Fondo Mexicano Para La Conservacion De La Naturaleza Ac
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SUSTAIN OUR NATURAL TREASURE
- Income
- $57.1 million
- Spending
- $18.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 92%
- Reserves
- 28.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 87%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 7
- Highest pay
- $261,012, chief executive officer
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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 88% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 28.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 67% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2684% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1592% 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 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
0 of 10Did not give 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 (3)
- $10.1 million spent. Conservation: we promote the integrity of ecosystems and their ecological processes. FMCN invests in maintaining Mexico's biodiversity, which is its natural wealth. Biodiversity allows the integrity of ecosystems, whose processes provide environmental services that make life possible, including that of human beings. In 2024, the project Biodiversity Conservation in the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Gulf of Mexico (Sierra y Mar) continued to fund priority conservation activities and supported planning in 14 protected areas (PAs). It also enhanced PA operations through the installation of radio communication equipment and acquisition of technology, which enabled rangers to improve biological monitoring and engagement with local communities. In addition, the project supported the implementation of Integrated Watershed Management Action Plans (PAMICs, acronym in Spanish) aimed at conserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, promoting sustainable use of natural resources, and restoring ecosystem functionality and services in four watersheds. The Calakmul Conservation Fund continued providing payments for environmental services to the ejidos (a communal land ownership system created following the Mexican Revolution) of Pustunich and Yohaltun, located in the buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. CONAFOR's co-financing program enabled increased support. In addition, Amigos de Calakmul provided technical assistance and ongoing forest cover monitoring in these ejidos. Participating communities increased their patrols and forest protection efforts to safeguard ecosystem integrity. Data analyzed in 2024 showed that vegetation cover has remained stable. The Endangered Species Conservation Fund (FONCER, in Spanish) supports the conservation of at-risk species and their habitats in and around PAs. The Species Commission, responsible for its oversight, develops strategies to optimize the use of FONCER resources in support of emblematic species protection. The Protected Areas Fund (FANP, acronym in Spanish) in collaboration with CONANP, local communities, grassroots organizations, and more than 25 donors, has become a leading conservation mechanism for natural resources and ecosystem services in Mexico, 27 years after its creation. In 2024, FANP supported strategic planning in seven PAs and channeled resources from the emergency fund to assist community brigades in responding to 33 wildfires and other environmental emergencies, in coordination with CONAFOR. With 28 years of operation, FANP has provided funding to 70 terrestrial and marine PAs, covering 54% of the country's decreed terrestrial area and 34% of the marine territory. The Fire Management and Restoration Fund (FOMAFUR, in Spanish) supported nine local organizations to strengthen their capacity in fire prevention, fire management, and restoration of affected areas, in collaboration with CONANP and CONAFOR. These organizations trained and equipped community brigades made up of CONANP staff, who played a key role in fire prevention and response, trail rehabilitation, and patrols in high-risk areas. One of the main achievements of the Monarch Butterfly Fund, with 24 years of operation, has been reducing deforestation in the core zone of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (RBMM, acronym in Spanish). This success reflects the synergy among government agencies, civil society organizations, and forest-owning communities. In recognition of this collective effort, the government of the state of Michoacan made a financial contribution to this endowment fund, reinforcing long-term economic support for forest landowners who carry out conservation actions and ensure forest cover is maintained in the core zones of the RBMM. The Monte Mojino Fund provided payments for environmental services, including matching contributions from CONAFOR to the La Guasima ejido in southern Sinaloa. Thanks to this, forest owners restored and conserved ecosystem services across more than 2,000 hectares and promoted sustainable management over 7,880 hectares of agrarian land. The Monte Mojino Fund also promoted community participation in green infrastructure conservation through a participatory environmental surveillance program, which included patrol routes, the creation of a fire prevention and response brigade, and collaboration with the ranching sector to promote the transition to regenerative livestock practices. The Sustainable Financing for New Protected Areas (FINANP, in Spanish) project continued its work in three marine