Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
76% goes to programs $21 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 1985, with $50,715,154 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 76% of spending to programs.
Building 201 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA, 94123 EIN 94-2781708 Since 1985
Revenue (FY2023)
$50.7M
▼ 4.1% vs prior year
Environment median: $250K
Expenses (FY2023)
$53.4M
Net assets
$67.2M
Employees
391
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating76% to programs · $21 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: 76% to programs · $21 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating15 mo reserves · -5% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: 15 mo reserves · -5% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Preserve the golden gate national parks, enhance the experiences of park visitors, and build a community dedicated to conserving the parks for the future.
What they do
Park interpretation & visitor services:the parks conservancy operates the alcatraz cellhouse tour, which includes the award-winning alcatraz audio tour, as well as alcatraz night tours and behind the scenes tours. we host over 1.4 million visitors annually on alcatraz island and we are currently developing and building a new alcatraz embarkation plaza at pier 31/33 which will include a cafe and a new interpretive retail and visitor center to open in 2026.we also operate interpretive retail & visitor centers open year-round serving millions of local and out-of-town visitors annually at seven locations throughout the parks: alcatraz island, (cont. on. sch. o) muir woods, fort point, presidio, crissy field warming hut, lands end and golden gate bridge. purchases at our visitor centers help support our programs that sustain our parks.
Youth, volunteer & community programs:the community and youth branch connects people to parks through youth programs, community partnerships, and hands-on experiences across three focus areas: youth programs, community stewardship & engagement, and volunteers & internships.youth programs engaged over 51,000 individuals through park-based education, employment pathways, and leadership development. youth programs department serves young people in educational activities, project based and service learning through a positive youth development approach that builds leadership skills for positive social and environmental change. (cont. on sch. o)volunteer & internship programs connected 7,565 individuals who contributed 71,959 hours of service. we managed 12 internship programs, supporting 179 interns through the park internship experience (pie) initiative.community stewardship & engagement hosted nearly 500 programs with over 10,000 participants. programs ranged from habitat restoration to cultural events, bringing parks to neighborhoods through mobile trailheads and local partnerships. we worked with organizations such as the arab resource & organizing center (aroc), ayudando latinos a soar (alas), and latino outdoors to expand engagement and ensure welcoming experiences for all.through these efforts, we strengthen connections between people and parks, fostering stewardship and lifelong appreciation for public lands
Contact & location
- Address
- Building 201 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA, 94123
- City
- San Francisco
- State
- California
- Category
- Environment
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue declined from $68.5M (FY2013) to $50.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $15.8MNet assets $67.2M
Operating margin
-5.3%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$83.0M
Total liabilities
$15.8M
Net assets
$67.2M
Salaries & benefits
$29.5M
55% of expenses
Board members
24
24 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $50,715,154▼4.1% | $53,419,850▲3.1% | $67,173,039▲2.0% | $82,999,117▲2.6% | 990 |
| 2022 | $52,899,906▼6.6% | $51,821,463▼27.4% | $65,865,167▲5.9% | $80,881,908▲4.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $56,658,618▲80.0% | $71,421,971▲1.1% | $62,223,880▼21.5% | $77,503,578▼22.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $31,469,988▼48.3% | $70,618,352▲18.4% | $79,315,747▼29.6% | $100,027,475▼25.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $60,862,358▼9.9% | $59,665,046▲1.2% | $112,665,622 | $133,634,329▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $67,544,820▼7.4% | $58,950,817▲20.9% | $112,696,236▲7.8% | $125,511,299▲7.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $72,959,901▲18.6% | $48,768,817▼11.4% | $104,515,600▲31.8% | $116,411,940▲27.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $61,502,528▲25.3% | $55,050,170▲0.8% | $79,319,791▲13.9% | $91,113,564▲18.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $49,075,155▲4.1% | $54,639,896▲26.0% | $69,628,888▼5.3% | $76,928,924▼7.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $47,164,083▼31.2% | $43,380,267▼2.7% | $73,543,871▲3.2% | $82,953,848▲0.