American Prairie

Legal name: American Prairie Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810541893
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bozeman, MT, USA
Phone
(406) 585-4600
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$44,696,566
Expenses
$15,356,995
Assets
$206,769,425
Liabilities
$4,490,010

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ALISON FOX (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ALISON FOX (CEO): $357,245 total reported compensation
  • PETE GEDDES (CHIEF EXTERNAL RELATIONS OFFICER): $238,018 total reported compensation
  • HEATHER GRINER (CHIEF OPERATIONS & FINANCE OFFICER): $218,068 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To create one of the largest nature reserves in the United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage.

What it reported doing in 2024

Visitor experience and education: american prairie provides public access to more than 140,000 acres of deeded land, along with seamless access to an additional 386,000 acres of adjacent public land. This expansive landscape supports thriving wildlife habitat and offers outstanding opportunities for hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing. By ensuring public access to these lands, american prairie invites people to explore and connect with the prairie ecosystem, with the promise that each visit will reveal a wilder, more vibrant landscape. Continued on schedule o . . . In addition to land access, american prairie operates the american prairie field school, a k12 education program offering free day and overnight experiences for Montana public school students. These programs are designed to foster curiosity and a deeper understanding of the region's natural and cultural heritage through immersive, hands-on outdoor learning. Together, these efforts support conservation, recreation, and education across one of north america's most iconic and ecologically significant landscapes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 37
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 97
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 20.6%; rating input score 21
  • Program expense ratio: 54.2%; rating input score 54
  • Fundraising efficiency: $29.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99%; rating input score 99; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 65.6%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 13.46; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 20.6% of revenue deployed · 54.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 19 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $8.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $357K · 30 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 41 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 21/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.