Working to restore the watersheds, Wilderness, and wildlife in the high sierra nevada following the john muir trail (est. 1915) for all life in california.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
85¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 18 volunteers and 36 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $151K a year · 6% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
85%
of spending
Looks good: 85% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$378K
to officers and key staff · 9% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 9% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
14 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$4.6M
86% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 86% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
10
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 10 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.9M
+29% vs prior year
Spent
$4.4M
To programs
85%
Net assets
$757K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$4.9M
FY2025▲ +29%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$1.1M
FY2022$967K
FY2023$2.2M
FY2024$3.8M
FY2025$4.9M
Expenses
$4.4M
FY2025▲ +27%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$772K
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$2.3M
FY2024$3.5M
FY2025$4.4M
Net assets
$757K
FY2025▲ +148%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$354K
FY2022$128K
FY2023$23K
FY2024$306K
FY2025$757K

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending September 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Nov 2020.

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

Where the money goes

85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 85% · $3.8M Management & general 12% · $513K Fundraising 3% · $132K

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

14 people listed on the 990; $378K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
President & Chair of the Board
$200,210Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Programs & Operations
$118,150Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Finance & Accounting
$59,377Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Marla Stark’s $200K as President & Chair of the Board is at the 84th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1851 $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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
Marla Stark$200,210$192,436$49,230—
Spencer Collom$118,150———
Toby Suckow——$112,846$106,500
Sara Barnes$59,377———

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 The Jmt Wilderness Conservancy executive salaries →

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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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Protects wilderness, wildlife, and waters along the John Muir Trail.

Questions for The Jmt Wilderness Conservancy

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $3.8M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The mission of the JMT wilderness conservancy is to expand and restore the meadow ecosystems and riparian corridors of the central sierra nevada encompassed by the historic john muir trail, the first and oldest recreational trail in america.

$3.8Mprogram 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$5K

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.9M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.8M
Investment incomeLn 3$116K
Money outPt IX
$4.4M
Ln 25
Programscol B$3.8M
Managementcol C$513K
Fundraisingcol D$132K
Owns and owesPt X
$757K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$5.1M
Total assetsLn 16$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.6M
PeoplePt VI, VII
14
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b10
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.8M
Government grantsLn 1e$4.4M
Investment incomeLn 3$116K
Total revenueLn 12$4.9M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$375K
SavingsLn 2$4.7M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$5.1M
Other assetsLn 15$254K
Total assetsLn 16$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.6M
Net assetsLn 32$757K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 536
VolunteersI 618
Fiscal year endsHeaderSeptember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$3.0M$5.1M
Total assetsLn 16$3.1M$5.4M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.8M$4.6M
Net assetsLn 32$306K$757K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$378K$293K$64K$21K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$155K$155K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$1.0M$780K$200K$67K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$107K$80K$20K$7K
Payroll taxesLn 10$322K$250K$54K$18K
Legal feesLn 11b$420$420
Accounting feesLn 11c$39K$39K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$1.9M$1.9M$3K
Office expensesLn 13$47K$8K$38K$1K
OccupancyLn 16$197K$188K$9K
TravelLn 17$66K$51K$15K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$5K$4K$1K
InsuranceLn 23$9K$9K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$167K$96K$55K$17K
All other expensesLn 24e$6K$994$5K$139
Total functional expensesLn 25$4.4M$3.8M$513K$132K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $4.9M$4.4M$451K$757K 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.8M$3.5M$283K$306K 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.2M$2.3M−$105K$23K 990 PDF
FY2022 $967K$1.2M−$226K$128K 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.1M$772K$354K$354K 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 J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,877,386 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $3,659,974$4,761,352
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $120,755$116,034
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $3,780,729$4,877,386
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,289,805$2,010,677
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,208,199$2,415,597
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $3,498,004$4,426,274
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $282,725$451,112
Part VI · Governance 10 of 12 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members10
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $4,877,386 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$4,396,185
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$365,167
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,761,352
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $116,034$116,034
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $116,034$4,877,386
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $4,426,274 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $293,206 · Management $63,829 · Fundraising $21,453$378,488
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $155,178$155,178
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $779,520 · Management $200,451 · Fundraising $67,373$1,047,344
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $79,926 · Management $20,425 · Fundraising $6,865$107,216
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $249,795 · Management $54,379 · Fundraising $18,277$322,451
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $420$420
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $38,955$38,955
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $1,876,634 · Management $2,750$1,879,384
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $7,530 · Management $37,955 · Fundraising $1,051$46,536
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $188,397 · Management $8,849$197,246
IX-17 TravelPrograms $50,855 · Management $14,787$65,642
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $4,087 · Management $1,188$5,275
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $9,042$9,042
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $95,520 · Management $54,531 · Fundraising $16,902$166,953
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $994 · Management $5,011 · Fundraising $139$6,144
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $3,781,642 · Management $512,572 · Fundraising $132,060$4,426,274
Part X · Balance sheet $5,357,225 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $376,727$375,126
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $2,583,254$4,719,783
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $8,010$7,825
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $176,646$254,491
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $3,144,637$5,357,225
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $619,888$327,706
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $2,037,531$4,012,192
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $181,567$260,564
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,838,986$4,600,462
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $305,651$756,763
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $305,651$756,763
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $3,144,637$5,357,225
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $756,763 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,877,386
XI-2 Total expenses$4,426,274
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$451,112
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$305,651
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$756,763

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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