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FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN

EIN 94-2950514 LAS VEGAS, NV

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Revenue 2025
$231,229
Expenses 2025
$288,777

Program services were 29.9% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

As filed

Subsection
03
NTEE code
D30
Classification
1000
Street
PO BOX 27494

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 · 2025

Mission

SEE SCHEDULE O

Activities or mission (Part I)

THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN IS DEDICATED TO THE UTILIZATION, CONSERVATION AND WELFARE OF THE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP. THE FRATERNITY WORKS WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP.

  • WATER LEVEL MONITORING SYSTEMS - RANCHBOT.

    Expenses $60,219

  • FUTURE WATER PROJECT SUPPLIES.

    Expenses $18,513

  • JIM LUSK BUILD.

    Expenses $2,366

  • THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN IS A 100% VOLUNTEER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED IN LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH MEMBERS "UNSELFISHLY DEDICATED TO THE WELFARE AND CONSERVATION OF DESERT BIGHORN AND NEVADA'S WILDLIFE." THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1964 BY A HANDFUL OF CONCERNED ADVOCATES AND CONSERVATIONISTS WHEN THE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATION IN NEVADA WAS AT A HISTORIC LOW OF LESS THAN 2,000 ANIMALS. THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST SIX DECADES IN UNISON WITH NDOW AND OTHER LIKE-MINDED CONSERVATION GROUPS TO RECOVER BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA NOW NEARING 10,000 ANIMALS. ON SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025, THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN (FDB) HELD ITS 61ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER BANQUET AT THE SOUTH POINT HOTEL AND CASINO. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2025, FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE (NDOW), CONSTRUCTED THREE DESERT BIGHORN WATER DEVELOPMENTS (AKA GUZZLERS) IN RUGGED AND REMOTE TERRAIN IN THREE MOUNTAIN RANGES IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. IN JANUARY 2025, THE FIRST OF THE THREE GUZZLERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE 2025 BUILD SEASON WAS SITUATED IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE MUDDY MOUNTAINS, CLARK COUNTY. DUE TO THE LARGE POPULATION OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN THIS LOCATION, THE WATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE PROJECT WAS BOOSTED TO AN EIGHT-TANK SYSTEM. THE EIGHT 2,300-GALLON TANKS EQUATED TO AN OVERALL STORAGE CAPACITY OF 18,400 GALLONS. IN FEBRUARY 2025, A NEW BIGHORN GUZZLER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE SPOTTED RANGE, NYE COUNTY. THE SPOTTED RANGE IS THE WESTERNMOST MOUNTAIN RANGE ON THE DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE THIRD BIGHORN GUZZLER CONSTRUCTED IN 2025 WAS IN THE NORTHWEST PAHRANAGAT RANGE, LINCOLN COUNTY. ONCE CHARGED BY RAIN AND SNOW PRODUCING STORMS, THE LARGE EIGHT-TANK PROJECT WILL RELIABLY PROVIDE WATER TO NOT ONLY DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP BUT ALSO OTHER AVIAN AND TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE. AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION ON AN AMBITIOUS WATER MONITORING INITIATIVE, THE FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH NDOW AND SEVERAL NONPROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS, CONTINUES TO INSTALL WATER LEVEL MONITORS AND COMPANION RAIN GAUGES AT NEWLY CONSTRUCTED AND EXISTING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BIGHORN GUZZLERS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE AUTONOMOUS WATER MONITORS COLLECT WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA. DATA COMMUNICATIONS ARE SATELLITE-MEDIATED AND ARE NEAR REAL-TIME. THE NEAR REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF GUZZLERS PROVIDES ESSENTIAL INFORMATION RELATIVE TO NOT ONLY WATER AVAILABILITY BUT ALSO MAINTENANCE ISSUES. THE WATER MONITORING EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED FROM RANCHBOT MONITORING SOLUTIONS (FORT WORTH, TX) AND TRACK TAG LLC (ELY, NV). THE WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA ARE CLOSELY MONITORED BY NDOW PERSONNEL AND FDB MEMBERS. THE FDB CONTINUES ENGAGEMENT IN PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ABOUT CONSERVATION MEASURES FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING VIABLE POPULATIONS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE FDB ACTIVELY PROMOTED DESERT BIGHORN CONSERVATION TO KIDS AND ADULTS AT THE CLARK COUNTY FAIR, AND SPONSORED FIVE KIDS TO ATTEND THE NEVADA YOUTH RANGE CAMP HELD IN THE SCHELL CREEK RANGE NEAR ELY, WHITE PINE COUNTY. IN ADDITION, THE FDB SPONSORED SEVERAL IMPORTANT EVENTS: THE 58TH MEETING OF THE DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL IN GOLD CANYON, AZ; SHEEP SHOW (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER, CHAPTER & AFFILIATES SUMMIT (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, AND A MEETING OF THE NEVADA BIGHORN WORKING GROUP HELD AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER. LASTLY, THE FDB HOLDS MONTHLY MEMBERS MEETINGS TO INFORM ATTENDEES OF UPCOMING BIGHORN SHEEP CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, AND TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.

    Expenses $5,300 · Grants $5,000

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2025

As listed in Part VII of the 2025 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

  • Matthew Blackburn

    VICE PRESIDE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5
  • Patrick Cummings

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    10
  • Michelle Mercer

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5

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. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

  • 2025
    Revenue
    $231,229
    Expenses
    $288,777
    Contributions
    $108,056
    Grants paid
    $5,000
  • 2024
    Revenue
    $83,439
    Expenses
    $118,053
    Contributions
    $16,802
    Grants paid
    $0

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

  • 2019 · 990

    Revenue
    $884,852
    Expenses
    $350,595
    Assets (EOY)
    $1,048,429
  • 2018 · 990

    Revenue
    $328,294
    Expenses
    $216,065
    Assets (EOY)
    $466,514
  • 2017 · 990

    Revenue
    $176,334
    Expenses
    $153,084
    Assets (EOY)
    $354,285
  • 2016 · 990

    Revenue
    $184,036
    Expenses
    $150,920
    Assets (EOY)
    $331,035
  • 2015 · 990

    Revenue
    $206,532
    Expenses
    $147,233
    Assets (EOY)
    $297,919
  • 2014 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $127,989
    Expenses
    $56,638
    Assets (EOY)
    $238,620
  • 2013 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $97,951
    Expenses
    $47,773
    Assets (EOY)
    $167,268
  • 2012 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $47,974
    Expenses
    $43,636
    Assets (EOY)
    $117,174
  • 2011 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $51,011
    Expenses
    $105,340
    Assets (EOY)
    $112,836
  • 2010 · 990-EZ

    Revenue
    $106,093
    Expenses
    $114,513
    Assets (EOY)
    $167,165

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

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

Other IRS files

Auto-Revocation List

  • Exemption revoked 15 May 2023, reinstated 15 May 2023.

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 1 November 2026, for every organization at once. Returns through tax year 2025, the newest we have parsed for this organization.