Upstate Forever EIN 57-1070433 Form 990 (PDF) Claim this org

Upstate Forever FY2022 filing

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Protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina. For fiscal year 2022 it reported $2.5M in revenue, $2.7M in expenses, and $7.4M in net assets.Pt I

Type
Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Environment
Location
Greenville, SC
Website
www.upstateforever.org
Filings
5 on file (2020–2022)
Revenue
$2.5MFY2022
Expenses
$2.7M
Net assets
$7.4M
People
18
Filings
5
Updates
0
More identity details & actions ⌄
EIN  57-1070433 Public charity (501(c)(3)) Greenville, SC
Form 990 (PDF)
You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →
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Figures match the IRS filing checked 8/26/26 · see original: IRS
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Size
$1–10M
What they do
Protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina.
Leadership
Andrea Cooper · Executive Di · $123K
Money in and out
$2.5M revenue, $2.7M expenses
Bottom line
75% program efficiency
Where the money goes · FY2022
Total revenue
$2.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$2.7M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$7.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$196K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.75 Management & general $0.07 Fundraising $0.18
Program efficiency
75%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
36.6mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
-8%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2022 · Form 990
Revenue
$2.5M
FY2022▲ +33%
Expenses
$2.7M
FY2022▲ +24%
Total assets
$7.5M
FY2022▼ -16%
Total liabilities
$81K
FY2022▲ +14%
Total revenue
$2.5M
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$2.7M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$7.4M
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$196K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$7.5M
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B75%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 316
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 416

Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CUpstate Forever
EINHdr · item D57-1070433
Principal addressHdr · item CGreenville, SC
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.upstateforever.org
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MSC
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFEnvironment (C013)
Ruling yearIRS BMFDec 1998

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a16
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b16
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
Executive Di
$123,419Pt VII · Sec A
Financial Di
$89,005Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Aldon Knight’s $134K as Executive Di is at the 55th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1845 $1–10M 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Aldon Knight$133,765$124,545
Andrea Cooper$39,591$128,401$123,419$115,000$94,231
Lisa Hallo$102,875
Joy Dickerson$96,538$91,513$89,005

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 $1.4M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
01

The upstate forever land conservation program is accredited by the land trust accreditation commission and has protected 30,169 acres thorugh 150 conservation easements in the upstate of south carolina. 25% of the easements provide public access and 29% are working farms.

$758Kprogram expense
02

In 2022, the clean water program collaborated with drinking water utilities in pickens and anderson counties in south carolina to develop a source water protection plan in the twelvemile creek watershed.

$405Kprogram expense
03

Land Planning and Policy

In 2022 land planning and policy staff engaged with local elected and appointed officials and government staff on issues related to smarter land development. They also participated in education and advocacy efforts with transit and housing advocates, facilitated a citizens planning academy to educate citizens, hosted an advocacy training…

$240Kprogram expense

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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$2.3M · 93%
Investment income$144K · 6%
Program service revenue$22K · 1%
Contributions & grants93%$2.3M
Investment income6%$144K
Program service revenue1%$22K
— government grantsLn 1e$494K
Total revenueLn 12$2.5M

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.75 Management & general $0.07 Fundraising $0.18
Program services75%$2.0M
Management & general7%$180K
Fundraising18%$487K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.7M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$562K
Total assetsLn 16$7.5M
Total liabilitiesLn 26$81K
Total net assetsLn 32$7.4M
Months of cash on handcomputed2.5

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2022 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $6.3M · Operating expenses (Pt IX) $2.7M · Less non-cash grants $614K · Cash operating expenses/yr $2.1M
36.6 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $2.0M · Total expenses $2.7M
75%
Management & General
Management & general $180K · Total expenses $2.7M
7%
Fundraising
Fundraising $487K · Total expenses $2.7M
18%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $353K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.5M
$0.23 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $2.3M · Total revenue $2.5M
93%
Government reliance
Government grants $494K · Total revenue $2.5M
20%
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $22K · Total revenue $2.5M
0.9%
Investment reliance
Investment income $144K · Total revenue $2.5M
+6%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $22K · Total expenses $2.7M
0.8%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $2.5M · Prior year $1.9M
+33%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $7.4M · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $2.5M · Expenses $2.7M
-8%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $7.5M
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $7.4M · Total assets $7.5M
99%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) $5.7M · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $42K · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $7.5M
77%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Andrea Cooper · Reported title EXECUTIVE DI · Highest reported compensation $123K · Total expenses $2.7M
5%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $1.8M · Total expenses $2.7M
68%
Peer comparison

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

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 75%
Overhead ratio 7%
Fundraising cost ratio 21%
Revenue growth 33%
Investment management fee ratio 0.6%

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 4 funders$112K
See all 4 funders →
Grants paid · 18 grants · $1.5M · 2023–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$714,100
The King Family TrustFY2024$245,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$80,400
McTimber Properties LLCFY2024$65,000
The Nature ConservancyVA · FY2024$50,000
Conserving CarolinaNC · FY2024$50,000
SpaceSC · FY2024$39,840
McTimber Properties LLCFY2024$24,200
Naturaland TrustSC · FY2024$18,440
SpaceSC · FY2024$15,000
Upper Savannah Land TrustSC · FY2024$10,000
The King Family TrustFY2024$9,000
Unitemized GrantFY2023$92,000
Naturaland TrustSC · FY2023$30,000
Hlc PropertiesFY2023$25,000
The Happy Berry LLCFY2023$23,000
Upper Savannah Land TrustSC · FY2023$10,000

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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)$4.0M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$4.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$2.5M revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$1.9M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$1.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2022IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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