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Vermont Coverts Woodlands for Wildlife

EIN 03-0332447 · Vergennes, VT

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceFair62 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO ENLIST VERMONT LANDOWNERS IN A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE DIVERSE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS.

Income
$219,058
Spending
$161,366
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
27 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 70%
Employees
2

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 27.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 26% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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)
  1. $115,644 spent. VERMONT COVERTS HAD THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024. THE COVERTS ONLINE BOOK GROUP SELECTED THE BOOKS FOR 2024. BEN GOLDFARB'S "CROSSINGS:HOW ROAD ECOLOGY IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET-; NOAH CHARNEY'S "THESE TREES TELL A STORY- AND ROBIN WALL KIMMERER'S "GATHERING MOSS- AND "HOW TO LOVE A FOREST" BY EHTAN TAPPER. WE CONTINUED COLLABORATION EFFORTS WITH LAND ETHIC VERMONT (TRAINING NEW, LIBRARY PROJECT, SPEAKERS) AND WOMEN OWNING WOODLANDS (VIDEOS/DEMO ROJECTS/CASE STUDIES/OLD GROWTH FOREST BUS TOUR/RACK CARD). ALSO CONDUCTED PROMOTION OF UPDATED VERMONT CONSERVATION DESIGN HOSTING A PROGRAM WITH JENS HILKE. CONTINUED WORK ON THE LSR GRANT AWARDED TO VNRC ON ENGAGING NEW LANDOWNERS. COVERTS IS RECEIVING FUNDS TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY FOR OUTREACH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS. WE ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS FROM AN LSR FOCUSED ON BIODIVERSITY. WE UTILIZED THSE FUNDS THROUGH THE TRAINING ITSELF, STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMMING AND IN SUPPORT OF STAFF TIME FOR THE BEAR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS: BEAR AMBASSADORS-ADVANCED COVERTS TRAINING. SERVED ON ADDISON COUNTY FORESTER INTERVIEW PANEL (HIRED BRANDON BENEDICT). FEATURED IN NORTHERN WOODLANDS COMMUNITY VOICES. COOPERATOR TRAINING (SPRING MAY 17-19 IN THE SHUTESVILLE CORRIDOR AND FALL SEPTEMBER 13-15 AT KEHOE). WOW DEMO PROJECT WALKS/CASE STUDIES/OLD GROWTH FOREST BUS TOUR/STEERING COMMITTEE RETREAT/SUBMITTED NEXT LSR. PARTICIPATED IN FOCUS GROUP FOR MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER VERMONT. CONTINUED WORK ON GRANTS FROM FH&I FOR BOTH COVERTS AND WOW. CREATED VIDEO SHORTS WITH HABITAT STAMP MONIES PROMOTING WORK DONE IN 2023. COUNTY FORESTER MEET AND GREETS (S WINDSOR, WASHINGTON, ADDISON, CHITTENDEN, FRANKLIN/GRAND ISLE). SUPPORT AND ATTEND THE SOWING SEEDS CONFERENCE. ATTENDED FOREST ROUNDTABLE MEETINGS. ATTEND BIODIVERSITY ALLIANCE MEETINGS. ATTENDED THE FOREST ECOSYSTEM MONITORING CONFERENCE (FEMC). WEEKLY E-NEWS. 3 WOODLANDS FOR LIFE NEWSLETTERS. POSTS TO FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM. ARTICLE BY BILL PENDERGRAFT AND THE INFLUENCE OF COVERTS IN THE VT ALMANAC. AUCTION. ANNUAL MEETING. ANNUAL FUND DRIVE. 2024 COVERTS PROGRAMS OR THOSE WITH PARTNERS: AVENSA FOREST MANAGEMENT IN HER WOODS (WOW) HEMLOCK MANAGEMENT TREE ID-BENSON TREE ID-BARNET WESTFORD WALK STONEWALLS: LINKS TO HUMAN AND WOODLAND ECOLOGY THE INS AND OUTS OF TRAIL CAMS (MBR) TRAIL CAM PLACEMENT TRICKS AND TIPS (MBR) INTRODUCTION TO WILDLIFE TRACKING AT MBR (MBR) APPLE TREE RELEASE AND PRUNING (RICHMOND) APPLE TREE RELEASE AND PRUNING (RUPERT) FUTURE OF THE FOREST AT FOXGLOVE FARM (MARK RAISHART) NCRS COST SHARE CRAZY FOR COARSE WOODY DEBRIS (MBR) BEING TICK SAFE IN VT WOODLAND MANAGEMENT AT WOLF FOREST (LEN SCHMIDT) HOW FISH GROW ON