Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA LAND CONSERVANCY, "PVPLC", MISSION IS TO PRESERVE LAND AND RESTORE HABITAT FOR THE EDUCATION AND ENJOYMENT OF ALL. (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FURTHER DESCRIPTION).PVPLC'S VISION IS THE PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LARGE BLOCKS OF NATURAL OPEN SPACE, PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY, WHERE LOCALLY NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS WILL EXIST IN A SECURE ENVIRONMENT, WHERE CHILDREN AND ADULTS CAN LEARN ABOUT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, AND WHERE VISITORS MAY ENJOY PEACEFUL SOLITUDE.
- Income
- $3.2 million
- Spending
- $3.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 23.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 51%
- Employees
- 39
- Volunteers
- 1,800
- Highest pay
- $210,074, director of development
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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 23.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 43% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% 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 2514 of 14 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)
- $1.5 million spent. LAND STEWARDSHIP:DEDICATED TO THE STEWARDSHIP OF 1,700 ACRES OF LAND UNDER OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT, OR CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA. FOCUSES ON AREAS OF OPEN SPACE FOR MULTI-SPECIES PROTECTION AND INCLUDES THE RESTORATION OF NATIVE HABITATS FOR RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. BENEFICIARIES ESTIMATED TO BE MORE THAN 100 SPECIES OF WILDLIFE INCLUDING THE ENDANGERED PALOS VERDES BLUE BUTTERFLY, EL SEGUNDO BLUE BUTTERFLY, THE COASTAL CALIFORNIA GNATCATCHER AND THE CACTUS WREN. PVPLC ALSO ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY IN THESE MANAGED LANDS (NATURE PRESERVES) THROUGH ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. OVER 40 MILES OF PUBLIC TRAILS TRAVERSE THESE PROPERTIES. PVPLC PLANTS OVER 10,000 NATIVE PLANTS EACH YEAR GROWN IN THE PVPLC NATIVE PLANT NURSERY. PVPLC WORKS COOPERATIVELY WITH THE FOUR CITIES IN WHICH THE PRESERVED LANDS ARE LOCATED: RANCHO PALOS VERDES, ROLLING HILLS, ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, AND SAN PEDRO (CITY OF LOS ANGELES). PVPLC'S SUCCESSFUL APPROACH TO LAND PROTECTION HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ADVOCATES.
- $516,211 spent. EDUCATION: DEDICATED TO CREATING A COMMITMENT TO SCIENCE AND NATURE, WHILE INSPIRING EXCITEMENT ABOUT OUTDOORS FOR BOTH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND STUDENTS. IN A TYPICAL YEAR, THE PVPLC MANAGES TWO COMMUNITY NATURE CENTERS WITH OVER 10,000 ANNUAL VISITORS, LEADS OUTDOOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAMS SERVING OVER 3,500 STUDENTS PER YEAR, COORDINATES SEVERAL STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS, AND LEADS OVER 40 PUBLIC HIKES PER YEAR, AS WELL AS REGULARLY SCHEDULED FAMILY ACTIVITIES. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAMS CONTINUED IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT AND SAW NO REDUCTION IN THE SCHOOLS OR STUDENTS SERVED.
- $252,361 spent. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM: PVPLC HAS A VIBRANT AND GROWING VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, A GROUP OF TALENTED AND DEDICATED PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES ABOUT NATURAL LANDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOREVER AS NATURE PRESERVES ON THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA. VOLUNTEERS MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE BY HELPING PEOPLE ENJOY THE LAND THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMS, WHILE FACILITATING APPRECIATION FOR NATURE IN WAYS THAT ARE LASTING AND MEANINGFUL. VOLUNTEERS ALSO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MANY ASPECTS OF NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING PERFORMING HABITAT RESTORATION, CONDUCTING BIOLOGICAL MONITORING, PARTICIPATING IN VOLUNTEER WATCH GROUPS AND MUCH MORE. IN 2024, OVER 1,700 VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE A TOTAL NUMBER OF OVER 23,677 HOURS THROUGH VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
- $399,808 spent. NURSERY: OPERATION OF A NURSERY GROWING NATIVE PLANTS TO SUPPLY THE HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS OF THE PALOS VERDES PENINSULA LAND CONSERVANCY AND OTHER IMPORTANT COMMUNITY PROJECTS. OVER 33,000 PLANTS WERE GROWN FOR 2024. SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE PROPAGATION OF THE HOST PLANTS FOR THE ENDANGERED PALOS VERDES BLUE BUTTERFLY AND PLANTS FOUND WITHIN THE COASTAL SAGE SCRUB PLANT COMMUNITY. EXPENSES RELATED TO THIS PROGRAM ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE THREE PRIMARY PROGRAMS LISTED ON PART III, 4(A) THROUGH 4(C), AS ALL PROGRAMS ARE INTERESTED.
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 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 December 2024.
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 April 1993.
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.