Form 990 for tax year 2024
Filed by WESTERN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION.
Totals
- Total revenue
- $14,580,557
- Total expenses
- $14,382,287
- Contributions and grants received
- $14,438,841
- Grants paid
- $7,581,562
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $141,716
- Other revenue
- $0
- Total assets, end of year
- $8,064,628
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $1,483,143
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $6,581,485
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $13,421,444
- Management and general expenses
- $799,646
- Fundraising expenses
- $161,197
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $13,421,444
Program services were 93.3% 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.
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$14,438,841
-
3 · Investment income
total $141,716 · excluded $141,716
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $7,581,562 · program services $7,581,562
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $584,547 · program services $213,743 · management and general $258,441 · fundraising $112,363
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $1,969,817 · program services $1,693,003 · management and general $275,204 · fundraising $1,610
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $244,340 · program services $209,138 · management and general $31,518 · fundraising $3,684
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $246,704 · program services $220,425 · management and general $25,659 · fundraising $620
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $239,657 · program services $185,266 · management and general $45,024 · fundraising $9,367
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $13,305 · program services $9,960 · management and general $2,767 · fundraising $578
-
11g · Fees: other
total $2,759,704 · program services $2,734,419 · management and general $21,260 · fundraising $4,025
-
13 · Office expenses
total $74,434 · program services $61,255 · management and general $11,101 · fundraising $2,078
-
16 · Occupancy
total $266,504 · program services $199,498 · management and general $55,423 · fundraising $11,583
-
17 · Travel
total $212,121 · program services $158,788 · management and general $44,114 · fundraising $9,219
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $15,872 · program services $11,881 · management and general $3,301 · fundraising $690
-
24a · Other expenses: STAFF MEETING & TRAINING
total $110,951 · program services $85,771 · management and general $20,843 · fundraising $4,337
-
24b · Other expenses: OTHER PROGRAM EXPENSES
total $38,769 · program services $38,769
-
24c · Other expenses: SPONSORSHIPS
total $24,000 · program services $17,966 · management and general $4,991 · fundraising $1,043
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $7,361,321 · end of year $7,447,677
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $104,536 · end of year $249,422
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $3,776 · end of year $3,828
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$102,014
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$102,014
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $458,414 · end of year $363,701
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $519,483 · end of year $532,342
-
18 · Grants payable
beginning of year $605,500 · end of year $614,540
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $419,849 · end of year $336,261
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $3,385,128 · end of year $3,008,872
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $2,998,087 · end of year $3,572,613
Mission and programs · 2024
Mission
BUILDING LEADERS TO PROTECT THE WEST'S LAND, AIR, AND WATER.
-
ACCOUNTABILITY: BUILDS CHAMPIONS FOR CONSERVATION BY BRINGING NEW VOICES TO THE CONSERVATION DEBATE, IDENTIFYING TIMELY ISSUES, AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT ACTIONS TAKEN BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS THAT IMPACT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES NATURAL RESOURCES.
Expenses $12,985,502 · Grants $7,271,562
-
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES: FUNDS PROJECTS THAT COMPLEMENT THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION BUT FALL OUTSIDE TARGETED GEOGRAPHIES.
Expenses $435,942 · Grants $310,000
As filed on the 2024 return.
Listed in Part VII
-
Brendon CechovicBRENDON CECHOVIC
CEO
- Total calculated
- $314,956
- From this org
- $191,129
- From related orgs
- $72,621
- Other
- $51,206
- Hours/week
- 28 + 12 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $191,129 + $72,621 related
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $19,113 + $7,262 related
- Nontaxable benefits
- $7,652 + $17,179 related
- Filer's total
- $217,894 + $97,062 related
-
Shara KaplinSHARA KAPLIN
CHIEF OF STA
- Total calculated
- $264,418
- From this org
- $163,537
- From related orgs
- $56,963
- Other
- $43,918
- Hours/week
- 28 + 12 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $163,537 + $56,963 related
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $16,354 + $5,696 related
- Nontaxable benefits
- $8,393 + $13,475 related
- Filer's total
- $188,284 + $76,134 related
-
Leah WienekeLEAH WIENEKE
CHIEF OPS OF
- Total calculated
- $248,619
- From this org
- $145,161
- From related orgs
- $52,561
- Other
- $50,897
- Hours/week
- 29 + 11 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $145,161 + $52,561 related
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $14,516 + $5,256 related
- Nontaxable benefits
- $18,691 + $12,434 related
- Filer's total
- $178,368 + $70,251 related
-
Aaron BrowningAARON BROWNING
DIR FED PUBL
- Total calculated
- $243,880
- From this org
- $203,875
- From related orgs
- $6,125
- Other
- $33,880
- Hours/week
- 39 + 1 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $203,875 + $6,125 related
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $20,388 + $612 related
- Nontaxable benefits
- $11,430 + $1,450 related
- Filer's total
- $235,693 + $8,187 related
-
Monica PiergrossiMONICA PIERGROSSI
PROGRAM DIRE
- Total calculated
- $213,111
- From this org
- $60,550
- From related orgs
- $112,450
- Other
- $40,111
- Hours/week
- 13 + 27 related
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $60,550 + $112,450 related
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $6,055 + $11,245 related
- Nontaxable benefits
- not reported + $22,811 related
- Filer's total
- $66,605 + $146,506 related
-
Brennan BilberryBRENNAN BILBERRY
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2 + 2 related
-
Lisa Pawlek JaguznyLISA PAWLEK JAGUZNY
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2 + 2 related
-
Chris KillingsworthCHRIS KILLINGSWORTH
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Molly McUsicMOLLY MCUSIC
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Bill RobertsBILL ROBERTS
BOARD MEMBER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.
Schedule J
Answered yes
- 1a · Payments for business use of a personal residence
- 1b · Written policy on the line-1a expenses
- 2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
- 3 · Independent compensation consultant
- 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
- 3 · Compensation survey or study
- 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
Answered no
- 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
- 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
- 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
- 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
- 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
- 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
- 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
- 7 · Other non-fixed payments
- 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception
The filer's explanations (Part III)
- SCHEDULE J, PAGE 1, PART I, LINE 3
- THE ORGANIZATION IS A RELATED ORGANIZATION OF WESTERN CONSERVATION ACTION ("WCA"). IN 2024, WCA SHARED STAFF WITH WESTERN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION THROUGH A COST-SHARING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS. WCF PAID ALL COMPENSATION AND WCA PROMPTLY REIMBURSED WCF FOR ITS SHARE OF ALLOCABLE COMPENSATION PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT. WCF, AS THE COMMON PAYMASTER, NOT WCA, ISSUES THE W-2S. THE BOARD AND/OR COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF WESTERN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION ESTABLISH THE COMPENSATION OF WESTERN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION'S CEO. WCA PAYS FOR ITS SHARE OF ANY OTHER OVERHEAD OR OTHER EXPENSES REASONABLY ALLOCATED TO ITS ACTIVITIES.
Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.
Grants on this return
-
$310,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$287,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE
$282,300
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$229,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$221,216
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$201,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$185,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCA
$178,440
CLEAN ENERGY EDUCATI
-
$177,000
CONSERVATION EDUCATI
-
$167,500
CLEAN ENERGY EDUCATI
The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.
Related organizations on this return
Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.
-
501C4 · LOBBYING · CO · controlled entity
Directly controlled by WCF WESTERN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2024
- Filed
- 7 November 2025
- IRS schema version
- 2024v5.0
- Source object
- 202523119349302712
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