Conservation Legacy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841450808
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Aug 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Durango, CO, US
Phone
970-403-1149
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Community Service Clubs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$57,421,813
Expenses
$53,473,508
Assets
$22,511,638
Liabilities
$5,495,366

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AMY SOVOCOOL (PRESIDENT)
  • APRIL ELKINS BADTKE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • AMY SOVOCOOL (PRESIDENT): $196,752 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD RUEHRWEIN (SR. VP OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS): $166,089 total reported compensation
  • KEVIN HEINER (SR. VP OF OPERATIONS): $150,715 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Conservation Legacy focuses on local impact—engaging youth, young adults and veterans in conservation and service programs from 15 locations nationwide.

What it reported doing in 2024

Southwest conservation corps (scc) operates conservation service programs across southern Colorado and northern New Mexico that engage youth, young adults and veterans on public lands. Scc works to foster inclusive opportunities and collaborative partnerships for positive growth through development of knowledge, leadership, and compassion towards our lands and communities. In 2024, scc completed 218,557 hours of service, improved 5,802 acres of land, 28,539 acres were mapped/surveyed and 353 miles of trail were maintained/constructed.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 68% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.3%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 91.7%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $295.33 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th 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: 6.9%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 7 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 11 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 85.3% of revenue deployed · 91.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 8 filed program accomplishments · $49M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $197K · 18 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $915K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.