Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources

What it reported doing in 2025

Southern California wildlife institute: ijnr held a five-day, six-night institute for 15 journalists, held march 2-8, that explored the ecological, social, and economic impacts of southern California's wildfires. Extended drought, overabundant fuel, and an influx of residential development in the wildland-urban interface have led to more destructive fires. State, federal and local officials are trying out new ways to work together and protect residents from a relentless fire cycle that continues to consume property and threaten human life. Meanwhile, firefighting agencies contend with a crisis in firefighter mental health, a dwindling workforce and complicated resource-sharing arrangements. The end result is a complex beat, rich with stories for journalists covering fire. The program began and ended in san diego, and traveled to locations across southern California as participating journalists met with fire chiefs, scientists, homeowners, tribal officials, policymakers and more as we explored efforts to mitigate the worst impacts of fire and create a more sustainable future for southern California. Reporting on the urban environment workshop: from july 10-12, ijnr brought 15 journalists to chicago to explore issues like legacy pollution, urban waterways and public health. Conducted in partnership with the uproot project, this workshop was for journalists of color interested in learning more about covering the environment. Participating journalists met with community leaders, scientists, urban planners, and city officials as they traveled around the city and learned about efforts to chart a more sustainable - and just - future for chicago's 2.7 million residents, and how those efforts translate to urban areas around the country. Participants also heard from educators and editors about how to get started in the environment beat, best practices for covering communities of color, and more.crown of the continent institute: northwestern Montana is known for its rugged landscape punctuated by the remote, craggy peaks of glacier national park. But the region is also home to vast tracts of public land where some of north america's most iconic creatures roam, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, wolverines and mountain lions. Within and around all that wilderness is a working landscape where humans navigate a wide range of complex issues central to conservation and resource management conservations across north america. Ijnr brought 16 journalists to Montana in october, and introduced them to a wide range of subject matter experts including tribal members, ecologists, wildlife and fisheries biologists, climate scientists, ranchers, land managers, and other stakeholders whose life or livelihood is based on the landscape. Recruitment for the program was conducted in partnership with the indigenous journalists association, and three indigenous ija members joined the cohort. Troubled waters: the fate of the great lakes in a shifting federal landscape workshop: the biden administration earmarked billions of dollars to mitigate impacts of climate change, improve infrastructure, and boost renewable energy throughout the great lakes basin. Existing programs, administered by the epa, noaa, the national weather service, the great lakes restoration initiative, and state and local resources, have been in place for decades, monitoring air and water quality, restoring habitat, and collecting data to protect freshwater resources and the populations that depend on them. Now, hundreds of ongoing projects within the basin are imperiled by the trump administration's efforts to shrink government spending, jeopardizing the health of an entire ecosystem and the 30 million people who call the great lakes home. It's a rapidly developing situation that could impact 10 percent of americans - and 30 percent of canadians. Ijnr conducted a multi-day workshop designed to get journalists out to the basin's most populous lake - erie - to meet with scientists,

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 73.4%; rating input score 73
• Fundraising efficiency: $12.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -38.1%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.1; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 23.1%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings