Natural Lands Trust Incorporated is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Media, Pennsylvania, registered in 1964, with $22,918,449 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 84% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$22.9M
▼ 10.2% vs prior year
Environment median: $250K
Expenses (FY2023)
$19.8M
Net assets
$321.4M
Employees
120
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 Natural Lands Trust Incorporated: 84% to programs · $8 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Natural Lands Trust Incorporated: 195 mo reserves · +13% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Natural Lands Trust Incorporated: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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 Natural Lands Trust Incorporated: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Saves open space, cares for nature, and connects people to the outdoors. (see schedule o)
Caring for naturewe love saving land, but we think it's just the first step. in fact, our commitment to caring for nature is one of the reasons why natural lands owns so much land (and is always acquiring more): so we can actively enrich and restore our preserves, balancing the needs of nature and her visitors. our land stewardship programs include: returning former farm fields to forests by planting thousands of trees; exploring and employing an array of techniques to control the spread of invasive plants on our preserves; improving water quality of the creeks that meander through our preserves by planting trees and shrubs along them; and re-establishing once plentiful habitats by transforming retired farm fields to grasslands, restoring man-made ponds to wetlands, and supporting growing woodlands by controlling invasive plants and deer.
Connecting people to the outdoors...and to each otherthe future of conservation requires that there be passionate nature-lovers to carry on our work. that's why we're committed to creating opportunities for joy and discovery in the outdoors for everyone. our nature preserves and public garden are open for everyone to visit, and are always free. in addition to places for exploration, our preserves allow us to host myriad events every year catering to different people with different interests. we also encourage people to develop a deeper connection to natural lands and, by extension, our preserves through our force of nature volunteer program. force of nature volunteers learn valuable land management and conservation strategies, hone outreach and leadership skills, and meet great people.
Revenue grew from $18.5M (FY2013) to $22.9M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
13.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$324.4M
Total liabilities
$3.0M
Net assets
$321.4M
Salaries & benefits
$7.7M
39% of expenses
Board members
18
18 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $22,918,449▼10.2% | $19,825,983▲0.2% | $321,430,991▲6.2% | $324,446,503▲6.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $25,509,870▲114% | $19,787,667▲28.0% | $302,803,240▲2.3% | $305,979,083▲2.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $11,941,811▼58.0% | $15,461,333▲11.5% | $296,008,069▼4.9% | $298,203,577▼5.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $28,456,023▲76.6% | $13,866,682▲2.1% | $311,225,507▲9.1% | $314,826,479▲9.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $16,114,941▼14.0% | $13,578,057▼33.1% | $285,161,612▲0.8% | $288,000,033▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $18,738,979▼34.7% | $20,282,387▲41.6% | $282,835,482▼0.9% | $289,670,001▼3.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $28,694,286▼25.6% | $14,325,445▼5.9% | $285,389,069▲5.4% | $299,321,880▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $38,578,510▼58.2% | $15,230,344▼32.2% | $270,837,781▲8.4% | $296,581,892▲17.8% | 990 |
| 2015 | $92,399,252▲676% | $22,470,338▲132% | $249,904,117▲36.5% | $251,778,761▲35.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $11,907,642▼35.7% | $9,701,953▲1.8% | $183,094,722▲0.3% | $186,071,671▲0.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $18,512,677 | $9,528,601 | $182,607,837 | $185,243,367 | 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.
Highest-paid: Oliver P Bass — $234,526 (1.18% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver P Bass | President | 40 | $234,526 |
| Karen Wallace | Vice President | 40 | $175,925 |
| Ann C Hausmann | Vice President | 40 | $174,075 |
| Tiffany Sowers | Vice President | 40 | $138,042 |
| Tamara J Lorah | Controller | 40 | $136,340 |
| Gary Gimbert | Vice President | 40 | $133,957 |
| Kelly Herrenkohl | Vice President | 40 | $133,424 |
| Todd Sampsell | Vice President | 40 | $131,919 |
| Ethan Kauffman | Director | 40 | $105,729 |
| Jonathan Stefferud | Senior Director | 40 | $104,381 |
| Carol Dewolf | Director | 40 | $100,557 |
| Andrew I Vandenbrul | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ann Loftus | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Barbara B Aronson | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David W Weaver | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Douglas W Tallamy Phd | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Gail M Harrity | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jane G Pepper | Vice Chairperson | 1 | — |
| Jason Duckworth | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Jeffrey J Idler | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tiff | Investment Services | $495,078 |
| Antonio Rochacraftech Computer Solution | Information Technology Services | $147,779 |
| Schultz & Williams Inc | Fund Raising Services | $145,486 |
| Kreischer Miller | Accounting Services | $131,821 |
| Bedford Reinforced Plastics Inc | Construction Services | $127,745 |
85 grants to Natural Lands Trust Incorporated totaling $7.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc | Delaware river watershed protection | 2024 | $1,395,526 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $110,300 |
| Philadelphia Foundation | General operating support | 2024 | $70,474 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $32,941 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $18,671 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Environment & animal protection | 2024 | $5,100 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $531,979 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Environmental and animals | 2023 | $138,554 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $128,125 |
| Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc | Appalachian landscapes protection | 2023 | $115,000 |
| Philadelphia Foundation | General operating support for binky lee preserve & other nlt preserves | 2023 | $70,177 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $29,545 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Environmental | 2023 | $22,261 |
| The Chicago Community Trust | General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes | 2023 | $17,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia | Endowments, donor advised funds (dafs), restricted gifts, and strategy and impact | 2023 | $13,400 |
5 grants totaling $1.1M in FY2023. All grants made by Natural Lands Trust Incorporated →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware River Waterfront Corporation | Transfer of natural lands | $653,509 |
| PA Dcnr | Provides monetary assistance to help support the operations of other conservation efforts. | $164,335 |
| Peco Open Space | Provides monetary assistance to help support the operations of other conservation efforts. | $160,000 |
| Foundation For Pottstown Education | Provides monetary assistance to help support the operations of other conservation efforts. | $69,322 |
| Pocono Heritage Land Trust Inc | Provides monetary assistance to help support the operations of other conservation efforts. | $58,335 |
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Data for Natural Lands Trust Incorporated (EIN 23-6272818) 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.