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $68,523,288 | $44,586,622▲19.4% | $71,272,833▲53.2% | $82,633,853▲52.7% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $37,335,976▼20.6% | $46,531,006▲10.7% | $54,128,650▲12.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $47,030,237▲34.6% | $42,047,142▲3.4% | $48,003,886▲2.4% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $34,941,187▲9.9% | $40,672,802▼2.7% | $46,865,754▼1.3% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $31,801,667 | $41,820,231 | $47,501,066 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Christine Lehnertz — $436,214 (0.82% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Lehnertz | President & Ceo | 40 | $436,214 |
| Adam C Bad Wound | Chief Develop. Officer (thru 12/23) | 40 | $262,926 |
| Kerry O'donnell | Chief People and Culture Officer | 40 | $224,913 |
| Angela H Leung | Comm/public Aff. Officer (thru 5/24) | 40 | $221,442 |
| Claire E Mooney | Vp, Park Places & Innovation | 40 | $213,774 |
| Kirsten Fuhring-cook | Snr. Director of Finance | 40 | $204,503 |
| Robert M Lieber | Vp, Interpretive Sales | 40 | $190,145 |
| Nicki Phelps | Vp, Visitor Prog.& Svs (thru 3/24) | 40 | $189,774 |
| Michele Gee | Deputy Ceo (start 5/23) | 40 | $185,889 |
| Janet L Klein | Vp, Community Connect. (thru 6/24) | 40 | $177,820 |
| Jen Trahan | Cfo (start 05/23) | 40 | $158,275 |
| Audrey Lyee | Snr. Dir., Planned Giving & Park Partnership | 40 | $146,856 |
| Sarah Stapleton-gray | Sr. Web Developer and System Admin. | 40 | $146,313 |
| Kate Bickert | Sr Dir., Strat. Ptnrshps & Innovation | 40 | $140,605 |
| Sue Gardner | Senior Director, Stewardship | 40 | $139,586 |
| Charmaine Curtis | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Dan Kingsley | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Darren Bechtel | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Eric Alt | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gordon Ritter | Treasurer | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Marin Municipal Water District | Landscaping Services For Fuel Reduction | $1,151,606 |
| Xantrion | It Contract Services | $557,902 |
| Mal Warwick & Associates Inc | Professional Fundraising | $479,470 |
| Alfonso Gallegos Inc | Landscaping Services | $322,370 |
| Wallace Roberts & Todd Inc | Enviromental Consultant and Design | $302,532 |
Grants received · $61.4M total
165 grants to Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy totaling $61.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | To further the organization's exempt purpose | 2024 | $1,000,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Environment & animal protection | 2024 | $418,800 |
| The Bessemer Giving Fund | Annual gift | 2024 | $73,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $54,049 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $15,250 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Environment | 2024 | $12,200 |
| Save the Redwoods League | Education grants | 2024 | $11,000 |
| Tides Foundation | Sustainable environment | 2024 | $10,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Environmental | 2024 | $9,050 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $8,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Environmental and animals | 2023 | $2,612,511 |
| Marin Community Foundation | Support for one tam, marin county and san mateo county | 2023 | $1,218,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Environment & animal protection | 2023 | $430,600 |
Grants made · $7.3M in FY2023
3 grants totaling $7.3M in FY2023. All grants made by Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Park Service | To support interpretive, educational, scientific and historical projects. | $7,220,991 |
| Presidio Tr | To support park enhancement projects, primarily construction of the tunnel tops project. | $112,147 |
| Regents of the University of California | To support of raptor research at hull lab/animal science | $11,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-2781708, based in San Francisco, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy's EIN?
- Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-2781708.
- How much revenue does Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy report?
- Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy reported $50,715,154 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy's spending goes to programs?
- Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy spends about 76% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy have?
- CharityIndex grades Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy's latest Form 990 is $436,214, paid to Christine Lehnertz (President & Ceo).
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Data for Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (EIN 94-2781708) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.