Climate Conservation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WE BRING SCIENCE, POLICY, AND PROVEN SOLUTIONS DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES WORKING TO RESTORE THE INTEGRITY AND NATURAL CONNECTIVITY OF THE LANDSCAPES IN WHICH THEY LIVE. (SEE SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $3.8 million
- Spending
- $4.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 8.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 77%
- Employees
- 30
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $158,312, coo
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
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 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 2512 of 12 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 (6)
- $975,468 spent. UNITED STATES CONNECTIVITY CONSERVATION PROGRAM CONNECTIVITY CONSERVATION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO CONSERVE NATURE ON A LARGE SCALE, SUPPORTING WILDLIFE MOVEMENT IN OUR FRAGMENTED NATURAL WORLD. LAST YEAR, CLLC ADVANCED THIS EFFORT BY PROVIDING SCIENCE-BASED GUIDANCE TO DECISION MAKERS TO INFORM POLICIES AND PROJECTS. WE CONTINUE TO FOSTER COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, REGIONAL, AND COUNTY LEVELS TO IMPROVE POLICIES RELATED TO CONNECTIVITY AND CORRIDORS AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP PLAN AND SECURE FUNDING FOR WILDLIFE CROSSING STRUCTURE PROJECTS. (SEE SCHEDULE O)
- $897,722 spent. BUILDING CONSERVATION NETWORKS PROGRAM CLLC HOLDS LEADERSHIP ROLES FOR THE NETWORK FOR LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION (NLC) AND THE UNITED STATES BIOSPHERE NETWORK (USBN), SERVING AS THEIR HOST AND FISCAL SPONSOR. THROUGH THESE NETWORKS, WE SUPPORT THOUSANDS OF SCIENTISTS, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS BY SHARING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE AND FACILITATING REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS. CLLC ALSO PROVIDES STRATEGIC COUNSEL, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT, ALLOWING NETWORK STAFF AND MEMBERS TO FOCUS ON ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PRACTITIONERS GLOBALLY.(SEE SCHEDULE O)
- $661,458 spent. THE INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM WORKS COLLABORATIVELY WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS IN KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS TO PROTECT LANDSCAPES FROM FRAGMENTATION BY IMPLEMENTING CONNECTIVITY CONSERVATION POLICY AND PRACTICE, LEADING TO LONG-TERM CONSERVATION OUTCOMES. WE BELIEVE THAT PROTECTED AREAS FUNCTION BEST WHEN THEY ARE CONNECTED AT THE LANDSCAPE SCALE, ENSURING WILDLIFE MOVEMENT AND THRIVING ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES. THROUGH OUR LEADERSHIP OF THE IUCN CONNECTIVITY CONSERVATION SPECIALIST GROUP (CCSG), WE ARE OPERATING SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUPS OF PROFESSIONALS-SUCH AS THE ASIAN ELEPHANT TRANSPORT WORKING GROUP AND THE MARINE CONNECTIVITY WORKING GROUP-DEVELOPING MECHANISMS TO PROTECT LINKAGE AREAS THAT MAINTAIN ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY AROUND THE WORLD. (SEE SCHEDULE O)
- $498,448 spent. ADVANCING CONSERVATION SCIENCE SCIENTISTS AT CLLC ARE INCREASINGLY CALLED UPON TO ASSIST COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS IN PLANNING FOR, PRESERVING, AND INCREASING ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY LONG-TERM. IN FY25, CLLC DEVELOPED THE TRANSBOUNDARY CORRIDOR ATLAS FOR THE SOUTHERN KENYA-NORTHERN TANZANIA (SOKNOT) LANDSCAPE. THE ATLAS IS A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE SUPPORTING CONSERVATION OF THE ICONIC REGION'S IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECTACULAR WILDLIFE. IT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF 24 WILDLIFE CORRIDORS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO BEST CONSERVE THEM ALONG WITH BASELINE DATA TO HELP MEASURE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY OVER TIME. THE ATLAS SERVES AS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR POLICYMAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS TO TAKE ACTION THAT WILL AVOID THE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF FRAGMENTATION OF CORRIDORS THAT COULD AFFECT BOTH WILDLIFE AND COMMUNITIES. A GLOBAL TEAM OF LEADING CONNECTIVITY SCIENTISTS LED BY THE CLLC SCIENCE TEAM IS DEVELOPING PRACTICAL GUIDANCE TO HELP THE 193 UN SIGNATORY COUNTRIES MEASURE HOW "WELL-CONNECTED" THEIR PROTECTED AREA SYSTEMS ARE, AS CALLED FOR IN THE KUNMING-MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK. PROPELLING THE "WELL-CONNECTED INITIATIVE," THE GROUP ESTABLISHED A TWO- PART WORK PLAN DURING A JANUARY 2025 WORKSHOP. THE FIRST PROJECT TESTED AND IDENTIFIED KEY INDICATORS THAT EFFECTIVELY MEASURE CONNECTIVITY ACROSS SIMULATED LANDSCAPES. THESE INDICATORS WILL HELP MEASURE EFFECTIVE CONNECTIVITY, SUPPORTING COUNTRIES IN ACHIEVING THE FRAMEWORK'S GOAL OF CONSERVING AT LEAST 30% OF THE PLANET THROUGH ECOLOGICALLY REPRESENTATIVE AND CONNECTED, PROTECTED, AND CONSERVED AREAS BY 2030. THE COMPLETED PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A PUBLISHED, PEER-REVIEWED PAPER AND LIKELY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION OF THESE GLOBALLY APPLICABLE INDICATORS. AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE WILDLIFE CONNECT INITIATIVE TO CONNECT KEY LANDSCAPES ON FOUR CONTINENTS, OUR STAFF LED A WORKSHOP IN BORNEO IN JUNE 2025. WITH BORNEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND CONSERVATION PRACTITIONERS IN ATTENDANCE, THE WORKSHOP AIMED TO IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS TO CONSERVE IN THE COUNTRY AND TO FOSTER COLLABORATION. PARTICIPANTS PRODUCED A CONSENSUS LIST OF "MUST SECURE" CORRIDORS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC ANALYSES AND EXPERT OPINION FROM CLLC STAFF AND DEVELOPED PROFILES FOR EACH OUTLINING CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.
- THE CENTER FOR LARGE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION (CLLC) AMPLIFIES COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENTAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS THROUGH RESEARCH, ADVANCING SCIENCE-BASED POLICY AND GUIDELINES, AND IMPLEMENTING "ON THE GROUND" PRACTICE IN AREAS OF CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE. OUR WORK DEFINES AND ADVANCES BEST PRACTICES IN LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND GLOBALLY. WE ENGAGE IN FOUR WAYS: (1) WE DEVELOP AND APPLY SCIENCE TO RECONNECT FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPES AND PROVIDE SAFE PASSAGE FOR WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE; (2) WE INFORM NEW POLICY AND LAW, AND DEVELOP INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS, TO SUPPORT AND ACCELERATE LARGE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND GLOBALLY; (3) WE CONNECT PROFESSIONALS AND DECISION MAKERS TO SHARE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES BY COORDINATING AND PARTICIPATING IN NETWORKS WORLDWIDE; AND (4) WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING AND PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TO PROTECT AND MANAGE LARGE LANDSCAPES. PART III, 4A CONTINUATION LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE LAND USE AUTHORITY ACROSS NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF LAND IN THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE A KEY ROLE TO PLAY IN PRESERVING WILDLIFE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY. IN RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL ACTION, CLLC CREATED A REPORT BRINGING TOGETHER THE POLICY TOOLS AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES THAT CITIES, TOWNS, AND COUNTIES CAN USE TO HELP KEEP LANDSCAPES CONNECTED. THE REPORT SERVES AS A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR PLANNERS AND PARTNERS TO INCORPORATE WILDLIFE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY INTO LOCAL LAND USE PLANNING. IT INCLUDES SAMPLE POLICY AND ORDINANCE LANGUAGE FROM COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY; LINKS TO RELEVANT