WWF

What it reported doing in 2024

Fy 2025 990 accomplishments: in fy 2025, wwf made valuable strides in addressing some of the most significant conservation challenges facing the planet. Among many achievements, we note these: strengthening american grasslands: wwf's sustainable ranching initiative reached a milestone in 2024, enrolling 1 million acres in its ranch systems and viability planning network a year ahead of schedule. The initiative equips ranchers in the northern great plains region with hands-on guidance from technical experts and continuous learning opportunities to promote more sustainable grazing practices. It also helps ranchers implement strategies that enhance carbon sequestration, improve water infiltration, and support wildlife across this vast expanse of enrolled acres. Restoring american rivers & freshwater systems: in fy25, to protect and restore the rio grande river, wwf conducted environmental flow assessments and co-led local water management working groups. We also supported restoration projects to secure community water access and revive beaver, cutthroat trout, and silvery minnow populations. In New Mexico, wwf surveyed farmers to better understand agricultural water use and promote water-resilient farming practices. Collectively, these projects will restore 160 acres of riparian habitats and wetlands and 65 miles of the river while supporting biodiversity across the basin.supporting Alaska communities: wwf's us arctic program launched a grants initiative in october 2024 to support Alaska native-led stewardship and conservation research, awarding several grants for walrus, shorebird, beluga, and salmon projects to date.reducing food loss and waste: each year, more than 1.3 billion tons of food is lost during and after harvest, before even leaving the farm. But we can't manage the food loss problem until we measure it, and most growers lack data on their postharvest losses. To help fill this data gap in our supply chains, wwf launched the global farm loss tool to help growers measure and reduce on-farm food loss. The tool helps growers develop new opportunities to prevent these losses and sell more of the products they grow. Additionally, wwf continued to expand the food waste warriors program in fy25. This program provides k-12 schools with grants, toolkits, and lesson plans that inform, engage, and inspire students to take action to tackle food waste. The 600+ participating schools across the us achieved a 14.5% reduction in cafeteria waste, on average.harnessing mangroves to help communities: wwf and partners surpassed goals under the mangroves for community and climate project, which helped protect and restore more than 2.4 million acres of mangroves globally, supporting sustainable livelihoods for over 300,000 people annually. Also in fy25, wwf deployed the climate-smart mangrove tool in colombia and launched ai-driven monitoring in mexico to strengthen mangrove monitoring and protection for coastlines and communities. Conserving snow leopards and other wildlife with cutting-edge science: wildlife naturally shed genetic material called edna, which can be extracted from water, soil, and air to reveal the areas where they live. That means that something as simple as a water sample from a river can help identify hard-to-find species like snow leopards. After a successful pilot in bhutan uncovered a remarkable amount of undocumented biodiversity, including snow leopards and woolly flying squirrels, wwf took part in the inauguration of an edna lab in april 2025 to conduct a cost-effective in-country analysis. This new lab will help bhutan complete its first national biodiversity assessment using edna. Combined with regional population estimates including india's first-ever study and a new assessment confirming 397 of the elusive cats in nepal these insights are advancing snow leopard conservation at both national and community levels. In bhutan's nubri region, for example, wwf is supporting the edge species protection project to he

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 81.9%; rating input score 82
• Program expense ratio: 78.9%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.76 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Pass
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Pass
  • Requires grant agreements: Pass
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 96.2%; rating input score 96; 50th 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: -0.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.12; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings