Center for Natural Lands Management

What it reported doing in 2024

As of september 30, 2025, the center for natural lands management (cnlm) has permanently protected, through in-fee ownership and conservation easements, 75,547.65 acres of land and wetlands that provide associated habitat for at-risk species. Protection and stewardship were provided through patrolling, public education, control of non-native vegetation, biological monitoring, boundary security, habitat restoration, research, and other activites. Through this stewardship, cnlm protected approximately 177 federal or state listed or special-status species, including 28 mammal, 40 bird, 18 reptile, 8 amphibian, 5 fish, 13 invertebrate, and 65 plant species on its preserves in California, Oregon, and Washington. These are increases from the previous reporting period, and largely based on inclusion of species of greatest concern in Washington, new detections of species, and some new species through preserve acquisitions. To support these stewardship activities, cnlm held 117 restricted accounts with a cumulative value of $316,946,110 as of september 30, 2025, of which $22,499,312 was newly contributed during the fiscal year. Additionally, at the close of the fiscal year, cnlm held $37,843,494 in funds restricted for the purpose of funding additional conservation activities.cnlm also manages conservation lands under contract with others. During this reporting period, cnlm managed over 5,219 acres under contract in California and Washington, all of which provided habitat for listed or rare species or represented sensitive or rare habitat. In addition, cnlm provides a suite of biological monitoring, restoration, and vegetation management services to others to enhance the ecological value of conservation lands or to assist in species recovery efforts. In these cases, cnlm holds no direct realty interest but the organization's experience and expertise are appropriate for the habitat types and management objectives.additionally, cnlm provides services to assist others (such as city and county governments) to better calculate the costs of their long-term or perpetual management responsibilities of open space areas. We accomplish this through direct service contracts, offering as a subscription an "app" that we developed for that purpose, and providing information through publications, conferences, and training videos.approximately 437 volunteers contributed their labor to further support cnlm's habitat stewardship and restoration efforts.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 30.8%; rating input score 31
• Program expense ratio: 76.6%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $1,828.35 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: 66.2%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 34.05; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.8%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings