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Grow Wild Inc

EIN 46-5544351 · Bozeman, MT

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

GROW WILD'S MISSION IS TO CONSERVE NATIVE SPECIES IN THE UPPER GALLATIN WATERSHED THROUGH EDUCATION, HABITAT RESTORATION, AND COLLABORATIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP. GROW WILD'S MISSION IS TO CONSERVE NATIVE SPECIES IN THE UPPER GALLATIN WATERSHED THROUGH EDUCATION, HABITAT RESTORATION, AND COLLABORATIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP. WE EMPOWER LANDOWNERS, RESIDENTS, AND VISITORS WITH KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS, AND RESOURCES TO PROTECT NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS, WILDLIFE, AND WATER RESOURCES WHILE REDUCING THE IMPACTS OF INVASIVE SPECIES AND RECREATION ON THE LANDSCAPE.

Income
$300,418
Spending
$266,837
Spent on programs
87%
Reserves
6.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 70%
Employees
0
Volunteers
161
Highest pay
$104,805, executive director

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 73% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    87% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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: 91 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (2)
  1. $149,254 spent. LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM: PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINING BOTH THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR ECOSYSTEMS. CENTRAL TO THIS EFFORT IS CULTIVATING AN INFORMED AND ENGAGED PUBLIC. THROUGH THREE CORE PROJECTS -- CLEAN RECREATION, EDUCATION & OUTREACH, AND LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE -- WE PROVIDE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS WITH TOOLS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES, ADOPT CONSERVATION PRACTICES, AND STEWARD THE LAND RESPONSIBLY. BY EDUCATING YOUTH AND ADULTS, PROMOTING CLEAN RECREATION, AND OFFERING FREE SITE VISITS TO LANDOWNERS, WE ENSURE THAT THE LANDSCAPES WE LOVE REMAIN HEALTHY AND RESILIENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.LAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM: OUR CORNERSTONE PROGRAM INTEGRATES EDUCATION, CLEAN RECREATION, AND LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL HEALTH.--EDUCATION & OUTREACH: IN 2024, WE EXPANDED OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM, TRAVELING 3,945 MILES WITH OUR INTERACTIVE TRAILER AND HOSTING 68 CLASSES AND EVENTS. WE REACHED 2,747 YOUTH AND 2,066 ADULTS -- A 115% INCREASE IN CHILDREN AND 57% INCREASE IN ADULTS OVER 2023. SINCE INCEPTION, WE HAVE EDUCATED MORE THAN 17,000 CHILDREN AND 7,400 ADULTS. PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS INCLUDED WEED PULLS AND NATIVE PLANTINGS, EMPOWERING STUDENTS AS THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS.--CLEAN RECREATION: TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES, WE PROMOTED PLAYCLEANGO AND CLEAN.DRAIN.DRY. CAMPAIGNS THROUGH BILLBOARDS, SIGNAGE, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OUTREACH EVENTS. BY 2024, WE HAD INSTALLED 8 TRAILHEAD SIGNS, DISTRIBUTED 642 KIDS' KITS, PROVIDED NEARLY 30,000 PROMOTIONAL ITEMS, AND REACHED OVER 30 MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH BILLBOARDS, MEDIA, AND SIGNAGE SINCE 2016. IN 2024 ALONE, CLEAN.DRAIN.DRY. OUTREACH INCLUDED 9.5M CANYON SIGN VIEWS, 1.2M PRINT AD IMPRESSIONS, AND 68 IN-PERSON EVENTS.--LANDOWNER ASSISTANCE: ACTIVE LAND STEWARDSHIP BY LANDOWNERS IS CRITICAL FOR HABITAT AND WATERSHED PROTECTION. IN 2024, GROW WILD CONDUCTED 91 PROPERTY INSPECTIONS, A 72% INCREASE FROM 2023, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 1,000 ACRES. SINCE 2008, WE HAVE INSPECTED 1,093 PROPERTIES, IMPACTING 12,932 ACRES. A POST-VISIT SURVEY SHOWED 100% OF LANDOWNERS FOUND OUR ASSISTANCE HELPFUL IN IMPROVING THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGEMENT OF NOXIOUS WEEDS. WE ALSO LAUNCHED THE ALPENSCAPES PARTNERSHIP, PROMOTING WATER-WISE, FIREWISE, AND WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING, WHICH BOOSTED INSPECTION DEMAND AND EXPANDED COMMUNITY AWARENESS.
  2. $82,294 spent. WILDLIFE IN OUR REGION FACE INCREASING THREATS FROM HABITAT LOSS, FRAGMENTATION, AND INVASIVE SPECIES. THIS PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES FIVE PROJECTS THAT RESTORE AND PROTECT CRITICAL HABITATS SUCH AS BIGHORN SHEEP WINTER RANGE, THE GALLATIN CANYON CORRIDOR, AND COMMUNITY OPEN SPACES. WE PARTNER WITH LANDOWNERS, VOLUNTEERS, AND AGENCIES TO MANAGE INVASIVE PLANTS, RESTORE NATIVE SPECIES, AND HOST COMMUNITY WEED PULLS. IN DOING SO, WE NOT ONLY IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR WILDLIFE BUT ALSO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LEARN, PARTICIPATE, AND CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO CONSERVATION.WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATIONWE ADVANCED HABITAT PROTECTION PROJECTS INCLUDING:--CONSERVE OUR CANYON: TREATED 83 ACRES AT 13 HIGH-USE PUBLIC SITES, LEVERAGING $6,400 IN CONTRIBUTIONS WITH $8,569 IN PARTNER MATCH; SINCE 2019, WE HAVE TREATED 418 ACRES ACROSS 87 SITES.--BIGHORN SHEEP HABITAT: CONTINUED RESEARCH TRIALS WITH MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND PARTNERS TO SUPPRESS INVASIVE CHEATGRASS AND RESTORE SPANISH PEAKS BIGHORN SHEEP WINTER RANGE.--COMMUNITY WEED PULLS: ENGAGED 233 VOLUNTEERS WHO REMOVED A RECORD 2,745 POUNDS OF NOXIOUS WEEDS FROM PUBLIC LANDS; LIFETIME TOTALS NOW EXCEED 25,500 POUNDS REMOVED WITH 1,683 VOLUNTEERS.BIODIVERSITY & DEMONSTRATION GARDENS AT CRAIL GARDENS, VOLUNTEERS HELPED TRANSITION MULCH TO FIREWISE PEA GRAVEL ACROSS THE FINAL TWO GARDENS, ENHANCING BOTH WILDFIRE RESILIENCE AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH. SINCE 2019, 190 VOLUNTEERS HAVE CONTRIBUTED 656 HOURS PLANTING 1,543 WILDFLOWERS FROM 52 NATIVE SPECIES. IN 2024, WE ALSO BUILT A NEW POLLINATOR GARDEN AT OUSEL FALLS, PLANTING 290 WILDFLOWERS ACROSS 18 SPECIES. THIS SITE LAUNCHED OUR "POLLINATOR PATHWAY" INITIATIVE, SHOWCASING SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING AT PUBLIC ART SITES.COMMUNITY IMPACTIN 2024, GROW WILD WAS SUPPORTED BY 117 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, 161 VOLUNTEERS (374 HOURS), 53 SPONSORS, AND 156 DONORS. OVERALL, 83 CENTS OF EVERY DOLLAR WAS INVESTED DIRECTLY IN PROGRAMS.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 2014.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.