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CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

EIN 94-6116403 SACRAMENTO, CA

Revenue 2024
$9,459,830
Expenses 2024
$9,464,294

Program services were 79.7% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
C30
Classification
1200
Street
2707 K ST STE 1

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

To protect Californias native plants and their natural habitats, today and into the future, through science, education, stewardship, gardening, and advocacy

  • Plant ScienceCalifornia's ambitious climate, working land, and biodiversity initiatives require the best available science on the state's native plants and habitats. With the State of California's record investment in vegetation mapping, the CNPS Vegetation Program partnered to complete 5 million acres of vegetation mapping, 100 additions or updates to the Manual of California Vegetation, and monitoring and sampling of 120 federally managed public lands. Vegetation mapping on Californias Central Coast was a highlight with 2,500 new vegetation surveys, more than 10,000 existing surveys compiled. More than 190 plant alliances and 1,556 rare and sensitive plant species were mapped. During this same time, CNPS Rare Plant Program Staff vouchered 522 plants, surveyed 225 rare plants, and made 46 status additions and updates to the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory. A highlight was the teams conservation work in the Caldor Fire burn scar, where the Rare Plant team and volunteers collected 85,000 rare plant seeds for seed-banking and 19 herbarium vouchers. Together, they collected 157 data points across 58 populations of target species, thanks in part to more than 600 hours of support from CNPS volunteers. In community science, the CNPS Fire Followers science project captures more than 62,000 observations in post-fire areas, contributing to our growing understanding of native plants in burn areas. Last, work on the California Native Seed Strategy continued, with 235 species identified as candidates for restoration seed.

    Expenses $4,843,279 · Grants $182 · Revenue $3,767,637

  • Engagement & OutreachThis year, CNPS Education, Horticulture, and Public Affairs staff worked to engage the public, strengthen partnerships, and educate decision-makers through a wide range of activities. In Education, CNPS prepared for the 2026 CNPS Conference by forming its Conference Planning Committee and beginning its work under the theme: Growing the Movement Together for Native Plants. Education Staff also designed the new Biodiversity in Urban Gardens community science project, launching in late 2025/early 2026. The team awarded 15 student research grantees over $14,000 in funding, welcomed 110 participants to sold-out plant science workshops, and, under the leadership of the CNPS Rare Plant Program, awarded 94 new Certified California Botanists. Horticulture staff began work on cooperative agreements with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to scale up native plant production and habitat for pollinators, and introduced the new, interactive Calscape Garden Planner on Calscape.org. In Public Affairs, the team continued its leadership role in the Power in Nature coalition, advocating with partners statewide for the State of Californias goal to protect 30% of its lands and coastal waters by 2030. One noteworthy highlight was the passage of Proposition 4, which secured $10 billion in much-needed long-term conservation funding for the implementation of conservation, restoration, and land management projects across the state. Today, CNPS is reaching more people than ever with nearly 250,000 social media followers and 50,000 email subscribers.

    Expenses $1,612,051 · Grants $341,849 · Revenue $145,730

  • ConservationThe CNPS Conservation Program works with volunteers, staff, and partners to undertake the environmental review, legal action, and advocacy needed to protect California native plants and habitats today and into the future. This year, CNPS Conservation and Public Affairs staff launched a new Advocacy Corps to support its grassroots network of volunteers at key moments of decision-making. In January, CNPS staff and volunteer representatives were invited to the White House to celebrate the designations of Stttla and Chuckwalla National Monuments. The new monuments coupled with the May 2024 expansions of Berryessa Snow Mountain and San Gabriel Mountains National Monuments represented nearly 1 million newly conserved acres in California! As the new federal administration took office, CNPS and partners across the state pivoted to a statewide defense campaign to ensure Californias new national monuments and public lands stay in public hands with the highest levels of protection for native plants and habitats. CNPS also provided comment letters and initiated litigation to protect imperiled habitats and plants, including a case against the Jurupa Valley City Council to protect a one-of-a-kind native oak estimated to be 13,000-18,000 years old!

    Expenses $608,756

  • PUBLICATIONSThe CNPS Publication Program provides a unique platform for native plants and the people studying and advocating for them. Subject matter spans scientific, horticultural, cultural, conservation, and educational topics surrounding native plants. This year, CNPS published Part II of a special issue of its science journal, Artemisia -- Indigenous Perspectives: Native Plants and Climate Change. The program also published three editions of its popular Flora magazine (distribution ~15,000) along with California's first comprehensive guide to lupine titled, "Lupines of California" by Teresa Sholars and Stuart Wilson.

    Expenses $255,300 · Revenue $96,608

  • Chapter SupportCNPS's 35 chapters are the face of the native plant movement in communities across California and Baja California, Mexico. This year, CNPS volunteers contributed 157,000 volunteer hours, the equivalent of 430 hours a day! CNPS staff support volunteer-led chapter work in a technical assistance capacity, ranging from plant science and CEQA-process training to communications and operational guidance. Staff hosts coordinating meetings, provides professional best practice guidelines, and oversees and provides training in technical platforms including websites, Zoom, email marketing, volunteer management tools, and online sales. Staff also updates an extensive online chapter handbook, directories, codes of conduct, and other administrative tools. Highlights of chapter activities this year include: volunteer contributions for vegetation mapping and rare plant work in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the Central Coast, far Northern California, and the Caldor Fire burn area; a City of Ukiah grant to the CNPS Sanhedrin Chapter for native plants in public spaces; Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Gold Resolution award for the Milo Baker Chapters native plant restoration at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay; the Yerba Buena Chapters work to remove tens of thousands of invasive plants from Buckeye Canyon on San Bruno Mountain; distribution of more than 3,500 wildflower seed packets through the Santa Clara Valley Chapters Wildflower Ambassadors Program; removal of French broom at Lompico Headwaters in Santa Cruz County; the Alta Peak Chapters Tulare Lake lecture series; a grant to the Sequoia Chapter to establish native plant gardens with Fresno High Schools International Baccalaureate program; the discovery of a rare Arctostaphylos in San Luis Obispo; a $98,566 grant from the Orange County Chapter to the UC Irvine Herbarium to process plant vouchers and support publications with local plant identifications; a neighborhood-led restoration of Elephant Hill in El Sereno; and the Riverside-San Bernardino Chapters work to protect a 13,000 year-old Palmers oak, estimated to be one of the oldest living organisms on Earth. CNPS Chapters across Southern California were also on the frontlines of the Los Angeles wildfires, providing education and support for local residents.

    Expenses $225,543 · Revenue $55,513

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

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Kathy Jun Bando

    Executive Dir.

    Total calculated
    $185,713
    From this org
    $164,716
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,997
    Hours/week
    54

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $164,716
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $9,837
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,160
    Filer's total
    $185,713

  • Brock Wimberley

    Sr Operations Dir

    Total calculated
    $184,090
    From this org
    $161,337
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,753
    Hours/week
    47

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $161,337
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $9,637
    Nontaxable benefits
    $13,116
    Filer's total
    $184,090

  • Liv R O'Keeffe

    Dir Public Affairs

    Total calculated
    $173,336
    From this org
    $162,760
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,576
    Hours/week
    49

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $162,760
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $9,711
    Nontaxable benefits
    $865
    Filer's total
    $173,336

  • Christine Pieper

    Development Dir

    Total calculated
    $152,458
    From this org
    $130,325
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,133
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $130,325
    Bonus
    not reported
    Other
    not reported
    Deferred
    $7,806
    Nontaxable benefits
    $14,327
    Filer's total
    $152,458

  • Julie Evens

    Vegetation Prg Dir

    Total calculated
    $141,816
    From this org
    $120,040
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $21,776
    Hours/week
    41

  • Aaron E Sims

    Dir Rare Plants

    Total calculated
    $135,199
    From this org
    $117,135
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $18,064
    Hours/week
    41

  • Vince Scheidt

    Vice President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Vivian Neou

    President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Larry Levine

    Representative

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Steve Schoenig

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • April Owens

    Secretary

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Carol Witham

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Leslie Warren

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Robin Mitchell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Angel Garcia

    Rep Chapter Cou

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Gordon Leppig

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

  • Brent Mishler

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2024
    Revenue
    $9,459,830
    Expenses
    $9,464,294
    Contributions
    $4,404,409
    Grants paid
    $342,031
  • 2023
    Revenue
    $7,488,387
    Expenses
    $8,302,910
    Contributions
    $3,685,529
    Grants paid
    $211,632
  • 2022
    Revenue
    $9,920,277
    Expenses
    $8,325,124
    Contributions
    $6,591,650
    Grants paid
    $251,003

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

  • 2023 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2022 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2021 · 990

    Revenue
    $6,631,755
    Expenses
    $5,764,121
    Assets (EOY)
    $13,959,792

  • 2021 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2020 · 990

    Revenue
    $4,665,445
    Expenses
    $4,141,134
    Assets (EOY)
    $12,948,781

  • 2020 · 990-T

    Revenue
    not reported
    Expenses
    not reported
    Assets (EOY)
    not reported

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $8,270,635
    Expenses
    $3,665,174
    Assets (EOY)
    $11,913,329

  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $3,535,690
    Expenses
    $3,183,324
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,480,724

  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $4,213,945
    Expenses
    $2,758,101
    Assets (EOY)
    $7,262,018

  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $2,537,864
    Expenses
    $2,326,445
    Assets (EOY)
    $5,600,182

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Where these grants went next →

Grants received

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

Not listed. The IRS publishes this list for organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for failing to file for three consecutive years.

Publication 78

Listed as of 13 October 2026, under deductibility PC.

These are two separate IRS files on two separate schedules, shown as published and not reconciled with each other. Neither is a statement about whether a contribution is deductible today: 19,245 organizations appear in Publication 78 while the IRS's own revocation file lists them as currently revoked, more than half of those revoked before 2019. Absence from Publication 78 is evidence of nothing, and presence is not evidence either. Verify current status with the IRS before relying on it.

What this page reflects

The registration facts above come from the IRS Business Master File published 13 October 2026 and read 23 October 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2024, the newest we have parsed for this organization.