Artemis Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $63,985
- Spending
- $20,721
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 78.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $6,000, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (education, under $250k).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $3,383 spent. HISTORY THE INSTITUTE BEGAN IN 2003. FROM THAT TIME UNTIL 2015, A FULL-TIME EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, REMOTE STUDIO, WAS OFFERED IN "IMMERSION" ARCHITECTURE - DESIGN AND BUILD PROJECTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY AND NATURE - INCLUDING BACKCOUNTRY TRIPS, RESEARCH, AND FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY. THE INSTITUTE PARTNERED WITH MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND STUDENTS RECEIVED COLLEGE CREDITS FOR TAKING THESE COURSES. FUNDS WERE RAISED THROUGH STUDENT TUITION AND DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS. THE ORGANIZATION HAD REDUCED OPERATIONS FROM 2015 UNTIL 2021, WITH MINIMAL ACTIVITY FOCUSED ON SMALL COMMUNITY ACTIVITY FOCUSED ON THE LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ARTS ACTIVITIES IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE REGION. THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA IS OFTEN COMPARED TO THE SERENGETI IN AFRICA, AND IS ONE OF THE LAST NEARLY WHOLE TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEMS ON EARTH. CURRENT ARTEMIS INSTITUTE IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF YELLOWSTONIAN. FOUNDER, LORI RYKER, PROVIDES OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, PR ACTIVITIES, COORDINATION FOR PUBLIC EVENTS AND PRESENCE AT EVENTS FOR THE ONLINE JOURNAL. SHE IS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE FOUNDER TODD WILKINSON FOR STORY DIRECTION AND IDEAS FOR GROWTH OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY. ERIC JUNKER'S ARTWORK DEVELOPED DURING HIS WILDLIFES RESIDENCY IS BEING USED FOR DEVELOPING THE VISUAL IDENTITY FOR YELLOWSTONIAN THROUGH FUND RAISING EFFORTS, SUCH AS T-SHIRTS AND MUGS. THESE OFFERINGS HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST. WE STARTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANDISE WEBSITE THAT WILL TIE TO THE YELLOWSTONIAN WEBSITE TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2026 TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF YELLOWSTONIAN. WE CONTINUE TO USE PAYPAL AS THE DIRECT DONATION SITE THAT IS REACHED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND NEWSLETTER ACTIVITIES OF YELLOWSTONIAN. IN LATE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, YELLOWSTONIAN LAUNCHED A SUCCESSFUL END OF YEAR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FEATURING INCENTIVES OFFERED TO THOSE WHO GAVE AT CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNTS. WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE CAN GAINED THROUGH DONATIONS 2025 WE PLAN TO MAKE SINGULAR PAYMENTS TO TODD WILKINSON TO SUPPORT HIS TIME AND EFFORTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF YELLOWSTONIAN. WILDLIFES WILDLIFES PROVIDES AN ART ACTIVIST ORIENTED PROGRAM TO THESE EFFORTS. AN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM BEGAN IN 2022 TO CREATE WALL MURALS AND FINE ART PRINTS. A NEW WEBSITE CALLED WILDLIFES.ORG HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED, AND RECOGNITION IS GROWING. A PROFILE OF WILDLIFES WAS PUBLISHED IN PRINT AND ONLINE IN OUTSIDE BOZEMAN, APRIL 2024 ISSUE. AN ONLINE ARTICLE (AUGUST 7, 2023) ABOUT WILDLIFES IS AVAILABLE ON THE MOUNTAIN LIVING WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.MOUNTAINLIVING.COM/WILDLIFES/ HISTORY THE INSTITUTE BEGAN IN 2003. FROM THAT TIME UNTIL 2015, A FULL-TIME EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, REMOTE STUDIO, WAS OFFERED IN "IMMERSION" ARCHITECTURE - DESIGN AND BUILD PROJECTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY AND NATURE - INCLUDING BACKCOUNTRY TRIPS, RESEARCH, AND FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY. THE INSTITUTE PARTNERED WITH MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND STUDENTS RECEIVED COLLEGE CREDITS FOR TAKING THESE COURSES. FUNDS WERE RAISED THROUGH STUDENT TUITION AND DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND FOUNDATIONS. THE ORGANIZATION HAD REDUCED OPERATIONS FROM 2015 UNTIL 2021, WITH MINIMAL ACTIVITY FOCUSED ON SMALL COMMUNITY ACTIVITY FOCUSED ON THE LINK BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ARTS ACTIVITIES IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE REGION. THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA IS OFTEN COMPARED TO THE SERENGETI