Merwin Conservancy Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PART III, LINE 1 - ROOTED IN THE CONVICTIONS OF RENOWNED AMERICAN POET W.S. MERWIN, THE MERWIN CONSERVANCY IMAGINES WAYS OF ENGAGING WITH PLACE, POETRY, AND PRACTICE. WE CARE FOR THE THRIVING, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PALM GARDEN ON MAUI THAT WILLIAM MERWIN AND HIS WIFE PAULA PLANTED ON LAND DEPLETED BY EXTRACTIVE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES; OFFER A RESIDENCY PROGRAM IN THE MERWINS' HOME TO WRITERS AND ARTISTS WHO MAKE NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR LANGUAGE AND LAND; AND FOSTER ATTENTION TO NATURE AND THE IMAGINATION THROUGH PROGRAMMING AND STORYTELLING.
- Income
- $732,222
- Spending
- $635,609
- Spent on programs
- 68%
- Reserves
- 4.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $137,676, executive di
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1568% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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 2518 of 18 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (5)
- $178,700 spent. TENDING THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION: SINCE ASSUMING STEWARDSHIP OF THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION IN 2020, TMC HAS EMPLOYED CONTRACT GARDENERS TO CARE FOR, PROTECT, CATALOG, AND REPORT ON A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF PALMS. THE COLLECTION IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE PRIVATE PALM COLLECTIONS. IT IS A CORE TENET OF OUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION TO ENSURE THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THIS COLLECTION, AND TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF SPECIES WITHIN IT. IN 2024, WE CONTINUED TO REFINE GARDEN CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROCESS. OUR ARTISTS-, WRITERS-, AND SCIENTISTS-IN RESIDENCE CONTINUED THE TRADITION OF PLANTING A NATIVE LOULU (PRITCHARDIA) PALM IN THE GARDEN. WE CONTINUED OUR EFFORTS TO PROPAGATE LOULU BOTH TO EVENTUALLY OFFER TO RECOVERY EFFORTS IN LAHAINA AFTER THE MAUI FIRES, AND TO PLANT OUT IN OUR OWN GARDEN, AS WE EXPAND INTO THE UNPLANTED ACRES. TENDING THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION: SINCE ASSUMING STEWARDSHIP OF THE MERWIN PALM TREE COLLECTION IN 2020, TMC HAS EMPLOYED CONTRACT GARDENERS TO CARE FOR, PROTECT, CATALOG, AND REPORT ON A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF PALMS. THE COLLECTION IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE PRIVATE PALM COLLECTIONS. IT IS A CORE TENET OF OUR ORGANIZATION'S MISSION TO ENSURE THE ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY OF THIS COLLECTION, AND TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF SPECIES WITHIN IT. IN 2024, WE CONTINUED TO REFINE GARDEN CARE INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROCESS. OUR ARTISTS-, WRITERS-, AND SCIENTISTS-IN RESIDENCE CONTINUED THE TRADITION OF PLANTING A NATIVE LOULU (PRITCHARDIA) PALM IN THE GARDEN. WE CONTINUED OUR EFFORTS TO PROPAGATE LOULU BOTH TO EVENTUALLY OFFER TO RECOVERY EFFORTS IN LAHAINA AFTER THE MAUI FIRES, AND TO PLANT OUT IN OUR OWN GARDEN, AS WE EXPAND INTO THE UNPLANTED ACRES.
- $111,175 spent. ARTS AND ECOLOGY PROGRAMMING. THIS YEAR, THROUGH OUR LONG STANDING PUBLIC PROGRAM SERIES THE GREEN ROOM, WE PRESENTED THE WORK OF SEVERAL WRITERS AND POETS DURING IN-PERSON GATHERINGS ON MAUI AND OAHU. WE ALSO OFFERED VIRTUAL BROADCASTS OF OUR GREEN ROOM EVENTS WITH OUR GROWING GLOBAL COMMUNITY. WE OFFERED SPECIAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS ONSITE IN THE GARDEN, INCLUDING A READING AND A WORKSHOP WITH A FEW OF OUR WRITERS- AND ARTISTS-IN RESIDENCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE ALSO OPENED THE GARDEN IN INTIMATE, MINDFUL WAYS TO GUESTS DURING OUR OPEN GARDEN DAYS.
- $74,820 spent. RESIDENCY PROGRAM: OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM, LAUNCHED IN LATE 2021, OFFERS THE MERWINS' HOME AND GARDEN AS A SANCTUARY FOR WRITERS, ARTISTS, AND SCIENTISTS WHO MAKE NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR LANGUAGE AND LAND ACROSS DISCIPLINES. OUR RESIDENTS ARE SELECTED BY A COMMITTEE OF NOMINATORS WORKING ACROSS AND BETWEEN FIELDS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FIVE RESIDENTS INVITED DURING THE FIRST AND PILOT PHASE OF THE RESIDENCY, WE REFINED THE RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE AND EVOLVED THE HOUSE TO SERVE AS A SITE FOR IMAGINATION AND PRACTICE. IN 2024, WE HOSTED 4 RESIDENCIES, AND OFFERED OUR COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OUR RESIDENTS THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMMING.
- $67,645 spent. CONTINUED KEY REPAIRS & RESTORATION OF THE MERWINS' HOME: AS WE BECAME STEWARDS OF THE PROPERTY, WE CONTINUED REPAIRS TO THE TWO-STORY HOME, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 40 YEARS OLD, READYING THE HOME AS THE SITE OF OUR RESIDENCY AND ARTS AND ECOLOGY PROGRAMMING.
- CONTINUED KEY REPAIRS & RESTORATION OF THE MERWINS' HOME: AS WE BECAME STEWARDS OF THE PROPERTY, WE CONTINUED REPAIRS TO THE TWO-STORY HOME, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 40 YEARS OLD, READYING THE HOME AS THE SITE OF OUR RESIDENCY AND ARTS AND ECOLOGY PROGRAMMING.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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