San Diego Canyonlands Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To promote, protect and restore the natural habitats in San Diego County's canyons and creeks. We do this by fostering education and ongoing community involvement in stewardship and advocacy, and by collaborating with other organizations.
- Income
- $2.2 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- -0.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 35%
- Employees
- 59
- Volunteers
- 1,121
- Highest pay
- $137,078, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 6% 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
5 of 20It owes 68% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 256 of 8 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 June 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 (1)
- $1.5 million spent. San Diego Canyonlands (SDCL) is a nonprofit based in the City Heights community of San Diego. Since 2008, we have played a major role in restoring San Diegos canyons and creeks to their natural habitat. Through stewardship volunteer events and our habitat restoration field crew, we are dedicated to promoting, protecting, and restoring San Diego canyons and creeks for the lifetime of our organization.The SDCL Outreach Program continued to prioritize educational opportunities and working with partners to further SDCLs mission. The Outreach team focused on designing and funding two workforce development programs over the course of the year. The ECO (Environmental Career Opportunities) Initiative is a hands-on, paid, environmental job training program designed to support people transitioning into the workforce. The Canyon Connections Internship Program works with students from Hoover High School in City Heights providing paid internships to build social equity in environmental careers through place-based, student-led projects, education, and mentorship in urban canyons. The Outreach team also hosts weekly volunteer events, interpretive nature hikes, and other educational events.The SDCL Restoration Program continued to focus on growing our Restoration Field Team, which has grown to over 20 people, most recruited from the underserved communities of City Heights and neighborhoods in the Chollas Creek watershed of Southern San Diego City. The Restoration Field Team conducts habitat-friendly brush management work in the canyons of the San Diego River Watershed. Combined, the whole team has provided enormous benefits to our canyons, including working in dozens of open spaces, removing hundreds of tons of invasive species and flammable brush, and planting many acres of new habitat in green open spaces throughout the City of San Diego.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 November 6, 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 June 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 June 2008.
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 November 4, 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.