IN AFRICA, AND IS ONE OF THE LAST NEARLY WHOLE TEMPERATE ECOSYSTEMS ON EARTH. CURRENT ARTEMIS INSTITUTE IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF YELLOWSTONIAN. FOUNDER, LORI RYKER, PROVIDES OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, PR ACTIVITIES, COORDINATION FOR PUBLIC EVENTS AND PRESENCE AT EVENTS FOR THE ONLINE JOURNAL. SHE IS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE FOUNDER TODD WILKINSON FOR STORY DIRECTION AND IDEAS FOR GROWTH OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY. ERIC JUNKER'S ARTWORK DEVELOPED DURING HIS WILDLIFES RESIDENCY IS BEING USED FOR DEVELOPING THE VISUAL IDENTITY FOR YELLOWSTONIAN THROUGH FUND RAISING EFFORTS, SUCH AS T-SHIRTS AND MUGS. THESE OFFERINGS HAVE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST. WE STARTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANDISE WEBSITE THAT WILL TIE TO THE YELLOWSTONIAN WEBSITE TO BE LAUNCHED IN 2026 TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF YELLOWSTONIAN. WE CONTINUE TO USE PAYPAL AS THE DIRECT DONATION SITE THAT IS REACHED THROUGH THE INTERNET AND NEWSLETTER ACTIVITIES OF YELLOWSTONIAN. IN LATE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, YELLOWSTONIAN LAUNCHED A SUCCESSFUL END OF YEAR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FEATURING INCENTIVES OFFERED TO THOSE WHO GAVE AT CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNTS. WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE CAN GAINED THROUGH DONATIONS 2025 WE PLAN TO MAKE SINGULAR PAYMENTS TO TODD WILKINSON TO SUPPORT HIS TIME AND EFFORTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF YELLOWSTONIAN. WILDLIFES WILDLIFES PROVIDES AN ART ACTIVIST ORIENTED PROGRAM TO THESE EFFORTS. AN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM BEGAN IN 2022 TO CREATE WALL MURALS AND FINE ART PRINTS. A NEW WEBSITE CALLED WILDLIFES.ORG HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND LAUNCHED, AND RECOGNITION IS GROWING. A PROFILE OF WILDLIFES WAS PUBLISHED IN PRINT AND ONLINE IN OUTSIDE BOZEMAN, APRIL 2024 ISSUE. AN ONLINE ARTICLE (AUGUST 7, 2023) ABOUT WILDLIFES IS AVAILABLE ON THE MOUNTAIN LIVING WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.MOUNTAINLIVING.COM/WILDLIFES/
- $12,878 spent. YELLOWSTONIAN FOUNDED BY TODD WILKINSON AND GUS O'KEEFE, AND HOSTED BY ARTEMIS INSTITUTE WAS LAUNCHED IN APRIL OF 2024. IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH LONGTIME JOURNALIST TODD WILKINSON IS THE EDITOR AND LEAD JOURNALIST FOR YELLOWSTONIAN, WITH ADDITIONAL COLLABORATIONS FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SCIENTIST FROM THE REGION AND BEYOND. YELLOWSTONIAN IS DEVOTED TO EXPLORING VITAL ISSUES SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WILDLIFE-RICH WEST. SINCE IT OFFICIALLY WENT LIVE IN MID-APRIL 2025 AS A SPECIAL PROJECT OF ARTEMIS INSTITUTE, YELLOWSTONIAN'S MAIN OBJECTIVE AS A PUBLIC INTEREST, NON-PROFIT, CONSERVATION JOURNALISM SITE WAS TO BUILD ITS REACH AND CREDIBILITY. WITH CRUCIAL SEED MONEY CONTRIBUTED TO ARTEMIS INSTITUTE AS GIFTS BY A HANDFUL OF DONORS, YELLOWSTONIAN, ACCESSIBLE AT YELLOWSTONIAN.ORG, ENLISTED A COMPANY TO HELP DESIGN A FULLY-FUNCTIONAL WEB SITE THAT FEATURED STORIES MADE AVAILABLE FREE TO READERS AND ALSO EASILY PUT INTO CIRCULATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS. IN THE EIGHT MONTHS OF ITS OPERATION IN 2024, YELLOWSTONIAN'S QUEST TO PROVE ITS CONCEPT INCLUDED ITS THREE PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTORS ELECTING NOT TO TAKE ANY COMPENSATION AND INSTEAD DIVERT AVAILABLE AND LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES INTO LEVERAGING THE IMPACT OF YELLOWSTONIAN CONTENT, TAKING THE FORM OF WRITTEN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM STORIES, CO-HOSTING A RANGE OF WELL-ATTENDED PUBLIC EVENTS THAT WERE ALSO LIVE-STREAMED, APPEARING ON PODCASTS AND GIVING LECTURES AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY. THE YEAR, 2025, WAS A MOMENTOUS YEAR FOR YELLOWSTONIAN AND BUILT UPON ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THOSE DURING OUR INAUGURAL YEAR OF 2024. ORGANIZATIONALLY, WE CONTINUED TO LEVERAGE OUR LIMITED HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO EXPAND BOTH OUR REACH, READERSHIP, AND IMPACT IN TERMS OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT ISSUES OFTEN COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. TODD ATTENDED NO LESS THAN FIVE DOZEN MEETINGS IN PERSON WITH SCIENTISTS, PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS, CONSERVATIONISTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, FARMERS, RANCHERS AND OTHERS ABOUT ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE IN GREATER YELLOWSTONE. IN ADDITION, HE INTERVIEWED MORE THAN 100 DIFFERENT PEOPLE FOR THREE DOZEN STORIES HE WROTE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SEVERAL OF THEM BEING IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS. YELLOWSTONIAN DOUBLED ITS FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO 40,000, MADE MORE THAN 300 CONTENTS POSTS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM, INCREASED THE FREQUENCY OF ITS NEWSLETTER AND TODD IN TURN, WAS A GUEST ON SIX DIFFERENT PODCASTS, SOME WITH A GLOBAL REACH. IN FEBRUARY, AS PART OF YELLOWSTONIAN'S PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ENTITY CALLED THE YELLOWSTONE SUMMIT, FEATURING VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS GIVEN BY DOZENS OF EXPERTS AND WATCHED BY THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS ACROSS THE US AND WORLD, TODD WILKINSON INTERVIEWED RETIRING YELLOWSTONE WINTERKEEPER STEVE FULLER WHO SPOKE ABOUT HIS 50-YEAR TENURE IN THE CENTER OF AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONAL PARK. IN EARLY APRIL, TODD WILKINSON JOINED FORMER MONTANA GOV. MARC RACICOT AND SEVERAL OTHER MONTANANS AT AN OUTDOOR COMMUNITY ATTENDED BY HUNDREDS OF CITIZENS IN LIVINGSTON, MONTANA. TODD'S REMARKS FOCUSED ON THE IMPACTS OF ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY ON THE FUNCTION AND MORALE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WORKING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT PLAY A PROMINENT ROLE IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE REGION AND NORTHERN ROCKIES. LATER IN APRIL, WE CO-HOSTED A LIVE AND LIVE-STREAM EVENT WITH GALLATIN VALLEY EARTH DAY FOCUSED ON THE CHALLENGES OF SPRAWL AND THE IMPACT IT HAVING ON BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM. WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A PANEL OF FIVE DIFFERENT EXPERTS COMPRISING A SCIENTIFIC ENTITY SPECIALIZING IN WILDLIFE MIGRATIONS, A PROFESSIONAL LAND USE PLANNER DEALING WITH GROWTH ISSUES IN PARK COUNTY, MONTANA, A FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER FROM TETON COUNTY, IDAHO, THE HEAD OF THE GALLATIN VALLEY LAND TRUST, AND A NATIONAL EXPERT ON INWARD POPULATION MIGRATION. IT CAME ON THE HEELS OF A SPECIAL REPORT THAT YELLOWSTONIAN HELPED PREPARE ON THE ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF SPRAWL. MANY PEOPLE CITED THIS EVENT AS BEING A CATALYST FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING TO PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT, WATER QUALITY AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. IN MAY, WE PARTNERED WITH THE MONTANA WILDLIFE FEDERATION IN HOSTING A LIVE EVENT IN BOZEMAN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CIVILITY AND COMITY AS PART OF PUBLIC DISCOURSE. THE EVENT FEATURED TWO RIVAL CANDIDATES WHO FACED EACH OTHER IN A CLOSE RACE FOR GOVERNOR OF MONTANA IN 1992. WE INVITED FORMER TWO-TERM MONTANA GOVERNOR MARC RACICOT, A REPUBLICAN WHO ALSO SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND HEAD OF THE GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN, AND EIGHT-TERM MONTANA LEGISLATOR DOROTHY BRADLEY, A DEMOCRAT, WHO NARROWLY LOST TO RACICOT IN THE CONTEXT FOR GOVERNOR. THEY SPOKE TO A LARGE AUDIENCE ABOUT THE NEED FOR AMERICA TO RALLY TOGETHER, IN THESE DIVISIVE TIMES, IN A CIVIC SPACE KNOWN AT THE RADICAL MIDDLE. IN JUNE, TODD GAVE A PRESENTATION ON GROWTH-RELATED CHALLENGES FACING MONTANA'S MADISON VALLEY AT A WELL-ATTENDED DINNER EVENT SPONSORED BY THE GROUP, PRESERVE RAYNOLDS PASS. IN SEPTEMBER, YELLOWSTONIAN FOUNDER TODD WILKINSON WAS PART OF A PANEL DISCUSSION, HOSTED BY MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND HELD AT THE BOZEMAN PUBLIC LIBRARY FEATURING CHAPTERS FROM A NEW BOOK A WATERSHED MOMENT, ABOUT DIFFERENT CONSERVATION AND CULTURAL ISSUES IN THE NEW WEST. WILKINSON SPOKE ABOUT THE GROWING IMPACTS OF THE OUTDOOR RECREATION INDUSTRY ON PUBLIC WILDLIFE AND LANDS. IN LATE SEPTEMBER, TODD WILKINSON DELIVERED A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE MONTANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN HELENA, MONTANA. THE TITLE OF HIS ADDRESS WAS "WHAT MAKES MONTANA MONTANA- AND IT INCLUDED A CO-PRESENTATION WITH DR. MARK FIEGE, WHO RECENTLY RETIRED AS THE WALLACE STEGNER DISTINGUISHED CHAIR OF WESTERN HISTORY AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY. THE ADDRESS AND EXCHANGE WAS SO POPULAR WITH THE AUDIENCE THAT WILKINSON AND FIEGE WERE ASKED TO WRITE A
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2003.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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