Openlands EIN 36-2649603

Openlands

EIN  36-2649603 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Chicago, IL Founded 1963
Form 990 (PDF) Compare with another nonprofit →
Verified accurate 8/12/26 · see original filing: IRS
Is this your organization?
Claim this profile to manage it and share your story.
Claim
Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Openlands claims this page.

Know this organization? Claim it to add your story

Size
$10–100M
What they do
Protects and restores natural areas, open spaces, and wildlife habitats across northeastern Illinois to ensure clean air, clean water, and accessible nature for everyone.
Leadership
Michael Davidson · President and CEO · $233K
Money in and out
$11.5M revenue, $7.7M expenses
Bottom line
74% program efficiency

Protects and restores natural areas, open spaces, and wildlife habitats across northeastern Illinois to ensure clean air, clean water, and accessible nature for everyone. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $11.5M in revenue, $7.7M in expenses, and $41.0M in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$11.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$7.7M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$41.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): $3.8M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.74 Management & general $0.18 Fundraising $0.08
Program efficiency
74%
of spending reaches programs▼ -11% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
50.9mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▲ +83% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
+33%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +207% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$11.5M
FY2024▲ +11%
Expenses
$7.7M
FY2024▼ -17%
Total assets
$43.3M
FY2024▲ +12%
Total liabilities
$2.3M
FY2024▼ -15%
Total revenue
$11.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$7.7M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$41.0M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19$3.8M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$43.3M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B74%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 329
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 429
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

3 program services account for $4.8M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Forestry and Community Engagement

Openlands Forestry programming supports the planting of trees with community residents on public land and educates residents in the care and advocacy around the urban forest. In FY 25, Openlands planted 1,3158 trees.

$2.2Mprogram expense
02

Restoration and Greenways

Openlands works to return the Chicago Region to a healthy state for nature, wildlife, and people. We work with diverse partners to accomplish ecological restoration goals that ensure resilient and biodiverse ecosystems for years to come.In 2025: we continued phase 1 of a 1,500 acre grassland bird restoration project in the Grant Creek…

$1.3Mprogram expense
03

Land Preservation

As Chicago's regional land trust, Openlands connects and energizes the region through strategic collaboration and local partnerships that protect land, water, and wildlife. In 2025, Openlands acquired and transferred land holdings to regional partners in and around the metro Chicago area.

$1.3Mprogram expense

Run this program? Claim this org to tell your story

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item COpenlands
EINHdr · item D36-2649603
Principal addressHdr · item CChicago, IL
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.openlands.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1963
State of legal domicileHdr · item MIL
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFNonprofit
Ruling yearIRS BMFJul 1968

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a29
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b29
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
President and CEO
$232,538Pt VII · Sec A
$157,829Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Policy and Land Preservation
$133,027Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance
$111,476Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Development
$100,865Pt 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

NameFY2024FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Michael Davidson$232,538
Gerald Adlemann$232,020
Gerald Adlemann Thru 111323$220,139
Gerald W Adelmann$217,852$213,212$208,197
Robert Megquier$167,826$163,942$158,923
Daniella Pereira$157,829
Nora Hennessey$143,139$129,561
Diane Sotiros$140,507$120,477$121,988$124,241

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 Openlands executive salaries →

Are you one of these people? Claim this org to confirm your role

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$10.6M · 92%
Investment income$863K · 8%
Program service revenue$150K · 1%
Contributions & grants92%$10.6M
Investment income8%$863K
Program service revenue1%$150K
— government grantsLn 1e$1.9M
Total revenueLn 12$11.5M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.74 Management & general $0.18 Fundraising $0.08
Program services74%$5.7M
Management & general18%$1.4M
Fundraising8%$623K
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.7M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$15.9M
Total assetsLn 16$43.3M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$2.3M
Total net assetsLn 32$41.0M
Months of cash on handcomputed24.8

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $28.1M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $7.7M · Less non-cash grants $1.0M · Cash operating expenses/yr $6.6M
50.9 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $5.7M · Total expenses $7.7M
74%
Management & General
Management & general $1.4M · Total expenses $7.7M
18%
Fundraising
Fundraising $623K · Total expenses $7.7M
8%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $656K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $8.1M
$0.08 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $10.6M · Total revenue $11.5M
92%
Government reliance
Government grants $1.9M · Total revenue $11.5M
16%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $150K · Total revenue $11.5M
1%
Investment reliance
Investment income $863K · Total revenue $11.5M
+8%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $150K · Total expenses $7.7M
2%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $11.5M · Prior year $10.3M
+11%
Revenue CAGR
FY2019 $7.1M · FY2024 $11.5M
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $41.0M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $11.5M · Expenses $7.7M
+33%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $43.3M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $41.0M · Total assets $43.3M
95%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $12.3M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $43.3M
28%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Michael Davidson · Reported title President and CEO · Highest reported compensation $233K · Total expenses $7.7M
3%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $4.0M · Total expenses $7.7M
52%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 74%
Overhead ratio 18%
Fundraising cost ratio 6%
Revenue growth 11%

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$58K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 122 grants · $2.7M · 2019–2024
The Wetlands InitiativeIL · FY2024$165,341
Forest Preserve District of Dupage CountyFY2024$10,000
Kendall County Forest Preserve DistrictFY2024$10,000
NeighborspaceIL · FY2024$10,000
Conservation FoundationIL · FY2024$10,000
Dekalb County Regional Office of EducationFY2024$10,000
Origin Woods RestorationIL · FY2024$10,000
North Chicago Community Unit School District 187FY2024$9,850
Gray School PTOIL · FY2024$9,647
Climate Action EvanstonIL · FY2024$9,300
Chicago Park DistrictFY2024$8,265
Latinos ProgresandoIL · FY2024$7,683
Just RootsIL · FY2024$5,102
Peace VillageIL · FY2024$5,000
City of HarvardFY2024$4,750
See all 122 grants →

Similar Organizations

Closest in mission — by what they do
See all organizations like Openlands →

Compare

Search another nonprofit to view revenue, expenses, assets, key metrics, and leaders side by side

Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024$10.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$8.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$8.5M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$9.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$7.1M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

Want to add your own materials alongside these filings? Claim this org

Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
Names, privacy, and removal requests More

The names, titles, and compensation shown on this page are reproduced from IRS Form 990 filings, which are public records.

Philanthropy.org does not alter the content of those filings. All information appears exactly as reported by the filing organization for the tax year shown.

We publish only information contained in the public IRS filing — and less than the filing contains. Our profile pages do not display street addresses, telephone numbers, personal email addresses, or other personal contact information, even where the filing includes them.

Many people share the same name. A name shown on this page reflects only what one organization reported in one IRS filing for one tax year. It should not be interpreted as identifying any other individual with the same or a similar name.

If you are no longer affiliated with the organization, your name will generally stop appearing in future IRS filings once the organization no longer reports you. Pages for tax years in which you were reported remain published because those filings remain part of the public record.

Philanthropy.org does not alter or remove IRS filing records. Removing a page from this website would not remove the underlying IRS filing, which remains publicly available from the IRS and other publishers of the same information.

If you believe the IRS filing itself is inaccurate, corrections must be made by the filing organization or the IRS directly.

If you ARE the filing organization, claim this org and add context

Made it to the end? Claim this organization

All figures are derived from public IRS Form 990 filings and are presented without evaluation of any organization. philanthropy.org does not rate, score, or rank organizations, including the peer-cohort and compensation comparisons above.