TREES INVASIVE JUMPING WORMS: "WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO" OH DEER BIRD WALK HARTLAND (TINA BARNEY) ACTIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT (JUDITH FALK) SPACE INVADERS WALK IN HER WOODS: SHOREHAM TREE PLANTING (WOW - MELITA BASS) EAT, POOP, DIE WALK IN HER WOODS: ROCHESTER PRE-COMMERCIAL THINNING (WOW-DOREEN JONES) OLD GROWTH FOREST BUS TOUR (WOW) PASSING LANDS POP-UP (WATERBURY) NATURE JOURNALING WITH CLAIR WALKER-LESLIE TOM WESSELS ONLINE TALK (W/LEV) TOM WESSELS WALK AD N WOODS (W/LEV) HORSE LOGGING (TRACY WINN) FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR WILDLIFE, BIODIVERSITY AND RESILIENCY (SAM SCHIELA) BATS (TRACY WINN) AUTHOR TALK - ETHAN TAPPER AT BIXBY LIBRARY LEOPOLD BENCH BUILD (ALLEN YALE) LEOPOLD BENCH BUILD (PARTNERSHIP WITH ROKEBY) UNDERSTANDING VERMONT CONSERVATION DESIGN DECISION MAKING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IN MIND (JOE COTTEN) INDENTIFYING AND CONTROLLING INVASIVES IN SMALL FOREST BLOCKS (KIM PECK) PASSING LANDS POP UP (RANDOLPH) THESE TREES TELL A STORY WITH NOAH CHARNEY INVASIVES ON SMALL WOODLOTS (WASHINGTON COUNTY - PECK) CHAINSAW SAFETY WITH WOW READING PANEL FOR NATURAL RESOURCE BOOKS OUTREACH TO COVERTS COOPERATORS: S. WINDSOR COUNTY FORESTER MEET AND GREET WASHINGTON COUNTY FORESTER MEET AND GREET ADDISON COUNTY FORESTER MEET AND GREET CHITTENDEN COUNTY FORESTER MEET AND GREET FRANKLIN/GRAND ISLE FORESTER MEET AND GREET COOPERATOR WALKS NOT BILLED AS COVERTS: WINTER WILDLIFE TRACKING IN CORNWALL - MARY DODGE JERICHO CONSERVATION COMMISSION DINNER AND MOVE - SABINA ERNST JULT BIRD WALK - SABINA ERNST BIRD WALK AT TIM STOUT'S TREE FARMER OF THE YEAR - MARK RAISHART WALK WITH FOLKS IN MY DEVELOPMENT AND SET THEM FREE WITH DAUBERS AND KNOWLEDGE OF INVASIVE ON OUR COMMON LAND AND ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY - MIKE MALONEY VERMONT COVERTS HAD THE FOLLOWING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2024. THE COVERTS ONLINE BOOK GROUP SELECTED THE BOOKS FOR 2024. BEN GOLDFARB'S "CROSSINGS:HOW ROAD ECOLOGY IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET-; NOAH CHARNEY'S "THESE TREES TELL A STORY- AND ROBIN WALL KIMMERER'S "GATHERING MOSS- AND "HOW TO LOVE A FOREST" BY EHTAN TAPPER. WE CONTINUED COLLABORATION EFFORTS WITH LAND ETHIC VERMONT (TRAINING NEW, LIBRARY PROJECT, SPEAKERS) AND WOMEN OWNING WOODLANDS (VIDEOS/DEMO ROJECTS/CASE STUDIES/OLD GROWTH FOREST BUS TOUR/RACK CARD). ALSO CONDUCTED PROMOTION OF UPDATED VERMONT CONSERVATION DESIGN HOSTING A PROGRAM WITH JENS HILKE. CONTINUED WORK ON THE LSR GRANT AWARDED TO VNRC ON ENGAGING NEW LANDOWNERS. COVERTS IS RECEIVING FUNDS TO AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGY FOR OUTREACH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS. WE ALSO RECEIVED FUNDS FROM AN LSR FOCUSED ON BIODIVERSITY. WE UTILIZED THSE FUNDS THROUGH THE TRAINING ITSELF, STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMMING AND IN SUPPORT OF STAFF TIME FOR THE BEAR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS: BEAR AMBASSADORS-ADVANCED COVERTS TRAINING. SERVED ON ADDISON COUNTY FORESTER INTERVIEW PANEL (HIRED BRANDON BENEDICT). FEATURED IN NORTHERN WOODLANDS COMMUNITY VOICES. COOPERATOR TRAINING (SPRING MAY 17-19 IN THE SHUTESVILLE CORRIDOR AND FALL SEPTEMBER 13-15 AT KEHOE). WOW DEMO PROJECT WALKS/CASE STUDIES/OLD GROWTH FOREST BUS TOUR/STEERING COMMITTEE RETREAT/SUBMITTED NEXT LSR. PARTICIPATED IN FOCUS GROUP FOR MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER VERMONT. CONTINUED WORK ON GRANTS FROM FH&I FOR BOTH COVERTS AND WOW. CREATED

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1993.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.