Nature Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Arlington, Virginia, registered in 1954, with $1,482,731,301 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 70% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$1.5B
▲ 27.2% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2023)
$1.4B
Net assets
$8.1B
Employees
4,829
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 Nature Conservancy: 70% to programs · $16 to raise $100 earns a B 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 Nature Conservancy: 72 mo reserves · +9% 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 Nature Conservancy: 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 Nature Conservancy: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Tnc's mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Provide food and water sustainably -tnc has helped move more than 15 million acres of agricultural land to using soil health practices. tnc established over 30 water funds improving water quality for millions of people, and are currently working with 15 countries on sustainable fishing efforts. recently, tnc provided smarter crop choices in the arid west to provide more water for both people and nature in arizona's verde river valley. the 190-mile-long river irrigates dryland farms and supplies communities with drinking water. recently, the river has been so over-tapped that sections have run dry during summer, threatening the viability of some farmlands and the survival of a rich diversity of wildlife, including two endangered fish species. tnc worked with the largest farm in the region to switch to barley, which consumes half the water of crops like alfalfa and corn. the shift to high-quality has saved a million gallons of water and kept the verde river flowing. tnc helped to temporarily stop a proposed pebble mine that threatened the sustainable harvest of wild salmon in alaska's bristol bay.
Tackle climate change -tnc works on achieving climate goals in 50 states and 30 countries and recently made progress in its fights against climate change with a focus in india and on the emerald edge of coastal washington, british columbia and alaska. tnc has introduced new regenerative agriculture approaches, including no-till planting, which ends the need for burning, saves water, increases farmer incomes, boosts soil health and stores carbon. when farmers burn, crop residue to prepare their fields for new plantings, generating climate emissions and deadly air pollution in neighboring cities. tnc continues to work to preserve coastal rainforests on the emerald edge in partnership with first nations peoples honors a vision of indigenous-led stewardship while securing forests as storehouses of carbon. the temperate rainforests of the emerald edge hold one of the world's largest stores of carbon and these forests are at risk.
Build healthy cities -we have helped integrate urban forests, rain gardens, parks and wetlands into sustainable city planning to bring nature's benefits to urban residents. we have helped promote green city designs like permeable surfaces and rain gardens that can manage stormwater while providing health benefits and reducing pollution in our rivers. we have worked with cities from new orleans to beijing to use nature as the first line of defense against the effects of climate change, and because people in cities are increasingly disconnected from green spaces, we have helped facilitate access to and engagement nature.
Revenue grew from $950.0M (FY2013) to $1.5B (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
8.8%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$9.5B
Total liabilities
$1.4B
Net assets
$8.1B
Salaries & benefits
$584.0M
43% of expenses
Board members
23
21 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $1,482,731,301▲27.2% | $1,352,544,893▲20.8% | $8,132,912,800▲4.4% | $9,504,159,342▲3.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $1,166,010,019▼11.1% | $1,119,899,341▲11.4% | $7,787,179,386▲3.9% | $9,223,371,239▲2.3% | 990 |
| 2021 | $1,312,108,803▲1.7% | $1,004,881,237▲10.6% | $7,496,402,455▼4.4% | $9,016,820,143▲2.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $1,290,130,840▲13.4% | $908,626,330▲0.2% | $7,843,981,989▲11.2% | $8,800,375,381▲10.3% | 990 |
| 2019 | $1,137,390,674▲14.0% | $907,041,369▼2.7% | $7,052,349,509▲5.0% | $7,975,541,090▲3.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $998,088,724▼15.7% | $932,617,948▲2.8% | $6,716,635,089▲1.8% | $7,710,290,418▲4.1% | 990 |
| 2017 | $1,184,630,698▲17.7% | $907,553,872▲9.4% | $6,598,473,145▲6.1% | $7,409,864,700▲6.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $1,006,241,963▲10.0% | $829,488,331▲2.4% | $6,221,760,264▲5.2% | $6,991,747,049▲4.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $914,539,673▼4.6% | $810,283,620▲1.8% | $5,915,241,749▼0.1% | $6,697,479,313▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2014 | $958,808,662▲0.9% | $796,011,941▲6.3% | $5,923,968,911▲2.8% | $6,712,500,146▲3.2% | 990 |
| 2013 | $949,990,421 | $748,695,565▼0.5% | $5,762,300,943▲6.6% | $6,503,755,176▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $752,216,964▼0.6% | $5,406,671,996▲3.6% | $6,168,924,112▲2.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $756,406,814▼11.3% | $5,221,105,905▲0.8% | $6,006,480,347▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $852,695,208▲19.2% | $5,180,558,726▲6.2% | $6,013,579,638▲6.4% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $715,265,354 | $4,879,283,936 | $5,649,851,701 | 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: Jennifer Morris — $871,668 (0.06% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Morris | Director/chief Executive Officer | 35 | $871,668 |
| Bola Olusanya | Chief Investment Officer | 35 | $856,283 |
| Leonard Williams | Former Chief Finance & Admin Officer | 35 | $648,005 |
| Jan Mittan | Global Market Development Director | 35 | $478,645 |
| David Banks | Chief Conservation Officer | 35 | $473,545 |
| Michael Sweeney | Division Director | 35 | $458,772 |
| William Ulfelder | New York Executive Director | 35 | $450,111 |
| Nathalie Augustin | General Counsel | 35 | $443,787 |
| Thomas Neises | Chief Development Officer | 35 | $442,886 |
| Matthew Arnold | Global Head, Impact | 35 | $438,828 |
| Scott Morrison | Cons Programs & Science Director | 35 | $432,963 |
| Michael Keith Doane | Global Managing Director, Pfw | 35 | $418,367 |
| Matthew Brown | Managing Director | 35 | $400,694 |
| Jan Glendening | Na Regional Managing Director | 35 | $400,615 |
| Asha Shah | Interim Cfo (until 5/24) | 35 | $274,364 |
| Hans Birle | Former Interim General Counsel | 35 | $255,306 |
| Neel Broker | Chief Operating Officer (as of 11/23) | 35 | $101,294 |
| Amy Batchelor | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| Anna Skoglund | Director | 1 | — |
| Brenda Shapiro | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Fundraising Services LLC | Professional Fundraising Services | $11,218,156 |
| Dm Group Inc | Direct Mail Services | $7,025,564 |
| Rr Donnelley and Sons Company | Marketing Services | $6,835,795 |
| 3sixty Fundraising LLC | Professional Fundraising Services | $5,429,390 |
| New Canvassing Experience | Professional Fundraising Services | $4,576,635 |
2,607 grants to Nature Conservancy totaling $1.1B, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $46,117,979 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $46,117,979 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Environment & animal protection | 2024 | $9,811,115 |
| Holdfast Tr | Philanthropy related to protecting our planet from climate change; general support | 2024 | $7,200,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $6,271,073 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Building monitoring, evaluation, and learning capacity for conservation impact | 2024 | $6,000,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Building tncs capacity for traditional and community conservation | 2024 | $5,675,000 |
| Minneapolis Foundation | Donor advised, environment | 2024 | $4,315,179 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $4,260,576 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Supporting conservation in tropical forests landscapes | 2024 | $3,960,000 |
| Columbus Foundation | Conservation | 2024 | $3,811,425 |
| Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust | Grants to protect the environment | 2024 | $3,703,448 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Supporting conservation in freshwater ecosystems in africa and south america | 2024 | $3,300,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Supporting conservation through voice, choice and action | 2024 | $2,540,000 |
| Anne Ray Foundation | Support for buffalo restoration and land rematriation | 2024 | $2,500,000 |
627 grants totaling $54.1M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Nature Conservancy →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| State of California Dept of Fish and Wildlife | Conservation activities | $2,500,000 |
| American Forest Foundation | Conservation activities | $1,545,910 |
| Feather River Land Trust | Conservation activities | $1,354,000 |
| Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians | Conservation activities | $1,300,000 |
| Southern Oregon Land Conservancy Inc | Conservation activities | $1,086,118 |
| Forest Society of Maine | Conservation activities | $1,081,000 |
| State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation | Conservation activities | $900,000 |
| Passamaquoddy Tribe | Conservation activities | $837,757 |
| Watershed Research and Training Center | Conservation activities | $832,960 |
| Earthwatch Institute Inc | Conservation activities | $800,000 |
| Usda Forest Service | Conservation activities | $786,086 |
| National Forest Foundation | Conservation activities | $785,194 |
| Pew Charitable Trusts | Conservation activities | $768,932 |
| Technoserve Inc | Conservation activities | $767,616 |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc | Conservation activities | $755,352 |
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Data for Nature Conservancy (EIN 53-0242652) 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.