We inspire people to protect wild places through images and stories that change perspectives, western north america's public lands are under threat. Using the power of beautiful images, we publish photography books and create multimedia advocacy campaigns to draw attention to these critical ecosystems. We work in concert with conservation photographers, writers, grassroots organizations and indigenous communities to build greater public awareness and turn awe into action.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
88¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $63K a year · 11% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
88%
of spending
Looks good: 88% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
10 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 9.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$800K
91% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 91% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$275K
+16% vs prior year
Spent
$260K
To programs
88%
Net assets
$81K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$275K
FY2021▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$237K
FY2021$275K
FY2022$710K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$457K
FY2025$502K
Expenses
$260K
FY2021▲ +16%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$225K
FY2021$260K
FY2022$313K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$484K
FY2025$577K
Net assets
$81K
FY2021▲ +22%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$66K
FY2021$81K
FY2022$477K
FY2023$533K
FY2024$506K
FY2025$445K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending September 2021) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Jul 2008.

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

Where the money goes

88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 88% · $228K Management & general 12% · $31K Fundraising 0% · $897

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

8 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Dir.
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member at Large
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Helen Cherullo’s $124K as Executive Director is at the 91st 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2023FY2022
Helen Cherullo$124,261$122,338

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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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Protects orcas, develops films, and educates about the Arctic Refuge's importance.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $228K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Orca-Lynda Mapes

Development of a book and impact program called ORCA: Shared Waters, Shared Home designed to educate and promote advocacy to protect the critically endangered Southern Resident Orca Whales of the Salish Sea and the Chinook Salmon, their main source of food.

$228Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$275K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$275K
Other incomeLn 4–11$103
Money outPt IX
$260K
Ln 25
Programscol B$228K
Managementcol C$31K
Fundraisingcol D$897
Owns and owesPt X
$81K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$211K
Total assetsLn 16$881K
LiabilitiesLn 26$800K
PeoplePt VI, VII
8
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$275K
Other incomeLn 4–11$103
Gains on assetsLn 7$0
Total revenueLn 12$275K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$211K
SavingsLn 2$0
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$211K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$881K
LiabilitiesLn 26$800K
Net assetsLn 32$81K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 618
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$197K$211K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$866K$881K
LiabilitiesLn 26$800K$800K
Net assetsLn 32$66K$81K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$0
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$0
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$735$451$284
Office expensesLn 13$432$432
Information technologyLn 14$4K$139$4K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$0
TravelLn 17$1K$1K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$200$12$188
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$198K$180K$18K
All other expensesLn 24e$51K$46K$4K$897
Total functional expensesLn 25$260K$228K$31K$897

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $502K$577K−$75K$445K 990 PDF
FY2024 $457K$484K−$26K$506K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1M$1.1M$56K$533K 990 PDF
FY2022 $710K$313K$397K$477K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $275K$260K$15K$81K 990 PDF
FY2020 $237K$225K$12K$66K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $274,649 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $235,765$274,546
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $733$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $440$103
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $236,938$274,649
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefits$0
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $224,809$260,090
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $224,809$260,090
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $12,129$14,559
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $274,649 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$274,546
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$274,546
VIII-3 Investment income$0
VIII-5 Royalties$0
VIII-6 Net rental income or loss$0
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assets$0
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $103$103
VIII-12 Total revenueExcluded from tax $103$274,649
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $260,090 across 31 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizations$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staff$0
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wages$0
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxes$0
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,100$2,100
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $451 · Management $284$735
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $432$432
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $139 · Management $3,618$3,757
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 Occupancy$0
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,305$1,305
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $12 · Management $188$200
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,376$2,376
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $180,211 · Management $18,000$198,211
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $45,821 · Management $4,256 · Fundraising $897$50,974
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $227,939 · Management $31,254 · Fundraising $897$260,090
Part X · Balance sheet $880,695 assets, 19 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $196,656$211,215
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $15,875$15,875
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $653,605$653,605
X-15 Other assets$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $866,136$880,695
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $800,000$800,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $800,000$800,000
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$25,313$8,855
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $91,449$71,840
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $66,136$80,695
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $866,136$880,695
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $80,695 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$274,649
XI-2 Total expenses$260,090
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$14,559
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$66,136
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$80,695

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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