Summit Land Conservancy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SUMMIT LAND CONSERVANCY WORKS WITH UTAH COMMUNITIES TO CONSERVE LAND AND WATER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE AND NATURE.
- Income
- $22.5 million
- Spending
- $18.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 6.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 70%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 230
- Highest pay
- $213,711, chief executive officer
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 77% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 112% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 16 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, 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)
- $16.8 million spent. LAND CONSERVATION: IN 2025, SUMMIT LAND CONSERVANCY COMPLETED EIGHT CONSERVATION EASEMENT PROJECTS, PERMANENTLY PROTECTING MORE THAN 6,000 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL AND ACTIVE GRAZING LANDS, WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND RECREATIONAL LANDSCAPES IN KAMAS VALLEY, PARK CITY AND THE AREAS SURROUNDING MORGAN, HUNTSVILLE, AND OAKLEY. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDED TREASURE HILL (104.8 ACRES), SAFEGUARDED FROM FUTURE HOTEL DEVELOPMENT; MAXO MEADOW (60.8 ACRES); WASATCH PEAKS (2,244 ACRES); BALLY WATTS (2,277 ACRES); MARCHANT MEADOWS (86 ACRES); URE NORTH FIELDS (185 ACRES); FLINT PLACE (1,017 ACRES); AND OAKLEY TRAIL PARK (80 ACRES OF PUBLIC BIKING AND HIKING TRAILS). THE CONSERVANCY ALSO ADVANCED FUTURE CONSERVATION EFFORTS, WITH TWO AGRICULTURAL LAND EASEMENT (ALE) LETTERS OF INTENT SELECTED BY THE UTAH NRCS STATE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL RANKING, STRENGTHENING THEIR POTENTIAL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDED ADVANCING INTERCONNECTED TRAIL PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SUMMIT COUNTY AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, RESPONDING TO NEW CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND HELPING SHAPE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CONSERVATION INITIATIVES THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN THE WEBER CONFLUENCE CONFERENCE AND THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE RALLY.
- $398,770 spent. STEWARDSHIP AND MONITORING: IN 2025, SUMMIT LAND CONSERVANCY CONDUCTED IN-PERSON MONITORING ON 59 PROPERTIES, TOTALING OVER 23,000 ACRES. STEWARDSHIP STAFF VISITED EACH CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON FOOT, BY BIKE, AND BY VEHICLE TO CONDUCT THOROUGH INSPECTIONS AND MEET WITH LANDOWNERS ABOUT THEIR LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. BEFORE EACH VISIT, STAFF REVIEWED BASELINE DOCUMENTATION, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, AND PAST MONITORING REPORTS TO ENSURE A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROPERTY'S CURRENT CONDITION AND ANY CHANGES SINCE THE PREVIOUS VISIT. IN ADDITION TO ANNUAL MONITORING, STAFF CONDUCTED SITE VISITS IN RESPONSE TO RESERVED RIGHTS REQUESTS AND VIOLATIONS. SEVERAL RESERVED RIGHTS REQUESTS WERE REVIEWED AND APPROVED THIS YEAR, INCLUDING TREE-THINNING PROJECTS FOR FIRE MITIGATION AND TRAIL REROUTES. ONGOING UTILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS NEAR OR ON EASEMENTS REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT STAFF TIME TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH EASEMENT TERMS. OUR MARCHANT MEADOWS PROJECT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN NOVEMBER 2025, AND ONGOING WORK WILL ENSURE THAT THE PROPERTY REMAINS WELL-MAINTAINED. SEVERAL PARTNERS ARE INVOLVED IN ONGOING PROJECTS ON THE PROPERTY.
- $381,596 spent. OUTREACH: IN 2025, SUMMIT LAND CONSERVANCY STRENGTHENED CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE LANDS AND WATERS WE PROTECT ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH. FROM HOP HUNTERS HIKES AND OUR ANNUAL "HOPPY HOUR" CELEBRATION TO FOREST BATHING EXPERIENCES, SUMMER SOLSTICE AND WINTER STARGAZING EVENTS, WE CREATED MEANINGFUL WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THE OUTDOORS AND OUR CONSERVATION WORK. PARTNERSHIPS WITH LIKE-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS EXPANDED COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT THE WASATCH BACK. WE ALSO INCREASED AWARENESS OF THE UTAH HEADWATERS INITIATIVE BY PARTICIPATING IN EVENTS FROM WASATCH TO MORGAN COUNTY, HELPING MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING OUR WATERSHEDS. VOLUNTEERS REMAINED CENTRAL TO OUR WORK BY RESTORING HABITAT, REMOVING INVASIVE WEEDS, PLANTING WILLOWS, AND CARING FOR TRAILS ON PROTECTED LANDS. WE ALSO WELCOMED THE TITO'S HANDMADE VODKA TEAM FOR A VOLUNTEER DAY AT MARCHANT MEADOWS PRESERVE, SUPPORTING THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF THIS IMPORTANT LANDSCAPE. COMMUNITY ENTHUSIASM FUELED SUCCESSFUL EVENTS INCLUDING THE CONSERVATION BREAKFAST, BLUE SKY BASH BENEFIT FOR OPEN SPACE, AND LIVE PC GIVE PC, WHERE SUMMIT LAND CONSERVANCY PLACED SECOND OVERALL IN PARK CITY'S 24-HOUR GIVING DAY.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 August 2002.
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.