PAs: the Mexican Caribbean Biosphere Reserve, the Pacific Islands Biosphere Reserve in the Baja California Peninsula, and Revillagigedo National Park. CONANP staff carried out conservation and sustainable management actions in these PAs, in collaboration with academic institutions and local organizations. These efforts included biological monitoring, regulation of tourism activities, enforcement and surveillance, and environmental education. Since 2015, the Mesoamerican Reef Conservation project has supported 40 subprojects to strengthen local communities in marine PAs in this region. These subprojects focus on monitoring, coral reef restoration, best practices in tourism, solid and liquid waste management, climate change, and participatory governance. In 2024, the Centro Ecologico Akumal continued coral restoration work in the Akumal Bay Aquatic Species Refuge and strengthened local actors' capacity in restoration techniques. The Gulf of California Fund (FGC, acronym in Spanish) financed nine local organizations selected through the 2024 call for proposals to implement activities in sustainable fisheries management, the strengthening of community-based ecotourism enterprises, artisanal fishing and aquaculture, and community-led solutions for healthy oceans. The Coastal Lands Fund continued protecting priority coastal landscapes to safeguard their ecological integrity in northwestern Mexico. Organizations including Costasalvaje, Soci
- $6.3 million spent. Sustainable Management: we promote the long-term use of natural resources. Investment in sustainable management provides livelihoods by using natural resources without compromising the well-being of future generations. In 2024, the Connecting Watershed Health with Sustainable Livestock and Agroforestry Production (CONECTA, in Spanish) project strengthened women's leadership and knowledge exchange through assemblies focused on livestock and conservation in Chihuahua, nursery producers in Jalisco, and women producers from diverse value chains in Chiapas. Additionally, 843 producers (316 women and 527 men) adopted best sustainable practices for management and restoration on over 12,000 hectares. The Coastal Watershed Conservation in the Context of Climate Change (C6) project provided technical and administrative follow-up to ten PAs, emphasizing strategic planning, experience exchange events, project review processes, and emergency fund application and reporting. The River Restoration for Climate Change Adaptation (RIOS, in Spanish) project increased adaptive capacity across 1,900 hectares through restoration and productive reconversion, involving 2,650 producers. To encourage private investment, the project strengthened financing mechanisms and credit-readiness processes, facilitating connections between small agro-enterprises and sustainable financing sources by identifying four potential financial intermediaries. In the Watersheds and Cities project, over 9,000 people participated in the adoption of best sustainable management practices. Recipient organizations formed strategic alliances with governments, businesses, and civil society to promote integrated watershed management across the ten cities where the project operates. These organizations also promoted the publication of 57 analyses, manuals, and information briefs, including the socio-environmental vulnerability studies related to climate change for the cities of Mazatlan and La Paz.
- $803,713 spent. Capacity Building: we consolidate professional competence and personal leadership, as well as institutional competitiveness and capacity for sustainable development. The Kanan Kay Alliance (AKK, acronym in Spanish) supported the management of 14 NTZs, which cover nearly 50,000 hectares of protected marine ecosystems. Coastal communities in the Yucatan Peninsula define and monitor these areas to regulate fishing and help increase fish populations. AKK promotes collaborative management and equity among its 37 members, enabling communities to better address declining fishery resources. The Kaanbal Suut project held its first in-person community assembly in Merida, bringing together all three cohorts of the program for the first time, along with representatives from various groups across the Peninsula. The impact evaluation of the project, since its launch in 2021, highlighted its multidisciplinary approach, the creation of synergies, and the consolidation of a local network in the Yucatan Peninsula. Key achievements include 55 organized groups that improved their institutional effectiveness, 127 trained leaders, and over 3,000 people who benefited from the project. The Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program (MAR-L) celebrated the graduation of its 2023 cohort in Puerto Morelos. The class included 21 leaders who developed 14 subprojects, 11 of which were led by women. These subprojects addressed topics such as tourism-based coral reef restoration, control of invasive species, waste management and recycling, and sustainable food production, showcasing the potential of nature-based businesses in the region. In addition, MAR-L made progress in the design of its 2025 cohort, aiming to collaborate with organizations in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras to attract investment and promote positive-impact ventures and entrepreneurship across the region.
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 December 1995.
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.
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