PLANNING AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES; CASE STUDIES THAT HIGHLIGHT REALISTIC IMPLEMENTATION APPROACHES; AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT LOCAL DECISION-MAKING. ONE EXAMPLE OF A COMMUNITY WORKING TO BALANCE POPULATION GROWTH WITH THE PRESERVATION OF ECOSYSTEMS IN THE FACE OF FRAGMENTATION FROM ROADS AND DEVELOPMENT IS GALLATIN COUNTY, MONTANA. WITH OUR EXPERTISE IN LAND-USE PLANNING AND ROAD ECOLOGY, CLLC WAS CONTRACTED TO LEAD A WILDLIFE AND TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT OF MAJOR ROADS IN THE COUNTY. PHASE 1 OF THE ASSESSMENT IN FY25 COMPILED, MAPPED, AND ANALYZED PUBLIC DATA TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SITES WHERE MITIGATION MEASURES-SUCH AS CULVERT AND OVERPASSES- COULD IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF TRAVELERS AND WILDLIFE AND HELP MAINTAIN HABITAT CONNECTIVITY. A JOINT PROJECT OF CLLC AND MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY'S WESTERN TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE, THE ASSESSMENT AIMS TO SERVE AS A FOUNDATIONAL DOCUMENT TO GUIDE GALLATIN COUNTY IN ADDRESSING WILDLIFE-VEHICLE COLLISIONS WHILE PRESERVING WILDLIFE MOVEMENT. ANOTHER LOCAL AREA STRUGGLING WITH INCREASED TRAFFIC IS THE NINEMILE/SIXMILE REGION WEST OF MISSOULA, MONTANA. FOR DECADES, PUBLIC AGENCIES, CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, AND CITIZENS HAVE VOICED CONCERN ABOUT THE HIGH RATE OF WILDLIFE-VEHICLE COLLISIONS ON INTERSTATE 90 IN THIS AREA. THIS ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT LANDSCAPE THAT IS BISECTED BY THIS FOUR- LANE HIGHWAY IS HOME TO INTACT FOREST AND LARGE MAMMALS SUCH AS ELK AND GRIZZLY BEARS. TO ADDRESS THE LACK OF SAFE PASSAGE FOR WILDLIFE AND MOTORISTS ALONG THIS STRETCH OF ROAD, CLLC LEADS A COALITION CALLED THE WESTERN MONTANA WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY (WMWC) GROUP. IN FY25, CLLC LED THE COLLECTION OF WILDLIFE DATA VIA CAMERA TRAPS, ADVISED STATE AGENCY STAFF ON THE RELEVANT SCIENCE, AND CONDUCTED PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON HABITAT CONNECTIVITY THREATS AND SOLUTIONS. PART III, 4B CONTINUATION IN FY25, CLLC AND THE NETWORK FOR LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION ENTERED THE 6TH YEAR OF THE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION CATALYST FUND PROJECT. THE PROJECT AWARDED ITS GRANTS IN SEPTEMBER 2024, TOTALING MORE THAN 460,950, TO 15 LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. THE FUND AIMS TO ACCELERATE THE PACE AND PRACTICE OF COLLABORATIVE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP ACROSS THE COUNTRY. GRANTS ARE USED TO ADVANCE PARTNERSHIPS' EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE ECOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, AND COMMUNITY VALUES OF THE LANDSCAPES THEY CALL HOME. GRANT AWARDS ARE MADE TO PARTNERSHIPS DEMONSTRATING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CONSERVATION, INVOLVING A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS AND OFTEN INCLUDING HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM LAND-MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. A PORTION OF THE FUND IS SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP IN LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION. THROUGHOUT FY25, CLLC ALSO CONTINUED AS A FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE UNITED STATES BIOSPHERE NETWORK (USBN), WHICH REPRESENTS THE COUNTRY'S 28 BIOSPHERE REGIONS. CLLC IS LENDING ITS SCIENCE, POLICY, AND CAPACITY- BUILDING EXPERTISE TO HELP STRENGTHEN THE NETWORK BY PROVIDING THEM WITH ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS TO OTHER NATIONAL NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS. WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT BY HOSTING WEBSITE PAGES AND PRODUCING AN E-NEWSLETTER THAT IS HELPING CONNECT, INFORM, AND SHARE BEST PRACTICES WITH INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIOSPHERE REGIONS. IN FY25, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GERMAN