Celebrating 30 years of helping you give wisely
America's most independent,
assertive charity watchdog
Top Rated

Nature Conservancy

CharityWatch report issued
October 2022

Top-Rated Charity
B+
CharityWatch Grade
Our independent grade based
on a number of factors.
 
70%
Program Percentage
Amount spent on programs
relative to overhead.
 
$14
Cost to Raise $100
Amount spent to raise
$100 of contributions.

Contact Information

Nature Conservancy
4245 N. Fairfax Drive
Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22203-1606

Other Names

None

Tax Status

501(c)3

Website

www.nature.org

Stated Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

View similar charities
Charity  
350.org  
African Wildlife Foundation  
Alaska Conservation Foundation  
Amazon Conservation Team  
American Bird Conservancy  
American Farmland Trust  
American Forests  
American Rivers  
Appalachian Mountain Club  
Arbor Day Foundation  
Center for Biological Diversity  
Chesapeake Bay Foundation  
Conservation Fund  
Conservation International Foundation  
Cousteau Society  
Defenders of Wildlife  
Ducks Unlimited  
Earth Island Institute  
Earthjustice  
Earthworks  
Environmental Defense Action Fund  
Environmental Defense Fund  
Environmental Working Group  
Friends of the Earth  
Gaia-Movement Living Earth Green World Action USA  
Global Green USA  
Green America  
Greenpeace  
Greenpeace Fund  
Izaak Walton League of America (National Office)  
Keep America Beautiful (National Office)  
League of Conservation Voters  
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund  
National Audubon Society  
National Forest Foundation  
National Park Foundation (NPF)  
National Park Trust  
National Parks Conservation Association  
National Wildlife Federation  
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)  
NRDC Action Fund  
Ocean Conservancy  
Oceana  
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy  
Rainforest Action Network  
Rainforest Alliance  
Resources for the Future  
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation  
Save the Redwoods League  
Sierra Club  
Sierra Club Foundation  
Solar Cookers International (SCI)  
Southern Environmental Law Center  
Student Conservation Association  
The Wilderness Society  
Trout Unlimited (National Office)  
Trust for Public Land  
Union of Concerned Scientists  
Water.org  
Waterkeeper Alliance  
WildAid  
World Resources Institute  
World Wildlife Fund  
Yosemite Conservancy  
Data based on Fiscal Year Ended 06/30/2021

Program Percentage: 70%

The percentage of Nature Conservancy's cash budget it spends on programs relative to overhead (fundraising, management, and general expenses).

$882,000,000

Calculated Total Expenses

(rounded)

 

Cost to Raise $100: $14

How many dollars Nature Conservancy spends on fundraising to raise each $100 of contributions.

$849,000,000

Calculated Total Contributions

(rounded)

Government Funding

0% to 24%

Percentage of cash revenue
coming from government sources

 

Financial Documents

Entity Document Type Tax ID
Nature Conservancy IRS Form 990 53-0242652
Nature Conservancy Audited Consolidated Financial Statements multiple
Entity: Nature Conservancy
Document Type: IRS Form 990
Tax ID: 53-0242652
Entity: Nature Conservancy
Document Type: Audited Consolidated Financial Statements
Tax ID: multiple

Governance & Transparency

CharityWatch evaluates certain criteria related to a charity's Governance and Transparency. Donors may want to consider a charity's willingness to be open and transparent with CharityWatch to be a good litmus test for determining its commitment to public accountability.
This charity is Top-Rated
What does it mean to be Top-Rated?
 
Nature Conservancy
meets governance benchmarks.
 
