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Nonprofiteer
← THE CALIFORNIA DESERT LAND CONSERVANCY

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by THE CALIFORNIA DESERT LAND CONSERVANCY.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,510,990
Total expenses
$2,337,622
Contributions and grants received
$1,932,287
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$164,558
Investment income
$397,030
Other revenue
$17,115
Total assets, end of year
$63,531,103
Total liabilities, end of year
$14,042,190
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$49,488,913
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,677,729
Management and general expenses
$445,859
Fundraising expenses
$214,034
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,677,729

Program services were 71.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $449,505

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,482,782

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $44,988

  • 2a · Program service revenue: LAND CONSULTING & CONTRACT SERVIC

    total $153,448 · related or exempt $153,448

  • 2b · Program service revenue: PLANT & SEED SALES PROGRAM

    total $11,110 · related or exempt $11,110

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $228,112 · excluded $228,112

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $1,442,629

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $1,273,711

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $168,918

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $168,918 · excluded $168,918

  • 11a · Other revenue: EASEMENT INCOME

    total $17,115 · excluded $17,115

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $17,115

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $180,270 · program services $132,329 · management and general $31,452 · fundraising $16,489

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $877,095 · program services $560,691 · management and general $245,085 · fundraising $71,319

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $24,887 · program services $14,743 · management and general $8,239 · fundraising $1,905

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $72,545 · program services $60,938 · management and general $7,980 · fundraising $3,627

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $81,087 · program services $53,148 · management and general $21,199 · fundraising $6,740

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $40,045 · management and general $40,045

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $403,503 · program services $330,765 · management and general $4,972 · fundraising $67,766

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $164 · program services $164

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $115,723 · program services $61,981 · management and general $24,131 · fundraising $29,611

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $38,601 · program services $28,869 · management and general $9,612 · fundraising $120

  • 17 · Travel

    total $32,282 · program services $24,030 · management and general $8,199 · fundraising $53

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $44,332 · program services $13,482 · management and general $30,180 · fundraising $670

  • 20 · Interest

    total $8,958 · program services $7,800 · management and general $713 · fundraising $445

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $22,401 · program services $18,817 · management and general $2,464 · fundraising $1,120

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $130,094 · program services $123,001 · fundraising $7,093

  • 24a · Other expenses: TOOLS & SUPPLIES

    total $98,168 · program services $88,604 · management and general $4,323 · fundraising $5,241

  • 24b · Other expenses: LAND RELATED COSTS

    total $89,826 · program services $88,689 · management and general $1,137

  • 24c · Other expenses: IN KIND EXPENSE

    total $26,743 · program services $22,916 · management and general $2,631 · fundraising $1,196

  • 24d · Other expenses: VEHICLES

    total $24,192 · program services $21,428 · management and general $2,764

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $26,706 · program services $25,334 · management and general $733 · fundraising $639

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $1,319,509 · end of year $265,777

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $999,052 · end of year $656,237

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $565,919 · end of year $859,383

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $60

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $66,195 · end of year $42,533

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $1,613,317

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $315,656

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $1,261,135 · end of year $1,297,661

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $26,058,470 · end of year $30,156,536

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $29,959,168 · end of year $30,252,976

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $219,934 · end of year $342,441

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $13,396 · end of year $13,396

  • 21 · Escrow or custodial account liability

    beginning of year $10,832,761 · end of year $13,294,532

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $399,531 · end of year $368,888

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $7,788 · end of year $22,933

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $4,486,762 · end of year $4,486,762

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $44,269,336 · end of year $45,002,151

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

SEE SCHEDULE O

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO PROTECT THE COLORADO AND MOJAVE DESERTS ECOSYSTEMS AND THEIR SCENIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.

  • ORGANIZATION PURSUES LANDS THAT HAVE STRATEGIC CONSERVATION VALUES AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT ALL ACQUIRED LAND IS PROPERLY STEWARDED AND MAINTAINED. EVERY LAND TRANSACTION SUPPORTS THE VISION OF A MOJAVE DESERT WITH INTERCONNECTED, PERMANENTLY PROTECTED SCENIC AND NATURAL AREAS HOSTING A DIVERSITY OF NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDLIFE. LAND STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE FEE LAND AND CONSERVATION EASEMENT MONITORING, SIMPLE RESTORATION, BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS, AND INSTALLATION OF SIGNS AND FENCING. TOTAL LANDS CONSERVED TO DATE ARE 125,462 ACRES OF FEE LANDS AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS COMBINED.

    Expenses $894,650 · Revenue $153,448

  • THE PLANT CONSERVATION PROGRAM INCLUDES A NATIVE PLANT RESTORATION NURSERY AND A CONSERVATION SEED BANK. THE NURSERY GROWS NATIVE PLANTS FOR RESTORATION CONTRACTS FOR REVEGETATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CALIFORNIA DESERTS. THE SEED BANK STORES AND PRESERVES NATIVE SEEDS AND HERBARIUM SPECIMENS FROM MDLT PROPERTIES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. IN FY24, THE NURSERY SOLD OVER 4,000 PLANTS AND PROPAGATED 73 SPECIES FOR RESTORATION AND OUR ANNUAL PUBLIC PLANT SALE. THE SEED BANK HIRED DEDICATED MANAGEMENT AND FIELD STAFF AND MADE 75 COLLECTIONS OF 61 SPECIES TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE DESERTS OF CALIFORNIA.

    Expenses $440,840

  • EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDE GUIDED HIKES, OUTDOOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH AT FAIRS AND FESTIVALS, LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND AN INTERNSHIP FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. A TOTAL OF 795 YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 9-18 YEARS OLD CONNECTED WITH THE DESERT THROUGH MDLT'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING BETWEEN JANUARY AND JUNE 2024. OF THESE, 82 ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TOOK PART IN A FIELD TRIP TO AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BIRDWATCHING PRESERVE AND 45 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WENT ON A STARGAZING TRIP TO ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WITH THE DARKEST SKIES IN THE MOJAVE DESERT. OTHER PUPILS CARRIED OUT CITIZEN SCIENCE, CARRIED OUT STEWARDSHIP ON MDLT LANDS, AND LEARNED ABOUT DESERT ECOLOGY THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING LABS AT SCHOOLS AND IN CLASSROOMS. 132 STUDENTS TOURED MDLT'S SEED BANK, NATIVE PLANT DEMONSTRATION GARDEN, AND CONSERVATION LANDS. TEN HONORS STUDENTS TOOK PART IN AN IMMERSIVE PROGRAM STUDYING THE DESERT TORTOISE. ADDITIONALLY, 61 ADULTS AND YOUTH JOINED A GUIDED HIKE IN A RIPARIAN AREA AND ATTENDED A LOCAL COMMUNITY EVENT ABOUT ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC LANDS. AROUND 25 PEOPLE ATTENDED AN INTERPRETIVE HIKE IN AN AREA THAT WAS LATER DESIGNATED AS THE NEW CHUCKWALLA NATIONAL MONUMENT. OVER 60 PEOPLE ATTENDED A CONFERENCE IN RIVERSIDE TO PROMOTE GREATER INCLUSION OF WOMEN IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH. IN FY24 WE HAD 102 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE 3,854.25 HOURS. THREE PEOPLE TOOK PART IN THE WOMEN IN SCIENCE DISCOVERING OUR MOJAVE (WISDOM) INTERNSHIP COLLECTING DATA ABOUT TAMARISK BEETLES AND BUMBLEBEES IN MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT. AN AMERICORPS TEAM WITH 8 MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED AN ADDITIONAL 2078.5 HOURS FROM FEBRUARY-APRIL. THE TEAM HELPED WITH STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS, NATIVE PLANT CONSERVATION, OUTREACH EVENTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE.

    Expenses $342,239 · Revenue $11,110

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Kelly Herbinson

    JOINT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Cody Hanford

    JOINT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Brandy Ivener

    CFO

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • John Simpson

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Abdel Reid

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Peter Brooks

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Geary Hund

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Steve Hely

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Robyn Helmlinger

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Ron Radziner

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Brad Wilson

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

  • Gwen Barker

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
13 May 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.1
Source object
202521349349311777

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