Yosemite Conservancy

What it reported doing in 2025

Park programs: the conservancy supports the preservation and education related roles of the national park service mission through a varied portfolio of public educational programs. The conservancy's outdoor adventures enhance the yosemite experience for park visitors through dozens of interpretive and educational day hikes, backpacking trips and other programs in geology, botany, natural and social history, photography, and the arts. The conservancy also conducts educational field programs on a custom basis and by contract with travel providers. In addition, the conservancy supports art programs and the parson's memorial lodge summer series. The conservancy also helps inspire and train the next generation of stewards by supporting internships, (cont. On sch. O) junior ranger activities, and other youth programs in the park, and helps sustain yosemite-focused leadership programming and educational outreach with university of California, merced.the conservancy's wilderness operations program assists the national park service in ensuring that yosemite backcountry visitors are educated about and prepared for wilderness travel. Conservancy wilderness staff manage the wilderness reservation system, issue permits, sponsor the bear-proof food canister rental program, operate the ostrander ski hut, sell interpretive and orientation materials, and provide visitors with the opportunity for an enjoyable and respectful wilderness experience.the conservancy's volunteer program recruits, trains and manages volunteers who support yosemite through numerous week-long natural resource restoration projects and through a month-long "visitor information assistant" program that improves the experience of hundreds of thousands of park visitors annually.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 74.1%; rating input score 74
• Program expense ratio: 70.4%; rating input score 70
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4.9%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.34; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings