Wilderness Society
79% goes to programs $21 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Wilderness Society is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, District of Columbia, registered in 1942, with $42,032,659 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 79% of spending to programs.
1801 Pennsylvania Ave Nw, Washington, DC, 20006 EIN 53-0167933 Since 1942
Revenue (FY2023)
$42.0M
▲ 7.2% vs prior year
Environment median: $250K
Expenses (FY2023)
$43.5M
Net assets
$93.3M
Employees
210
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 rating79% 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 Wilderness Society: 79% to programs · $21 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating26 mo reserves · -3% 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 Wilderness Society: 26 mo reserves · -3% 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 Wilderness Society: 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 Wilderness Society: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The leading organization dedicated to protecting america's wild places, the wilderness society works strategically and collaboratively with lawmakers, land managers, local coalitions, and interested citizens to lead national policy issues on wilderness and public lands. to find out more about our amazing 80-year history of successes and the many programs and places we work, visit www.wilderness.org.
What they do
Community led conservation: all people, of every race, gender, immigration status, physical ability or income level, should have access to nature. we are working to transform conservation policy and practice so that everyone can get outdoors and benefit equitably from public lands.
Net zero: we strive to make public lands and waters entirely pollution-free. the first step is to make public lands a net-zero source of emissions by 2030 and support a just transition for fossil-fuel-dependent communities. we also want to boost responsible renewable energy development in the right places and to protect forests and landscapes that play an important role in absorbing climate change emissions.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1801 Pennsylvania Ave Nw, Washington, DC, 20006
- City
- Washington
- State
- District of Columbia
- Category
- Environment
- Subcategory
- Natural Resources Conservation
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $31.4M (FY2013) to $42.0M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $25.8MNet assets $93.3M
Operating margin
-3.4%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$119.1M
Total liabilities
$25.8M
Net assets
$93.3M
Salaries & benefits
$26.2M
60% of expenses
Board members
32
32 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $42,032,659▲7.2% | $43,478,669▼8.3% | $93,338,312▲11.8% | $119,089,723▲6.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $39,217,935▼37.4% | $47,392,193▲10.8% | $83,510,241▼2.7% | $111,901,689▲16.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $62,637,504▲49.1% | $42,780,220▲21.4% | $85,788,281▲5.5% | $95,687,234▲3.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $42,014,694▲6.4% | $35,248,927▲4.0% | $81,335,524▲21.3% | $92,421,140▲25.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $39,480,932▲12.7% | $33,877,281▼2.0% | $67,069,175▲6.1% | $73,792,671▲3.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $35,045,245▼18.2% | $34,573,495▲4.3% | $63,211,767▲0.9% | $70,999,265▲1.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $42,837,683▲42.4% | $33,149,175▲6.8% | $62,625,935▲14.0% | $70,072,332▲12.1% | 990 |
| 2016 | $30,081,869▼3.6% | $31,030,390▲8.1% | $54,927,875▼0.2% | $62,515,926▲0.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $31,206,439▲14.4% | $28,710,530▲2.3% | $55,021,306▲5.0% | $61,934,395▲5.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $27,281,585▼13.2% | $28,072,471▲5.2% | $52,396,909▼3.7% | $58,524,347▼4.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $31,433,422 | $26,696,867▼3.0% | $54,389,992▲11.3% | $61,039,276▲11.4% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $27,529,052▼12.4% | $48,868,581▲31.5% | $54,784,695▲22.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $31,420,103▼5.3% | $37,166,893▼6.6% | $44,865,186▼2.0% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $33,192,618▲11.3% | $39,796,803▼14.5% | $45,785,868▼13.9% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $29,824,600 | $46,523,153 | $53,152,579 | 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: Jamie Williams — $449,985 (1.03% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie Williams | President (to Sep '24) | 39 | $449,985 |
| David Seabrook | Coo | 30 | $336,905 |
| Teresa Lane | Svp, Giving & Impact (to Oct '23) | 39 | $316,536 |
| Elvis Cordova | Chief of Staff | 40 | $286,915 |
| Lauren Gephart | Vp of External Affairs | 40 | $269,408 |
