20%$1.1M
Total functional expensesLn 25$5.3M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$359K
Total assetsLn 16$7.0M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$1.5M
Total net assetsLn 32$5.5M
Months of cash on handcomputed0.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2025 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $5.3M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $5.3M · Less non-cash grants $127K · Cash operating expenses/yr $5.2M
12.3 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $3.7M · Total expenses $5.3M
70%
Management & General
Management & general $522K · Total expenses $5.3M
10%
Fundraising
Fundraising $1.1M · Total expenses $5.3M
20%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $1.1M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $2.9M
$0.38 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $3.1M · Total revenue $5.6M
55%
Government reliance
Government grants $114K · Total revenue $5.6M
2%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $2.4M · Total revenue $5.6M
42%
Investment reliance
Investment income $149K · Total revenue $5.6M
+3%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $2.4M · Total expenses $5.3M
44%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $5.6M · Prior year $5.3M
+7%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $3.7M · FY2025 $5.6M
+9%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $5.5M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $5.6M · Expenses $5.3M
+5%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $7.0M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $5.5M · Total assets $7.0M
79%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $5.0M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $7.0M
71%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Megan Wargo · Reported title CEO · Highest reported compensation $171K · Total expenses $5.3M
3%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $3.3M · Total expenses $5.3M
62%
Fundraising vendors
Fundraiser cost ratio
Paid to fundraisers $50K · Gross raised $766K
7%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 70%
Overhead ratio 10%
Fundraising cost ratio 34%
Revenue growth 7%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$7K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 20 grants · $1.3M · 2020–2025
William S Hart Union Hs DistrictFY2025$11,783
Siskiyou Mountain ClubOR · FY2024$50,000
Southern California Mountains FoundationFY2024$33,774
William S Hart Union Hs DistrictFY2024$11,970
Truckee Trails FoundationCA · FY2024$8,629
William S Hart Union Hs DistrictFY2023$11,633
State of Washington Department of EcologyFY2022$12,619
William S Hart Union Hs DistrictFY2022$6,677
Northwest Youth CorpsOR · FY2021$115,135
State of Washington Department of EcologyFY2021$42,390
See all 20 grants →

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2025 (Latest)$5.6M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2024$5.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$5.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$5.2M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$4.8M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$3.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2025IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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