Stowe Land Trust
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 39% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE STOWE LAND TRUST IS DEDICATED TO THE CONSERVATION OF SCENIC, RECREATIONAL, AND PRODUCTIVE FARM AND FOREST LANDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE GREATER STOWE COMMUNITY.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $647,519
- Spent on programs
- 39%
- Reserves
- -13.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 73%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 82
- Highest pay
- $99,022, executive director (thru 01/24)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 75% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 149% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1539% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 15 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave 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.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, 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 (1)
- $253,707 spent. STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMIN FY24, STOWE LAND TRUST (SLT) RECEIVED A $26,000 PRIVATE DONATION THAT ALLOWED US TO UPGRADE THE LOWER TRAILS AT KIRCHNER WOODS TO MAKE THEM ACCESSIBLE TO ADAPTIVE CYCLISTS AND A WIDER VARIETY OF WALKERS. THE SPECIAL DONATION ALSO ENABLED US TO HIRE A FORESTRY CONTRACTOR TO HELP US UPDATE OUR LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS WITH CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND FOREST RESILIENCE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES FOR ALL SIX OF OUR OWNED PROPERTIES.TO MEET INCREASING STEWARDSHIP DEMANDS, SLT CREATED A NEW 11-MONTH VHCB AMERICORPS LANDS AND TRAILS STEWARD POSITION IN FY24 THAT HAS BECOME INTEGRAL TO HELPING OUR SMALL STAFF CONDUCT EASEMENT MONITORING AND TRAIL AND LAND MAINTENANCE, TRAIN VOLUNTEER LAND STEWARDS, AND WORK WITH VOLUNTEER GROUPS ON OUR CONSERVED PROPERTIES. IN FY24, SLT ALSO CONTRACTED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT TO HOST A FIELD NATURALIST M.S. GRADUATE STUDENT WHO CARRIED OUT A COMMUNITY RECREATION SURVEY AND HELPED FACILITATE AN UPDATE TO THE RECREATION MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SLT CONSERVED ADAMS CAMP.SLT'S VOLUNTEER LAND STEWARDS SPENT A TOTAL OF 167 REPORTED HOURS DURING FY24 MONITORING SLT CONSERVED PROPERTIES AND CONDUCTING TRAIL MAINTENANCE FOR US. SLT STEWARDSHIP STAFF HOSTED A STEWARDSHIP SUMMER SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING SLT'S VOLUNTEER LAND STEWARDS AND CONSERVED LANDOWNERS IN CARING FOR SLT CONSERVED LANDS. THE OFFERED WORKSHOPS INCLUDED "TRAIL MAINTENANCE 101", "FINDING & NAVIGATING PROPERTY BOUNDARIES", AND "TREE IDENTIFICATION". ADDITIONALLY, SLT THREW OUR ANNUAL VOLUNTEER CELEBRATION, TRAINED VOLUNTEER LAND STEWARDS, HOSTED A FIELD PROGRAM FOR A UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT FORESTRY CLASS TO INTRODUCE THEM TO CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, AND WORKED WITH A UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT WILDLIFE CLASS TO UNDERTAKE A ONE-MONTH WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY STUDY ON A PARCEL THAT SLT IS IN THE PROCESS OF CONSERVING. FINALLY, IN FY24, SLT HELPED SET UP AND SUPPORTED A THREE-DAY INTENSIVE "WOODLANDS FOR WILDLIFE" COOPERATOR TRAINING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VERMONT COVERTS AND THE SHUTESVILLE HILL WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PARTNERSHIP WHICH TRAINED 20 PRIVATE VERMONT LANDOWNERS IN FOREST STEWARDSHIP. IN FY24, OUR STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMMING REACHED A TOTAL OF 183 PEOPLE.OTHER STEWARDSHIP TASKS UNDERTAKEN BY SLT DURING FY24 AND SUPPORTED USING GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS INCLUDED HOSTING VOLUNTEERS FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SCHOOL GROUPS WHO PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT (70 GROUP HOURS), THE UPKEEP OF TRAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND REPLACEMENT OF PUNCHEON ALONG THE TRAILS (61 GROUP HOURS), AND CHAINSAW WORK (10 INDIVIDUAL HOURS) TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE TRAIL EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS. AS USUAL, IN FY24, SLT INVENTORIED OUR STEWARDSHIP SUPPLIES AND PURCHASED NEW TOOLS NECESSARY FOR OUR WORK.EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROGRAMIN FY24, SLT'S EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROGRAM FOCUSED ON DEEPENING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AND SUPPORTING LOCAL INITIATIVES. STAFF TABLED AT SEVERAL COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENTS, RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT SLT'S MISSION AND PROGRAMS. SLT ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE MORRISVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OUTDOOR ADVENTURES PROGRAM BY ASSISTING WITH AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDING FUN OUTDOOR LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, SLT SUPPORTED THE SES GREENHOUSE AND GARDEN PROJECT BY HELPING WITH GARDEN MAINTENANCE, TRIMMING PLANTS, AND PURCHASING SUPPLIES, PREPARING THE SPACE FOR FUTURE FOOD-GROWING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. ALTHOUGH THE PROGRAMMING WAS MORE MODEST THAN IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THESE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO FOSTER MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS WITH THE LAND AND PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY.LAND PROTECTION PROGRAM IN JANUARY 2024, SLT PURCHASED AND CONSERVED AN 83-ACRE PROPERTY, NOW KNOWN AS SHUTESVILLE LEDGES, WITHIN THE INTERNATIONALLY IMPORTANT SHUTESVILLE HILL WILDLIFE CORRIDOR THANKS TO ASSISTANCE FROM THE VERMONT HOUSING AND CONSERVATION BOARD, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, CANADIAN FRIENDS OF STOWE LAND TRUST, VERMONT LAND TRUST, THE SHUTESVILLE HILL WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PARTNERSHIP, AND WITH SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS. COLLECTIVELY, THESE GROUPS CONTRIBUTED $709,000 TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT THIS KEY PARCEL OF FORESTLAND FROM DEVELOPMENT AFTER IT WAS ON THE MARKET FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. THE SELLERS, BRAD AND CHARLOTTE GARDNER, ALSO GENEROUSLY PROVIDED A $25,000 DISCOUNT ON THE SALE OF THE LAND WHICH HELPED BRING THE PURCHASE WITHIN SLT'S REACH. THIS PROTECTED PIECE OF THE REGIONALLY IMPORTANT WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE WORCESTER RANGE AND THE NORTHERN GREEN MOUNTAINS - ESPECIALLY IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.IN FY24, SLT ALSO EMBARKED UPON A SUCCESSFUL $1 MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGN TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT AN 85-ACRE PARCEL OF LAND OFF THE MOUNTAIN ROAD IN STOWE. IDENTIFIED AS A HIGHEST PRIORITY AREA BY THE VERMONT AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, THIS PARCEL, THE ADAMS CAMP CONNECTOR, IS ONE PIECE OF A LARGE, INTACT FOREST BLOCK CONSIDERED CRITICAL TO PROTECTING FORESTED HABITAT, HEALTHY AQUATIC AND RIPARIAN SYSTEMS, AND A DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM ON WHICH PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMUNITIES DEPEND. THE PROTECTION OF THE ADAMS CAMP CONNECTOR ALSO BENEFITS OUTDOOR RECREATION, DEER WINTERING AREA, WORKING FORESTLAND, AND THE OVERALL ECOLOGY OF THE LANDSCAPE. THE CONSERVATION OF THE ADAMS CAMP CONNECTOR WILL ADD THE PARCEL TO A GROWING MAP OF INTERCONNECTED AREAS THAT UPHOLD THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF VERMONT AND PROTECT ITS NATURAL LEGACY. THE PROPERTY WILL ALSO REMAIN A WORKING FOREST, CONTINUING TO PROVIDE A PLACE FOR THE PERCY FARM TO TAP TREES FOR ITS MAPLE SUGARING OPERATION, AS WELL AS THE OPTION FOR SUSTAINABLY HARVESTED, LOCAL WOOD PRODUCTS TO BE PRODUCED ON A LIMITED PORTION OF THE PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, 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 September 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 October 1988.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.