Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THIS MEMBER-SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION PROTECTS AND RESTORES IOWA'S LAND, WATER AND WILDLIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. PRIORITIES INCLUDE PERMANENT LAND PROTECTION, PROMOTION OF IMPROVED LAND MANAGEMENT AND BRINGING NEW CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES TO IOWANS.
- Income
- $53.2 million
- Spending
- $40.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 24 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 58%
- Employees
- 62
- Volunteers
- 625
- Highest pay
- $236,659, president
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
Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 24.0 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 23% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 78% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2531 of 32 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 (3)
- $38.2 million spent. LAND PROTECTION AND STEWARDSHIP:DURING THE 12-MONTH FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2024 - JUNE 30, 2025, INHF PROTECTED 46 CONSERVATION PROPERTIES TOTALING 4,669 ACRES. OF THESE, 24 PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN, OR WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO A PUBLIC CONSERVATION AGENCY FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT. THIRTEEN PROPERTIES WILL BE OWNED AND STEWARDED BY INHF AND NINE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PRIVATELY OWNED LANDS WERE ACCEPTED BY INHF. NUMEROUS LANDOWNERS CHOSE TO PERMANENTLY PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT, OPEN SPACE, AND AGRICULTURAL AREAS WITH INHF. ALL INHF-HELD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ARE MONITORED ANNUALLY BY VISITING THE PROPERTIES AND TALKING WITH THE LANDOWNERS. SINCE 1979, INHF HAS HELPED PROTECT OVER 202,808 ACRES OF LAND ACROSS IOWA. OUR LAND CONSERVATION PROJECTS RANGE FROM IMPORTANT ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION TO PRIVATE WORKING LANDS THROUGHOUT IOWA AND IN PRIORITY REGIONS SUCH AS THE LOESS HILLS OF WESTERN IOWA, UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BLUFFLANDS, IOWA GREAT LAKES, PRAIRIE POTHOLE REGIONS AND SOUTHERN IOWA GRASSLANDS. INHF WORKS TOWARDS THE CREATION OF LARGER STRETCHES OF INTER-CONNECTED PROTECTED CONSERVATION LANDS THAT IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND OFFER MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED SOIL HEALTH, WATER QUALITY AND OUTDOOR RECREATION.
- $678,742 spent. CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH NATURE: OUR DONOR-SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION WORKS STATEWIDE TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL HERITAGE - IOWA'S PRAIRIES, WOODLANDS, WATERS AND OPEN SPACES. EACH YEAR WE WORK ON DOZENS OF PROJECTS THAT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACRES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION, SUPPORT PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN PLACING PERMANENT PROTECTION ON THEIR PROPERTIES WITH OUR CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROGRAM, HELP COORDINATE THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF IOWA'S NETWORK OF MULTI-USE TRAILS WITH OUR TRAILS AND GREENWAYS PROGRAM, GET OVER 600 PEOPLE OF EVERY AGE OUT ON THE LAND WITH OUR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, ESTABLISH CONSERVATION LEGACIES WITH OUR PLANNED GIVING PROGRAM, AND GIVE 20+ COLLEGE STUDENTS MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT WITH OUR INTERN PROGRAM. IN ADDITION, WE STEWARD A RANGE OF INHF-OWNED PROPERTIES, SOME OF WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. INTERESTED LANDOWNERS LEARN ABOUT OPTIONS FOR PERMANENT LAND PROTECTION THROUGH PRINTED MATERIALS, ONLINE RESOURCES AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATION WITH INHF STAFF. INHF INTRODUCES PEOPLE TO IOWA'S CONSERVATION CHALLENGES AND SHARES STORIES OF CONSERVATION SUCCESS IN OUR QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, MEDIA OUTREACH, STRONG DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION, AND CO-SPONSORED EVENTS AND CONFERENCES.
- $294,074 spent. CREATING IMPACT STATEWIDE AND BEYOND:INHF EXCELS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE COLLABORATIONS THAT BRING ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES TOGETHER FOR ACTION. IN FY 2025, INHF LED PARTNERSHIPS TO RESTORE EXTENSIVE PRAIRIE AND POLLINATOR HABITAT ACROSS IOWA, AND TO CONDUCT ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP ON NATURAL AND CONSERVATION LANDS. BECAUSE IOWA'S LANDSCAPE AND LAND-USE CHOICES ARE STRONGLY SHAPED BY PUBLIC POLICY AND FUNDING, INHF COLLABORATES IN A NON-PARTISAN WAY TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION POLICY. THIS CREATES TOMORROW'S CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES IN IOWA THROUGH STRONGER STATE PUBLIC POLICIES AND FUNDING THAT HELP PROTECT AND RESTORE IOWA'S NATURAL LANDS, WORKING LANDS AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ALONG WITH RECREATION, TRAILS, AND WATER RESOURCES. ADVOCACY ALSO HELPS PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF STATE AND FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES FOR LAND PROTECTION. INHF SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LONG-RANGE CONSERVATION PLANS. INHF'S LAND CONSERVATION AND TRAIL PROJECTS HELP FULFILL MULTIPLE LONG-RANGE PLANS DEVELOPED BY FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES SUCH AS THE IOWA WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN, IOWA MONARCH CONSERVATION CONSORTIUM ACTION PLAN, IOWA BICYCLE-PEDESTRIAN AND TRAILS PLAN, PRAIRIE POTHOLE JOINT VENTURE, MULTIPLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY PRIORITIES, PROTECTED WATER AREAS PLAN, IOWA NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY, AND THE IOWA OPEN SPACES PLAN.
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 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 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 September 1979.
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.