COMMISSION FOR UNESCO, USBN CREATED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON HEALTHY FOOD, HEALTHY PEOPLE AND A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT. THE USBN'S SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM SUPPORTED FIVE US BIOSPHERES TO CREATE OR EXPAND THESE PROGRAMS. PART III 4C CONTINUATION IN FY25, CLLC ADVANCED SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT EXTEND ACROSS NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. FOR INSTANCE, CLLC CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO CONSERVING HABITAT AND ENSURING SAFE PASSAGE FOR ASIAN ELEPHANTS AS THE RAPID EXPANSION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS ASIA CREATES DEADLY COLLISION RISKS AND BLOCKS MIGRATION ROUTES. BUILDING ON THE 2024 RELEASE OF THE FIRST-EVER ELEPHANT-SPECIFIC HANDBOOK-DEVELOPED WITH PARTNERS IN THE ASIAN ELEPHANT TRANSPORT WORKING GROUP TO HELP COUNTRIES REDUCE COLLISIONS AND MAINTAIN ELEPHANT MOVEMENT-WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERING HANDS-ON TRAINING IN THE SPECIES' RANGE COUNTRIES. IN SPRING 2025, CLLC STAFF TRAVELED TO BHUTAN AND MALAYSIA TO LEAD WORKSHOPS ON APPLYING THE HANDBOOK TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF ROADS AND RAILWAY
- ADVANCING CONSERVATION SCIENCE SCIENTISTS AT CLLC ARE INCREASINGLY CALLED UPON TO ASSIST COUNTRY GOVERNMENTS IN PLANNING FOR, PRESERVING, AND INCREASING ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIVITY LONG-TERM. IN FY25, CLLC DEVELOPED THE TRANSBOUNDARY CORRIDOR ATLAS FOR THE SOUTHERN KENYA-NORTHERN TANZANIA (SOKNOT) LANDSCAPE. THE ATLAS IS A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE SUPPORTING CONSERVATION OF THE ICONIC REGION'S IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECTACULAR WILDLIFE. IT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF 24 WILDLIFE CORRIDORS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO BEST CONSERVE THEM ALONG WITH BASELINE DATA TO HELP MEASURE HABITAT CONNECTIVITY OVER TIME. THE ATLAS SERVES AS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR POLICYMAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS TO TAKE ACTION THAT WILL AVOID THE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES OF FRAGMENTATION OF CORRIDORS THAT COULD AFFECT BOTH WILDLIFE AND COMMUNITIES. A GLOBAL TEAM OF LEADING CONNECTIVITY SCIENTISTS LED BY THE CLLC SCIENCE TEAM IS DEVELOPING PRACTICAL GUIDANCE TO HELP THE 193 UN SIGNATORY COUNTRIES MEASURE HOW "WELL-CONNECTED" THEIR PROTECTED AREA SYSTEMS ARE, AS CALLED FOR IN THE KUNMING-MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK. PROPELLING THE "WELL-CONNECTED INITIATIVE," THE GROUP ESTABLISHED A TWO- PART WORK PLAN DURING A JANUARY 2025 WORKSHOP. THE FIRST PROJECT TESTED AND IDENTIFIED KEY INDICATORS THAT EFFECTIVELY MEASURE CONNECTIVITY ACROSS SIMULATED LANDSCAPES. THESE INDICATORS WILL HELP MEASURE EFFECTIVE CONNECTIVITY, SUPPORTING COUNTRIES IN ACHIEVING THE FRAMEWORK'S GOAL OF CONSERVING AT LEAST 30% OF THE PLANET THROUGH ECOLOGICALLY REPRESENTATIVE AND CONNECTED, PROTECTED, AND CONSERVED AREAS BY 2030. THE COMPLETED PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A PUBLISHED, PEER-REVIEWED PAPER AND LIKELY INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION OF THESE GLOBALLY APPLICABLE INDICATORS. AS PART OF THE COLLABORATIVE WILDLIFE CONNECT INITIATIVE TO CONNECT KEY LANDSCAPES ON FOUR CONTINENTS, OUR STAFF LED A WORKSHOP IN BORNEO IN JUNE 2025. WITH BORNEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND CONSERVATION PRACTITIONERS IN ATTENDANCE, THE WORKSHOP AIMED TO IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL CORRIDORS TO CONSERVE IN THE COUNTRY AND TO FOSTER COLLABORATION. PARTICIPANTS PRODUCED A CONSENSUS LIST OF "MUST SECURE" CORRIDORS BASED ON SCIENTIFIC ANALYSES AND EXPERT OPINION FROM CLLC STAFF AND DEVELOPED PROFILES FOR EACH OUTLINING CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.
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 February 2011.
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.