Arc of Appalachia

What it reported doing in 2025

Land Acquisition & Nature Preservation - In 2025, Arc of Appalachia (the Arc) expanded its nature preserve holdings by eight properties and 2,267 acres. The Arc also supported a partner nonprofit, Wilderness East, in its purchase of seven properties totaling 1,691 acres. The Arc will purchase these properties from Wilderness East once grant and public funding have been achieved. All of these acquisitions further the Arc's mission of wildlands preservation. Over the organization's 30-year history, 181 separate land acquisitions have been consummated, establishing 38 preserve regions, nearly all of which remain actively stewarded by the Arc. Through a combination of grants and private donations, the Arc acquired in Ohio: 956 acres in Gallia County (86 acre Beaver Wetlands and 870 acre Mudsoc Woods), 60 acres in Hocking County (Pip Ridge), 5 acres in Scioto County (addition to our Ohio Hanging Rock Preserve), 1 acre in Holmes (part of our Killbuck Preserve), 45 acres in Jackson County (Welkin Ring), and 1,200 acres in Greenbrier County, West Virginia (Wild Rock Canyon).Land Stewardship & Hiking Trails. The Arc Land Stewardship Team in 2025 was able to complete Sugarbush, Rock Oak, Cliff Run, and one trail at our Tremper Mound Preserve. Trails that are still under development include Big Cola, Sylvan Deep, and the trail at Noel Hollow, with an expected completion in 2026. Non-native invasive plant control is a year-round task across the preserve system, focusing primarily on bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, autumn olive, and Chinese lespedeza. Arc staff continue to track and treat hemlock wooly adelgid, a non-native invasive insect, in five of our preserves with stands of Canadian hemlock. The Arc continues management of an Ohio History Connection-owned site, Fort Hill, in Highland County.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 16.4%; rating input score 16
• Program expense ratio: 84.7%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: $74.83 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 70%; rating input score 70; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 81.4%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 32; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.1%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 16.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 16.9% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings