Cultural Landscape Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
A NON-PROFIT ESTABLISHED IN 1998, THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE FOUNDATION (TCLF) CONNECTS PEOPLE TO PLACES. TCLF EDUCATES AND ENGAGES THE PUBLIC TO MAKE OUR SHARED LANDSCAPE HERITAGE MORE VISIBLE, IDENTIFY ITS VALUE, AND EMPOWER ITS STEWARDS. TCLF ACHIEVES THIS MISSION THROUGH THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF ITS FOUR CORE PROGRAMS:WHAT'S OUT THERE, NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST AND MOST EXHAUSTIVE DATABASE OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES; PIONEERS OF AMERICAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN, AN IN-DEPTH MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY, INCLUSIVE OF VIDEO ORAL HISTORIES, CHRONICLING THE LIVES OF SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND EDUCATORS; LANDSLIDE, AN ONGOING COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES AND LANDSCAPE FEATURES THAT ARE THREATENED; THE CORNELIA HAHN OBERLANDER INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PRIZE, A BIENNIAL PRIZE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE THAT INCLUDES A US $100,000 MONETARY AWARD AND TWO YEARS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 65%
- Reserves
- 42.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $283,894, president & ceo
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 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 42.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1565% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2525 of 25 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
0 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 (3)
- $721,570 spent. LANDSLIDE: THE GOAL OF THE LANDSLIDE PROGRAM IS TO DRAW IMMEDIATE AND LASTING ATTENTION TO THREATENED LANDSCAPES AND UNIQUE FEATURES. THE PROGRAM SPARKS DEBATE, REVEALS THE VALUE OF EVERYDAY PLACES, AND ENCOURAGES INFORMED COMMUNITY-BASED STEWARDSHIP DECISIONS AS IT HIGHLIGHTS AND MONITORS AT-RISK LANDSCAPES AND CREATES ANNUAL THEMATIC LISTINGS TO SAVE THIS HERITAGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. THROUGH WEB-BASED NEWS STORIES, TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS, AND PRINT PUBLICATIONS, LANDSLIDE REVEALS THE VALUE OF THESE OFTEN-FORGOTTEN LANDSCAPES. EACH YEAR TCLF CREATES AN ANNUAL REPORT ABOUT THREATENED AND AT-RISK SITES; SOME WELL-KNOWN, OTHERS OBSCURE. TO BRING ATTENTION TO THESE SIGNIFICANT PLACES, TCLF CREATES RICHLY ILLUSTRATED ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITIONS WITH NARRATIVE HISTORIES OF EACH SITE, THE NATURE OF THE THREAT, AND CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR LEARNING MORE AND GETTING INVOLVED.
- $206,163 spent. PIONEERS OF AMERICAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN, AN IN-DEPTH MULTIMEDIA LIBRARY, INCLUDES THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED ESSAYS AND VIDEO ORAL HISTORIES CHRONICLING THE LIVES OF SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND EDUCATORS. PIONEERS HAVE INCLUDED LUMINARIES LIKE CORNELIA HAHN OBERLANDER, LAWRENCE HALPRIN, LAURIE OLIN, HARRIET PATTISON, AND M. PAUL FRIEDBERG.THE CORNELIA HAHN OBERLANDER INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PRIZE, IS A BIENNIAL PRIZE IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE THAT INCLUDES A US$100,000 MONETARY AWARD AND TWO YEARS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. IT IS BESTOWED ON A RECIPIENT WHO IS "EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED, CREATIVE, COURAGEOUS, AND VISIONARY AND HAS "A SIGNIFICANT BODY OF BUILT WORK THAT EXEMPLIFIES THE ART OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE." THE INAUGURAL LAUREATE, JULIA BARGMANN, WAS ANNOUNCED IN OCTOBER 2021. THE SECOND LAUREATE, KONGJIAN YU, WAS ANNOUNCED IN 2023.
- $103,082 spent. WHAT'S OUT THERE (WOT): THE GOAL OF THIS SEARCHABLE, EASY-TO-NAVIGATE DATABASE IS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE RICH DIVERSITY AND INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF OUR SHARED DESIGNED LANDSCAPE HERITAGE. SPANNING OVER TWO CENTURIES OF AMERICAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN, THE WHAT'S OUT THERE DATABASE IS SEARCHABLE BY LANDSCAPE NAME, LOCALE, DESIGNER, TYPE, AND SYTLE. IT HAS OVER 2,500 ENTRIES SO FAR WITH CONTENT CREATED BY ACADEMICS, VOLUNTEERS, AND ADVOCATES, AND HAS BEEN VETTED OVER THE PAST DECADE BY DOZENS OF RESEARCHERS AND HISTORIANS. WE CREATED WHAT'S OUT THERE TO SERVE AS A REFERENCE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF DESIGN AND HISTORY, ENTHUSIASTS, AND PROFESSIONALS, PROVOKING INTEREST, INFORMING STEWARDSHIP DECISIONS, AND ENRICHING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DESIGNED LANDSCAPE HISTORY. AN EXTENSION OF THE WHAT'S OUT THERE DATABASE, WHAT'S OUT THERE WEEKEND DRAWS PEOPLE OUT INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE FIRST-HAND THE LANDSCAPES THAT THEY SEE EVERY DAY BUT OFTEN OVERLOOK. HOSTED IN DIFFERENT CITIES EVERY YEAR, WHAT'S OUT THERE WEEKEND BRINGS TO LIGHT THE UNIQUE LANDSCAPE LEGACY AND LOCAL CHARACTER OF EACH CITY, DEFINED BY ITS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PARKS, GARDENS, PLAZAS, CEMETERIES, MEMORIALS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS. FREE, EXPERT-LED WEEKEND TOURS OF 25 TO 30 SITES.
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 2024.
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 May 1998.
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.
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.