Texas Conservation Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Texas Conservation Alliance educates Texans and builds alliances to enhance and sustain wildlife habitat and protect our land, air, and water for future generations.
- Income
- $2.1 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 18.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 90%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 2,000
- Highest pay
- $109,615, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 18.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 50% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 99% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 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 (3)
- $402,342 spent. Texas Conservation Alliance conducts or leads a number of conservation projects, participates in the state's water planning process,supports issues led by other conservation organizations, holds or participates in events such as Earth Day, serves on state and federal advisory boards, and disseminates general conservation information directly, at events, via email, on its website, through a newsletter, and via social media. Specific projects not listed in Part III, Lines 4a and 4b, include: support for funding for state parks, dissemination of information on water conservation and water recycling, protection of rivers, bays, and estuaries, advocating for wildlife and wildlife habitat, and input to decisions regarding management of national forests.
- $251,303 spent. Marvin Nichols Reservoir: TCA coordinates a coalition of property owners, timber industry officials, citizens engaged in agribusiness, conservationists, and other Texas residents who oppose construction of the 66,000-acre Marvin Nichols Reservoir on the Sulphur River in Texas and who advocate for cost-effective water supply options that are less damaging to the natural and human environments. This year, TCAs project, Preserve Northeast Texas, generated coverage in numerous media and print outlets, organized public opposition to the project, and supported legislation to address the issue.
- $170,400 spent. Habitat Restoration and Lights Out for Wildlife: TCA conducts events and recruits people from a wide range of constituencies, particularly young people, to participate in habitat restoration events planting trees and native prairie plants, cleaning up trash harmful to wildlife, turning off nonessential lighting during spring and fall bird migrations (called Lights Out for Wildlife), and eliminating invasive plants from natural areas. In FY24, TCA held or co-hosted events at which more than 1,000 volunteers planted trees and prairie plants and picked up trash from Texas waterways. TCA staff, interns, and volunteers conducted on-foot surveys of downtown Dallas and Fort Worth to gather data about bird mortality due to light pollution and to rehab injured birds, and urged cities, building managers, and residents to go Lights Out. TCA propagates and disseminates native plants.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 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.