501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
84¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$1.2M paid to officers and key staff.
Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · 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
0 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $20.2M a year · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
84%
of spending
Looks good: 84% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$1.2M
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $110.6M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 3.9 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $50K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$13.0M
Spent
$20.8M
To programs
84%
Net assets
$121.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$13.0M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$13.0M
FY2021$21.3M
FY2022−$15.4M
FY2023−$55.6M
FY2024$3.0M
FY2025$877K
Expenses
$20.8M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$20.8M
FY2021$43.1M
FY2022$9.2M
FY2023$5.7M
FY2024$5.5M
FY2025$4.3M
Net assets
$121.9M
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$121.9M
FY2021$100.1M
FY2022$75.4M
FY2023$14.2M
FY2024$11.6M
FY2025$8.2M

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 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 Nov 2000.

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

Where the money goes

84 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 84% · $17.4M Management & general 13% · $2.6M Fundraising 4% · $745K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $1.2M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Secretary/Treasurer
$325,000Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$297,513Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Director
$285,788Pt VII · Sec A
Director of Development
$117,538Pt VII · Sec A
Chief of Staff
$102,846Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$71,039Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Debra B Ryker’s $376K as Secretary/Treasurer/Vice President is at the 100th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1989 $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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Debra B Ryker$376,420$447,067$579,388$572,728$317,431$325,000
Mark Burget————$453,641$285,788
Esther Li$326,007$317,260$309,240$289,109$294,409$297,513
Luis Solorzano————$182,303—
Timothy Mack———$181,110$149,902—
Gwen Obermeyer————$163,595$117,538
Carolyn McCarthy$153,673$149,551$145,288$118,371——
Nicole Perman$109,921$149,551$145,108$127,635$110,163$102,846

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

Programs and updates

Protects and restores wildlands and biodiversity in Chile and Argentina by creating national parks.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $17.4M · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

See schedule oalong with protecting habitat, tompkins conservation supports the rewilding programs in chile and argentina that are helping diminished wildlife populations return to abundance, and reintroducing missing native species to reassemble whole and healthy natural communities.

$16.4Mprogram expense
02

See schedule otompkins conservation continues to support the expansion of protected areas on land and sea. Grants were made to support the land purchases that are key to the rewilding program in argentina and chile.

$613Kprogram expense
03

See schedule odistribution of books as tools to educate the general public on various environmental issues and to educate the general public on the creation of national parks as a way to preserve ecosystems and a recovery process of threatened species.

$335Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$50K
Grants paid · 17 grants · $29.0M · 2020–2025
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2025$1,486,906
RewildTX · FY2025$470,000
Bears Ears PartnershipUT · FY2025$10,000
RewildTX · FY2024$2,470,845
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2024$150,000
Earth Island Institute INCCA · FY2024$10,000
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2023$2,266,391
RewildTX · FY2023$857,876
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2022$100,354
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2021$14,198,664
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2020$6,306,676
Marin Community FoundationCA · FY2020$50,000
Northeast Wilderness TrustVT · FY2020$12,000
Earth Island Institute INCCA · FY2020$8,500

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$13.0M
Ln 12
Investment incomeLn 3$7.9M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M
Other incomeLn 4–11$251
Money outPt IX
$20.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$17.4M
Managementcol C$2.6M
Fundraisingcol D$745K
Owns and owesPt X
$121.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$6.8M
Total assetsLn 16$121.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A6
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.1M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$2.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$7.9M
Other incomeLn 4–11$251
Gains on assetsLn 7$7.6M
Total revenueLn 12$13.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$501
SavingsLn 2$6.8M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$6.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$110.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$480K
Other assetsLn 15$4.0M
Total assetsLn 16$121.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$121.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 58
VolunteersI 69
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$10.7M$6.8M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$164.0M$110.6M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$571K$480K
Total assetsLn 16$184.2M$121.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$184.2M$121.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$6.4M$6.4M
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$10.4M$10.4M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$673K$673K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$946K$98K$361K$487K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$410K$65K$275K$70K
Payroll taxesLn 10$92K$9K$54K$29K
Legal feesLn 11b$215K$83K$111K$20K
Accounting feesLn 11c$80K$80K
Investment management feesLn 11f$177K$177K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$22K$22K
Office expensesLn 13$25K$2K$16K$7K
OccupancyLn 16$145K$141K$4K
TravelLn 17$26K$98$11K$15K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$123K$100K$7K$15K
InsuranceLn 23$41K$41K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$969K$268K$651K$49K
All other expensesLn 24e$43K$144$16K$27K
Total functional expensesLn 25$20.8M$17.4M$2.6M$745K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $877K$4.3M−$3.4M$8.2M 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.0M$5.5M−$2.5M$11.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 −$55.6M$5.7M−$61.3M$14.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 −$15.4M$9.2M−$24.6M$75.4M 990 PDF
FY2021 $21.3M$43.1M−$21.8M$100.1M 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $13.0M$20.8M−$7.8M$121.9M 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 F · Foreign M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $12,984,019 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $12,838,924$5,077,352
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $3,241,994$7,906,416
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $62,089$251
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $16,143,007$12,984,019
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $12,771,114$16,767,195
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $1,152,611$2,120,109
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,303,928$1,864,009
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $15,227,653$20,751,313
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $915,354−$7,767,294
Part VI · Governance 7 of 9 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $12,984,019 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,077,352
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$2,167,706
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,077,352
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $293,611$293,611
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $7,612,805$7,612,805
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $251$251
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $7,906,667$12,984,019
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $20,751,313 across 17 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $6,377,876$6,377,876
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $10,389,319$10,389,319
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $672,766$672,766
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $97,962 · Management $360,653 · Fundraising $486,930$945,545
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $65,216 · Management $274,648 · Fundraising $69,945$409,809
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $8,574 · Management $54,185 · Fundraising $29,230$91,989
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $83,144 · Management $111,291 · Fundraising $20,254$214,689
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $79,831$79,831
IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $176,646$176,646
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $21,858$21,858
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,097 · Management $16,352 · Fundraising $6,781$25,230
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $140,548 · Fundraising $4,050$144,598
IX-17 TravelPrograms $98 · Management $10,926 · Fundraising $14,744$25,768
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $100,428 · Management $6,787 · Fundraising $15,446$122,661
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $40,982$40,982
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $268,250 · Management $650,890 · Fundraising $49,399$968,539
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $144 · Management $16,474 · Fundraising $26,589$43,207
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $17,393,108 · Management $2,612,979 · Fundraising $745,226$20,751,313
Part X · Balance sheet $121,917,870 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $576$501
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $10,695,454$6,754,659
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $570,504$479,924
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $0$20,063,567
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $31,931,967$10,908,405
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $132,099,049$79,641,694
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $42,522$19,959
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $8,872,646$4,049,161
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $184,212,718$121,917,870
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $182,075,390$115,228,919
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,137,328$6,688,951
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $184,212,718$121,917,870
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $184,212,718$121,917,870
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $121,917,870 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$12,984,019
XI-2 Total expenses$20,751,313
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$7,767,294
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$184,212,718
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$54,527,554
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$121,917,870

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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