| Chase Huntley | Vp Strategy & Results | 40 | $259,091 |
| Wordna Meskheniten | Vp, People & Culture | 40 | $217,071 |
| Monique Dailey | Vp, Conservation & Communities | 40 | $201,627 |
| Andrea O'brien | Dvp, Giving & Impact Operations & Outreach | 40 | $188,410 |
| Lydia Weiss | Sr Dir of Government Relations | 40 | $186,028 |
| Deborah Liu | Vice President & General Counsel (to Feb '23) | 30 | $180,719 |
| Maria Handley | Ed Twsaf & Special Advisor Chief of Staff | 10 | $180,717 |
| Jeanna Cannan | Sr Dir Human Resources & Operations | 40 | $180,267 |
| Yvette Lopez-ledesma | Dvp, Community-led Conservation | 40 | $178,288 |
| Aaron Wernham | Gov Council Member | 2 | — |
| August Ball | Gov Council Member | 2 | — |
| Ben Jealous | Gov Council Member | 2 | — |
| Carl Ferenbach | Gov Council Member | 2 | — |
| Caroline M Getty | Gov Council Member | 2 | — |
| Cathy Douglas Stone | Secretary | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Production Solutions Inc | Direct Mail | $4,225,922 |
| M & R Strategic Services | Digital Consulting | $1,126,142 |
| Barbara Sims Inc | Digital Marketing | $282,438 |
| Roi Solutions Inc | Digital Consulting | $278,902 |
| Moore Response Management Group | Digital Marketing | $169,770 |
Grants received · $38.7M total
305 grants to Wilderness Society totaling $38.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation For the Carolinas | Charitable gift | 2024 | $1,050,000 |
| Resources Legacy Fund | Land or marine conservation, climate change, and/or environmental equity and justice | 2024 | $216,000 |
| Community Foundation of Jackson Hole | Wy migration corridor research , general operating | 2024 | $79,600 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $53,382 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Environment & animal protection | 2024 | $51,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Environmental | 2024 | $45,050 |
| The Seattle Foundation | To provide general support | 2024 | $40,000 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $32,850 |
| Greater Washington Community Foundation | General support | 2024 | $30,000 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | General fund | 2024 | $25,000 |
| The Seattle Foundation | To provide general support | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Greater Horizons | Environment & animals | 2024 | $17,300 |
| Giveclear Foundation | Program support | 2024 | $15,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $14,750 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $11,400 |
Grants made · $2.3M in FY2023
79 grants totaling $2.3M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Wilderness Society →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Wilderness Society Action Fund | Conservation projects | $300,000 |
| International Sonoran Desert Alliance | Conservation projects | $183,000 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Inc | Conservation projects | $126,000 |
| Trout Unlimited Inc | Conservation projects | $100,000 |
| Silvix Resources | Conservation projects | $85,000 |
| New Mexico Wilderness Alliance | Conservation projects | $75,000 |
| Native American Rights Fund | Conservation projects | $75,000 |
| Resources Legacy Fund | Conservation projects | $70,000 |
| Greenlatinos | Conservation projects | $65,000 |
| Semilla Project | Conservation projects | $60,000 |
| National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Inc | Conservation projects | $55,000 |
| Outdoor Afro | Conservation projects | $55,000 |
| High Country Conservation Advocates | Conservation projects | $50,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Conservation projects | $45,000 |
| Alaska Community Action On Toxics | Conservation projects | $45,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Wilderness Society a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Wilderness Society is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 53-0167933, based in Washington, District of Columbia. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Wilderness Society's EIN?
- Wilderness Society's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 53-0167933.
- How much revenue does Wilderness Society report?
- Wilderness Society reported $42,032,659 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Wilderness Society's spending goes to programs?
- Wilderness Society spends about 79% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Wilderness Society have?
- CharityIndex grades Wilderness Society A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Wilderness Society's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Wilderness Society's latest Form 990 is $449,985, paid to Jamie Williams (President (to Sep '24)).
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Data for Wilderness Society (EIN 53-0167933) 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.