Nature Conservancy
meets transparency benchmarks.
Transparency
Provides Financial Information
Audit Accessibility
Governance: Policies
Reports regularly & consistently monitoring & enforcing compliance with a written Conflict of Interest Policy
Reports required, annual disclosure by officers, directors, and key staff of interests that could give rise to conflicts
Reports having a written Whistleblower Policy
Reports having a written Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Governance: Financials
Reports providing copy of tax form to all board members prior to filing it with IRS
Reports that financial statements were audited by an independent accountant
Governance: Board of Directors
Reports at least 5 voting board members
51% or more of voting board members reported as independent
Reports documenting minutes of board and board committee meetings
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy Opt-Out Policy  

  Name Title Compensation
1 Mark Burget Executive VP/Regional Director $876,273
2 Charles Bedford Regional Director $712,589
3 James Willis Asp Past Chief Development Officer $665,904
1
Name: Mark Burget
Title: Executive VP/Regional Director
Compensation: $876,273
2
Name: Charles Bedford
Title: Regional Director
Compensation: $712,589
3
Name: James Willis Asp
Title: Past Chief Development Officer
Compensation: $665,904

CharityWatch Analysts perform an in-depth analysis of charities' audited financial statements and IRS tax filings, and often review other documents such as state filings, annual reports, and fundraising contracts during their evaluations. Below are select notes that CharityWatch believes may be of interest to donors.

CharityWatch's rating of The Nature Conservancy includes the financial activities of the domestic and international entities consolidated in The Conservancy's audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. "The Conservancy conducts its activities throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific," according to Note 1 of the consolidated audit. All significant intercompany transactions have been eliminated in the audit consolidation.

According to The Nature Conservancy consolidated audit of June 30, 2021 (Note 1 re: Contributions), The Conservancy received contributed goods and services in fiscal 2021 on which it placed a total value of approximately $34,695,000.

[Note: CharityWatch generally excludes the value of in-kind (non-cash) donations of goods and services from its calculations of Program % and Cost to Raise $100. More information on how grades are calculated and the treatment of in-kind donations can be found on the Our Process page.]

According to The Nature Conservancy consolidated audit of June 30, 2021 (Note 1 re: Related Party Transactions):

"...The Conservancy has an unsecured $10,000,000 zero-interest loan agreement payable in full in 2026 to a current Board member reflected in notes payable in the accompanying [audited] consolidated statement of financial position."


According to The Nature Conservancy tax filing for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, the purpose of the $10,000,000 zero-interest loan is "to fund conservation in Idaho" (IRS Form 990, Schedule L, Part V).

According to The Nature Conservancy consolidated audit of June 30, 2021 (Note 14, Conservation Land and Easements):

"The Conservancy has entered into contracts for the purchase of land and other purchase commitments that have not closed as of June 30, 2021 in the amount of $98,876,000."

According to The Nature Conservancy tax filing for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, The Conservancy includes in its reporting for Compensation Information re: Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees, "Bonus & incentive compensation" paid to three individuals. The reported "Bonus & incentive compensation" includes $100,000 paid to Jennifer Morris, Chief Executive Officer, whose reported total compensation in calendar year 2020 is $549,812 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II).


Also according to The Nature Conservancy tax filing for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, The Conservancy reports re: Compensation, Supplemental Information (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part III):

Regarding severance payments to officers, directors, trustees, key employees and highest compensated employees (Schedule J, Part I, line 4a):

"Chief Scientist/Strategy Innovation, Heather Tallis, received a separation payment in the amount of $97,115 during 2020.

"Executive VP and Regional Director, Mark Burget, received a separation payment in the amount of $728,876 during 2020.

"Regional Director, Charles Bedford, received a separation payment in the amount of $150,000 during 2020.

"Executive Vice President, Global Strategies, Katherine Andrews, received a separation payment in the amount of $487,500 during 2020.

"Former Chief Development Officer, James Asp, received a separation payment in the amount of $600,000 during 2020.

"Former Chief Conservation Officer, Brian McPeek, received a separation payment in the amount of $350,000 during 2020.

"The terms and conditions of these confidential separation agreements are available to the IRS upon request."

[The reported total compensation in calendar year 2020 for the above individuals is: H. Tallis – $333,641; M. Burget – $876,273; C. Bedford – $712,589; K. Andrews – $506,920; J. Asp – $665,904; B. McPeek – $503,302 (IRS Form 990, Schedule J, Part II).]


Related External Articles