Wildearth Guardians

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
850406306
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Fe, NM, USA
Phone
5059889126
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,862,789
Expenses
$5,282,934
Assets
$3,039,092
Liabilities
$549,388

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HOP HOPKINS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • GAY DILLINGHAM (PRESIDENT)
  • BRAY BELTRAN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SEAN STEVENS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • HOP HOPKINS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $179,486 total reported compensation
  • PEGGY N NYANGEZI (PEOPLE AND CULTURE DIRECTOR): $123,330 total reported compensation
  • KEVIN GAITHER-BANCHOFF (DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR): $118,061 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Wildearth guardians works to protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the american west.

What it reported doing in 2024

Climate & health: wild earth guardians envisions a future free of fossil fuel extraction on public lands, replaced by just, sustainable community economies. Our commitment goes beyond ending extraction; it includes empowering impacted communities, safeguarding ecosystems, and ensuring polluting industries bear full responsibility for their harm. After years of advocacy and litigation by guardians and our partners, the bureau of land management (blm) finalized a rule to end federal coal leasing in the powder river basin of Montana and Wyoming once current coal leases are exhausted. After years of settlement negotiations, guardians reached an agreement with two federal agencies and a large irrigation district that will help keep the rio grande flowing through New Mexico. In Colorado, in response to a petition from guardians and our partners, the U.S.environmental protection agency rejected the air permit for the largest coal mine in the state.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 78.3%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 16; 16th 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: 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; 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: Pass
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -36.8%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 78.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $4.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $179K · 16 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.