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Nonprofiteer
← THE CALIFORNIA DESERT LAND CONSERVANCY

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by THE CALIFORNIA DESERT LAND CONSERVANCY.

What the amendment changed

Compared with the return it replaced , filed 15 November 2024. matched by us Only the Part I totals and the names listed in Part VII are compared. We relate returns by organization, tax year and form, and order them by each return's own timestamp; the filer's own "amended return" checkbox is a separate fact.

Both are the same on the two returns, so the amendment changed something else.

Totals

Total revenue
$8,113,167
Total expenses
$3,315,195
Contributions and grants received
$7,230,288
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$491,156
Investment income
$42,050
Other revenue
$349,673
Total assets, end of year
$60,229,508
Total liabilities, end of year
$11,473,410
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$48,756,098
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$2,729,059
Management and general expenses
$372,445
Fundraising expenses
$213,691
Program service expenses (Part III)
$2,729,059

Program services were 82.3% 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.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $1,017,754

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $6,212,534

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $2,005,431

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

    total $368,104 · related or exempt $368,104

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

    total $123,052 · related or exempt $123,052

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $392,057 · excluded $392,057

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

    securities $24,977 · other assets $325,030

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities -$24,977 · other assets -$325,030

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$350,007 · excluded -$350,007

  • 11a · Other revenue: SETTLEMENT INCOME

    total $300,000 · excluded $300,000

  • 11b · Other revenue: EASEMENT INCOME

    total $29,254 · excluded $29,254

  • 11c · Other revenue: INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT

    total $9,457 · excluded $9,457

  • 11d · All other revenue

    total $10,962 · excluded $10,962

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $349,673

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $224,658 · program services $198,248 · management and general $15,402 · fundraising $11,008

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,453,043 · program services $1,284,423 · management and general $99,367 · fundraising $69,253

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $14,917 · program services $12,983 · management and general $1,043 · fundraising $891

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $107,220 · program services $93,314 · management and general $7,498 · fundraising $6,408

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $126,770 · program services $114,401 · management and general $6,386 · fundraising $5,983

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $26,774 · program services $26,774

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $74,423 · management and general $74,423

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $25,200 · program services $25,200

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $325,397 · program services $227,851 · management and general $39,663 · fundraising $57,883

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $1,669 · program services $976 · management and general $693

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $228,899 · program services $158,005 · management and general $26,319 · fundraising $44,575

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $42,331 · program services $31,158 · management and general $9,492 · fundraising $1,681

  • 17 · Travel

    total $79,806 · program services $56,794 · management and general $19,356 · fundraising $3,656

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $32,441 · program services $23,087 · management and general $7,868 · fundraising $1,486

  • 20 · Interest

    total $19,781 · program services $105 · management and general $19,676

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $41,616 · program services $35,374 · management and general $2,913 · fundraising $3,329

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $63,654 · program services $55,897 · management and general $4,581 · fundraising $3,176

  • 24a · Other expenses: TOOLS & SUPPLIES

    total $182,232 · program services $146,200 · management and general $33,975 · fundraising $2,057

  • 24b · Other expenses: LAND RELATED COSTS

    total $177,060 · program services $175,239 · management and general $1,821

  • 24c · Other expenses: REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

    total $43,477 · program services $41,188 · management and general $1,068 · fundraising $1,221

  • 24d · Other expenses: VEHICLES

    total $14,533 · program services $13,320 · management and general $566 · fundraising $647

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $9,294 · program services $8,522 · management and general $335 · fundraising $437

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $3,236,875 · end of year $1,319,509

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $168,996 · end of year $999,052

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $849,777 · end of year $565,919

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $53,399 · end of year $60

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $38,758 · end of year $66,195

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

    $1,554,390

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

    $293,255

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $1,075,870 · end of year $1,261,135

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $17,405,696 · end of year $26,058,470

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $29,007,922 · end of year $29,959,168

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $120,818 · end of year $219,934

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

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

  • 21 · Escrow or custodial account liability

    beginning of year $8,183,726 · end of year $10,832,761

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $461,866 · end of year $399,531

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $21,354 · end of year $7,788

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $2,073,376 · end of year $4,486,762

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $40,962,757 · end of year $44,269,336

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

SEE SCHEDULE O

Activities or mission (Part I)

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

  • LAND PURCHASES THAT HAVE STRATEGIC CONSERVATION VALUES. 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. RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE CONSERVATION EASEMENT MONITORING, SIMPLE RESTORATION, AND WASTE REMOVAL. ALONG WITH LAND PUCHASES IN OUR LOCAL AREA AND OUR CONSERVATION EASEMENT WORK, THE ORGANIZATION HAS CONVEYED 1,308 PARCELS TOTALING 58,843 ACRES TO THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, CONSOLIDATING OUR PUBLIC LANDS AND CONSERVED OVER 102,000 ACRES.

    Expenses $1,726,993 · Revenue $368,104

  • EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAM INCLUDE GUIDED HIKES, OUTDOOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH AT LOCAL FAIRS AND FESTIVALS, LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS, SPECIAL EVENTS AND AN INTERNSHIP FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. A TOTAL OF 913 YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 5-18 YEARS OLD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONNECTED WITH THE DESERT THROUGH MDLT'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN 2023. OF THESE, 495 STUDENTS TOOK PART IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING LABS ABOUT DESERT ECOLOGY AND HAD ARTWORK PUBLISHED IN THE CHOLLA NEEDLES: YOUNG WRITERS AND ARTISTS AND JOSHUA TREE VOICE MAGAZINES. AN ADDITIONAL 221 STUDENTS CARRIED OUT STEWARDSHIP AND CONTRIBUTED CITIZEN SCIENCE ABOUT SPECIES ON MDLT LANDS, AND 197 JOINED FIELD TRIPS TO A LOCAL BIRD WATCHING PRESERVE. NINE WOMEN TOOK PART IN THREE RESEARCH TEAMS FOR THE WOMEN IN SCIENCE DISCOVERING OUR MOJAVE (WISDOM) INTERNSHIP, COLLECTING DATA ABOUT TAMARISK BEETLES, BIRDS, BUMBLE BEES, AND SPRINGS IN MOJAVE TRAILS NATIONAL MONUMENT.

    Expenses $519,013

  • 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 PROGRAM STORES AND PRESERVES NATIVE SEEDS AND HERBARIUM SPECIMENS FROM MDLT PROPERTIES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH. IN FY23, THE NURSERY GREW OVER 20,000 PLANTS INCLUDING THE LARGEST RESTORATION CONTRACT TO DATE - OVER 15,000 SALT-TOLERANT PLANT SPECIES FOR HABITAT RESTORATION AND DUST SUPPRESSION AROUND THE SALTON SEA. IN 2023, THE PLANT CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A 3 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD TO EXPAND THE SEED BANK IN EFFORTS TO HELP PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE BIODIVERSITY OF THE DESERTS OF CALIFORNIA.

    Expenses $483,053 · Revenue $123,052

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • 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

  • Terrysa Guerra

    DIRECTOR (UNTIL 11/23)

    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

  • Kelly Herbinson

    JOINT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $119,837
    From this org
    $106,496
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $13,341
    Hours/week
    40

  • Cody Hanford

    JOINT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $104,821
    From this org
    $93,335
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,486
    Hours/week
    40

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
2023
Filed
16 December 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202403529349301205

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