Hawaiian Islands Land Trust

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
990353223
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
Phone
8087442462
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,647,227
Expenses
$3,061,873
Assets
$39,314,101
Liabilities
$459,782

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • OLU CAMPBELL (CEO AND PRES)

Highest reported compensation

  • OLU CAMPBELL (CEO AND PRES): $162,124 total reported compensation
  • ANGELA BRITTEN (COO AND PHIL): $113,523 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Hawaiian islands land trust dba hawai'i land trust (hilt) is hawai'i's statewide land trust that is both a hawai'i 501(c)3 nonprofit, and a nationally accredited land trust. Hilt's mission is to protect and steward the lands that sustain hawai'i, and to perpetuate hawaiian values by connecting people with 'aina. 'aina means the lands that feed us. Hilt formed in 2011 from a merger of four island land trusts on maui, o'ahu, hawai'i island, and kaua'i. A dedicated board of directors representing all major islands guides hilt, supported by a hard working, diverse, and knowledgeable staff. Hilt has protected over 22,585 acres across hawai'i, through fee purchases that become public preserves owned and stewarded by hilt, and conservation easements protecting agricultural, ecological, and cultural resources on private lands. We work in three programmatic areas: protect, steward, and connect. We protect lands that are integral to hawai'i's well-being and character, upholding our kuleana (resp

What it reported doing in 2024

Hawai'i land trust (hilt) works in three programmatic areas: protect, steward, and connect. Hilt is constantly furthering its efforts to: 1) protect lands in line with its strategic land protection priorities (coastlines, hawaiian cultural landscapes, and lands that grow food for hawai'i's people); 2) steward its public preserves and conservation easements with numerous conservation values (stunning scenic vistas; public outdoor recreation areas; places of cultural and historical significance; ranches and farms that provide fresh local food; wildlife habitats that secure biodiversity; beaches for people to enjoy; and other water resource areas); and 3) connect communities to their special natural places. Some 2024 highlights are as follows: protect - conservation purchases and easements: 1. Total place protected following hilt's strategic land protection priorities: a. Protected 1.36 acres of coastal lands in hamoa, hana, maui as a part of a larger save hana coast efforts with community group ke ao halii. B.protected 28 acres of agricultural land in kohala, Hawaii with community stewardship 2. Total newly protected land in 2024: 29.36 acres stewardship: 3. Planted 2,520 native and rare plants at hilt's preserves 4. 1,694 volunteers gave 5,644 hours of stewardship at hilt preserves 5. 1 plant nursery started at mahukona 6. 1 medicinal plant garden started at maunawila 7. 1 license agreement for community garden at veterans peace park 8. 1 steward hired on kauai and 2 educators hired on maui 9. Continued the restoration of the kapoho wetland and fishpond and expanded 2 acres of native habitat at waihee refuge, cleared 3 acres at nuu refuge connect: aina engagement and education 10. Facilitated 32 talk story on the land hikes 11. Hosted 6,358 students visits in aina-based education 12. Provided 41 college & high school students with internships 13. Welcomed 19,000 visitors to our preserves 14. Hosted 2,185 campers on hilt preserves 15. Attended 46 events for community outreach 16. 2 mou agreements with elementary schools to use hilt site as satellite learning space 17. 184 fishpond practitioners at waihee for the kua fishpond conference (hui malama loko ia) 18. 7 temporary employment & green job training for fire-impaced maui residents

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 50.3%; rating input score 50
  • Program expense ratio: 83.6%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Missing
    • 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; 63rd 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: 45.8%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.84; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.5% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 50.3% of revenue deployed · 83.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $162K · 23 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.