Native Plant Trust Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND PROMOTE NEW ENGLAND'S NATIVE PLANTS TO ENSURE HEALTHY, BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE LANDSCAPES.
- Income
- $4.8 million
- Spending
- $4.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 4.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 66
- Volunteers
- 310
- Highest pay
- $227,970, ceo/executive director
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
Good: 72 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 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 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 (4)
- $1.1 million spent. HORTICULTURE - THE HORTICULTURE PROGRAM, BASED AT GARDEN IN THE WOODS AND NASAMI FARM, FOCUSES ON THE MANAGEMENT OF GARDEN IN THE WOODS, NATIVE PLANT GARDEN DESIGN, ECOLOGICAL HORTICULTURE, AND THE PRODUCTION OF NATIVE NEW ENGLAND PLANTS. GARDEN IN THE WOODS EXPERIENCE WELCOMED 19,322 VISITORS, A 9% INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR, IN ITS 6-MONTH OPEN SEASON. HORTICULTURAL STAFF ADDED 13,722 PLANTS AND 57 SPECIES TO THE GARDEN IN 2024, ALL GROWN FROM SEED; 64% OF THESE WERE SOURCED FROM WILD POPULATIONS WITH PERMISSION FROM DEED HOLDERS. SEED PRODUCTION PLOTS WITH FIVE SPECIES, ESTABLISHED IN 2022, YIELDED THEIR THIRD SEED HARVEST. NURSERY STAFF AT NASAMI FARM PRODUCED OVER 51,00 PLANTS FROM SEED, REPRESENTING 177 SPECIES OF LOCAL NATIVE PLANTS. COMBINED, GARDEN IN THE WOODS AND NASAMI FARM VOLUNTEERS LOGGED 856 HOURS OF SERVICE.
- $476,668 spent. PUBLIC PROGRAMS - PUBLIC PROGRAMS OFFERED 133 COURSES IN 2024 REACHING 2,440 REGISTRANTS. SIXTY-TWO OF THESE WERE VIRTUAL PROGRAMS ACCESSIBLE TO LEARNERS EVERYWHERE WITH SEVENTY-ONE IN-PERSON PROGRAMS. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A MULTI-DAY EXHIBIT AT GARDEN IN THE WOODS FROM VISITING ARTIST JULIE C BAER, REGARDING NATURE, INSPIRED BY THE CHANGING FORMS OF PLANTS, ALGAE, FUNGI, AND LICHENS ACROSS THEIR LIFE CYCLES; "LEAVE THE LEAVES, SAVE THE STEMS," A VIRTUAL COURSE OFFERING FOCUSED ON PROVIDING POLLINATOR HABITAT; AND "EMERGING TRENDS IN PLANTS, LANDSCAPES, AND LAND CARE," HIGHLIGHTING CHANGING TRENDS IN LAND MANAGEMENT AND HOW NATIVE PLANTS ARE IMPACTING THE INDUSTRY.
- $413,064 spent. CONSERVATION - NATIVE PLANT TRUST'S WORK WITH RARE AND ENDANGERED PLANTS IN 2024 INCLUDED RARE PLANT MONITORING AND DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, SEED BANKING AND GERMINATION RESEARCH, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, FIELD WORK, AND IN SITU RESTORATION. WORK ON THE 3RD EDITION OF "FLORA CONSERVANDA", A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON PLANT CONSERVATION PRIORITIES IN NEW ENGLAND, CONTINUED. DELAYS IN BUILDING THE LARGE DATASET AND COORDINATING FEEDBACK ACROSS THE REGION HAVE MEANT PUSHING BACK THE EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE TO LATE 2025. THIS REPORT IS CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S NEW ENGLAND PLANT CONSERVATION PROGRAM PARTNERS INCLUDING THE SIX STATE NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAMS. IN 2024, 110 TRAINED PLANT CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS SPENT 5,550 HOURS CONDUCTING 376 SURVEYS FOR RARE PLANTS. SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN ALL NEW ENGLAND STATES AND 70% OF SURVEYS LOCATED THE TARGET RARE SPECIES. IN 2024 THE SEED BANK RECEIVED 41 NEW ACCESSIONS FROM 35 RARE SPECIES LOCATIONS WITHIN THE SIX STATES OF NEW ENGLAND. THE SPECIES ADDED INCLUDED RARE VIOLETS, SEDGES, THISTLES, GRASSES, ASTERS, MILKWEEDS, AND RHODODENDRONS. ADDITIONALLY, A NEW SEED FREEZER AT NASAMI FARM AND SATELLITE FREEZERS AT GARDEN IN THE WOODS WERE PUT INTO SERVICE TO EXPAND LONG-TERM SEED STORAGE CAPACITY. A REMOTE TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED TO ENSURE TIMELY DETECTION OF TEMPERATURE FLUCTUATIONS AND A BACKUP GENERATOR WAS INSTALLED AT NASAMI FARM TO PROTECT AGAINST POWER OUTAGES.
- $1.2 million spent. VISITOR CENTER - RETAIL OPERATIONS AT GARDEN IN THE WOODS AND NASAMI FARM SERVE MEMBERS (WITH DISCOUNTS), VISITORS, AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS BY OFFERING A LARGE SELECTION OF KNOWN-PROVENANCE NATIVE PLANTS THEY COULD FIND NOWHERE ELSE, PLUS BOOKS AND MERCHANDISE RELATED TO BOTANY, HORTICULTURE, AND CONSERVATION. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION EXPANDED THE RETAIL NURSERY YARD AND SOLD OVER 106,000 INDIVIDUAL PLANTS. WITH A LIMITED SELECTION OF NATIVE PLANTS AT NURSERIES AND GARDEN CENTERS, AND FEW OF THESE OFFERING WILD-TYPE PLANTS OF KNOWN PROVENANCE, NATIVE PLANT SALES REMAIN A CRITICAL POINT OF DELIVERY ON THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION.MEMBERSHIP - SERVED 6,651 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS WITH A RANGE OF BENEFITS, INCLUDING E-COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS, EDUCATION AND NURSERY DISCOUNTS, RECIPROCAL ADMISSIONS TO OTHER GARDENS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
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
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 2024.
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 September 1955.
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.