American Forest Foundation EIN 52-1235124

American Forest Foundation

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Empowers family forest owners to practice sustainable management and access carbon markets, protecting forest health while fighting climate change. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $20.3M in revenue, $31.3M in expenses, and $133.5M in net assets.Pt I

Founded
1981
Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Environment
Location
Washington, DC
Website
www.forestfoundation.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2024)
Revenue
$20.3MFY2024
Expenses
$31.3M
Net assets
$133.5M
People
21
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  52-1235124 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Washington, DC Founded 1981
Form 990 (PDF)
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/10/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$10–100M
What they do
Empowers family forest owners to practice sustainable management and access carbon markets, protecting forest health while fighting climate change.
Leadership
Rita Hite · President and CEO · $374K
Money in and out
$20.3M revenue, $31.3M expenses
Bottom line
84% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$20.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$31.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$133.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$11.1M
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.84 Management & general $0.12 Fundraising $0.03
Program efficiency
84%
of spending reaches programs▲ +2% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
57.1mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -11% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-55%
revenue over expenses, this year▲ +64% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$20.3M
FY2024▲ +80%
Expenses
$31.3M
FY2024▲ +10%
Total assets
$157.8M
FY2024▼ -0.9%
Total liabilities
$24.3M
FY2024▲ +12%
Total revenue
$20.3M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$31.3M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$133.5M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$11.1M
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$157.8M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B84%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 311
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 411
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

2 program services account for $26.4M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Carbon

Harnessing the power of family forests as a critical element in the fight against climate change, aff continues its work to unleash the potential for family forest owners to achieve their goals while making important environmental and economic contributions.

$18.9Mprogram expense
02

Woodlands

Leveraging over 80 years of working with family forest owners to care for their land, the american forest foundation's (aff) woodlands portfolio spans various programmatic efforts to increase the amount of family forests under sustainable active management.

$7.5Mprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CAmerican Forest Foundation
EINHdr · item D52-1235124
Principal addressHdr · item CWashington, DC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.forestfoundation.org
Year of formationHdr · item L1981
State of legal domicileHdr · item MDC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEnvironment (C36Z)
Ruling yearIRS BMFApr 1994

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a11
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b11
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
$374,031Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President Finance & Operations
$286,262Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President Climate Funding
$258,962Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
$258,785Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President, Carbon Origination
$227,918Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Staff and Culture
$175,569Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President of People and Culture
$170,631Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Director, Strategic Finance
$170,237Pt VII · Sec A

Rita Hite’s $374K as President and CEO is at the 78th percentile of top reported officer pay among 324 $10–100M 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rita Hite$374,031$349,863$339,288$279,876$245,571
Thomas D Martin$346,148$362,121
Jill Harris$286,262$278,222$83,363
Nathan Truitt$258,962$255,678$221,074$176,982$174,754
Glynnis Breen$258,785$218,634$216,982
Chrstine Cadigan-Benonis$227,918$233,221$153,734
Valerie Craig$185,835$225,788
Michael Reed$196,667$211,467

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$15.3M · 76%
Investment income$4.8M · 24%
Program service revenue$141K · 1%
Contributions & grants76%$15.3M
Investment income24%$4.8M
Program service revenue1%$141K
Other revenue$15K
— government grantsLn 1e$9.3M
Total revenueLn 12$20.3M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.84 Management & general $0.12 Fundraising $0.03
Program services84%$26.4M
Management & general12%$3.9M
Fundraising3%$1.0M
Total functional expensesLn 25$31.3M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$2.9M
Total assetsLn 16$157.8M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$24.3M
Total net assetsLn 32$133.5M
Months of cash on handcomputed1.1

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $149.2M · Operating expenses/yr $31.3M
57.1 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $26.4M · Total expenses $31.3M
84%
Management & General
Management & general $3.9M · Total expenses $31.3M
12%
Fundraising
Fundraising $1.0M · Total expenses $31.3M
3%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $1.0M · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $7.9M
$0.13 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $15.3M · Total revenue $20.3M
76%
Government reliance
Government grants $9.3M · Total revenue $20.3M
46%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $141K · Total revenue $20.3M
0.7%
Investment reliance
Investment income $4.8M · Total revenue $20.3M
+24%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $141K · Total expenses $31.3M
0.4%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $20.3M · Prior year $11.3M
+80%
Revenue CAGR
FY2020 $11.4M · FY2024 $20.3M
+15%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $133.5M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $20.3M · Expenses $31.3M
-55%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $157.8M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $133.5M · Total assets $157.8M
85%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $145.1M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $1.1M · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $157.8M
93%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Rita Hite · Reported title PRESIDENT AND CEO · Highest reported compensation $374K · Total expenses $31.3M
1%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $12.6M · Total expenses $31.3M
40%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 84%
Overhead ratio 12%
Fundraising cost ratio 7%
Revenue growth 80%
Investment management fee ratio 0.3%
Legal fee ratio 3%
Accounting fee ratio 0.2%

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 1 funder$1K
Grants paid · 273 grants · $20.3M · 2020–2024
The Nature ConservancyVA · FY2024$457,942
Trustees of Purdue UniversityIN · FY2024$402,720
Uapb Small Farm ProgramFY2024$203,186
University of Arkansas - PineFY2024$146,682
Meridian InstitutePA · FY2024$59,911
Wallowa Resources INCOR · FY2024$43,328
Vibrant Planet Pbc DBA Vibrant Planet INCFY2024$40,306
Alabama Forestry FoundationAL · FY2024$37,427
University of ConnecticutFY2024$34,140
Michigan Dnrfisheries DivFY2024$30,633
State Tree Farm Committee-ArAR · FY2024$22,251
State Tree Farm Committee-TxTX · FY2024$21,526
See all 273 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
FY2024 (Latest)$20.3M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$11.3M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$11.7M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$70.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$11.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

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