Forest Trends Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FOREST TRENDS WORKS TO DRIVE INNOVATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE TO SUPPORT RESILIENT ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES. THROUGH ITS CORE INITIATIVES-INCLUDING FOREST POLICY, TRADE & FINANCE, WATER, AND COMMUNITIES-FOREST TRENDS DEVELOPS DATA, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)TOOLS, AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, STRENGTHEN LOCAL AND INDIGENOUS LAND RIGHTS, AND SUPPORT MARKET-BASED SOLUTIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. THESE PROGRAMS COLLECTIVELY ADVANCE POLICY DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY IN SUPPLY CHAINS, AND EXPAND FINANCING MECHANISMS FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS.
- Income
- $6.0 million
- Spending
- $8.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 81%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 52%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $327,864, president & ceo
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
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 50% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 43% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 46% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1581% 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 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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 (6)
- $2.3 million spent. FOREST POLICY, TRADE & FINANCE INITIATIVE: THE FOREST POLICY, TRADE AND FINANCE INITIATIVE WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY 2000S WHEN THE ORGANIZATION REALIZED THAT EMERGING MARKETS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND PRODUCTS WERE CONTINUING TO BE UNDERMINED BY CHEAP AND ILLEGAL FOREST PRODUCTS. SINCE THEN, THE FPTF PROGRAM HAS BEEN WORKING TO "SQUEEZE OUT" THE PROFITABILITY AND MARKET ACCESS OF ILLEGALLY SOURCED TIMBER AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THE ULTIMATE AIM OF THE FPTF PROGRAM IS TO SUPPORT MARKET TRANSFORMATION AWAY FROM PRODUCTS SOURCED ILLEGALLY FROM FOREST AREAS, DEVELOPING EXCELLENT DATA AND POLICY ANALYSIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS, AND MENTORING AND CONVENING 'COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE' AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD FOREST GOVERNANCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRADE CONTROLS, SECURE RESOURCE RIGHTS, AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. THE INITIATIVE'S THEORY OF CHANGE HINGES UPON A COMBINATION OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND SIDE INTERVENTIONS AT THIS INTERSECTION OF POLICY, GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE PRODUCTION.MEKONG: PREVENTING DEFORESTATIONS BEFORE IT HAPPENS THROUGH STOPPING ILLEGAL DEFORESTATION, FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE, CREATING NEW STRATEGIES IN TRACING ILLEGAL TIMBER AND WORKING BOTH WITH CONSUMERS AND PRODUCERS.
- $1.8 million spent. WATER INITIATIVE: RECOGNIZING THE MULTIPLE VALUES, INCLUDING SUPPLIES OF CLEAN WATER, WHICH FORESTS PROVIDE TO PEOPLE, FOREST TRENDS HAS WORKED FROM INCEPTION TO PROMOTE THE USE OF INCENTIVES AND MARKET-BASED INSTRUMENTS TO PROTECT AND SUSTAINABLY MANAGE WATERSHED SERVICES. FOREST TRENDS HELPED ESTABLISH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FUND, AN INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FOREST TRENDS, THE WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE, AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION, TO RESTORE AND PROTECT THE BAY'S WATER QUALITY. IN 2010, WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST STATE OF WATERSHED PAYMENTS REPORT, THE FIRST GLOBAL SURVEY OF INCENTIVE AND MARKET-BASED INSTRUMENTS FOR PROTECTING HYDROLOGICAL SERVICES.GLOBAL WATER IN 2018, USAID AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA MADE A MAJOR $28 MILLION COMMITMENT (IN 2013 THIS COMMITMENT WAS INCREASED TO $52,181,653 TO THE NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER SECURITY PROJECT IN PERU, LED BY FOREST TRENDS AND PARTNERS. FOREST TRENDS ALSO CREATED THE FIRST-EVER COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE COURSE ON NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE WATER SECTOR IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF LATIN AMERICAN WATER UTILITY REGULATORS (ADERASA) AND FINANCING EXPERTS AT ECODECISIN. TO DATE, FOREST TRENDS HAS TRAINED 126 ENGINEERS AND WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS (70 MEN AND 56 WOMEN) IN 13 COUNTRIES IN DESIGNING AND EVALUATING NATURE-BASED INTERVENTIONS. THE COURSE IS IN ITS THIRD - PERENNIALLY OVERSUBSCRIBED - ITERATION. FTA RECEIVED A TERMINATION LETTER OF THESE PROGRAMS AS OF JANUARY 2025.
- $1.4 million spent. COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE: THE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS ONE OF THE FIRST INITIATIVES OF FOREST TRENDS. THE INITIAL FOCUS WAS ON RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITIES' FOREST/LAND TENURE. IN 2006 WE TRANSITIONED TO OUR CURRENT APPROACH OF WORKING DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR CAPACITY TO SECURE AND MANAGE THEIR TRADITIONAL FOREST HOMELANDS.WE SUPPORT INDIGENOUS AND OTHER TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES TO SECURE THEIR RIGHTS, MANAGE AND CONSERVE THEIR FORESTS AND IMPROVE THEIR LIVELIHOODS. FOCUSING ON RIGHTS, FORESTS, AND LIVELIHOODS, WE LINK LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN KEY GEOGRAPHIES TO OPPORTUNITIES AROUND EVOLVING POLICY, FINANCE, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. BY STRENGTHENING LOCAL COMMUNITIES' CAPACITY TO SECURE AND MANAGE THEIR FORESTS, THE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE IS ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, CULTURAL SURVIVAL, AND TO THE CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND OTHER ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
- $729,522 spent. CATALYTIC CAMPAIGN: THE FOREST SERVICE ACCOMPLISHES WORK UNDER THE CHALLENGE COST-SHARE AUTHORITY (DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT OF 1992, PUBLIC LAW 102-154) FOR THE PURPOSE OF COOPERATIVELY DEVELOPING, PLANNING, AND IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE OF MUTUAL INTEREST AND BENEFIT AND ENHANCE FOREST SERVICE ACTIVITIES. AS STATED IN THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT (22-CS-11132420), THE FOREST SERVICE SEEKS TO MODIFY ITS AGREEMENT WITH FOREST TRENDS TO EXPAND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO THE WILDFIRE CRISIS STRATEGY, MUTUALLY SUPPORTING PARTNERS' EFFORTS TO BUILD ENABLING CONDITIONS THAT ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIORITY ON-THE GROUNDWORK IN WCS LANDSCAPES.
- $541,477 spent. ECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE: LAUNCHED AS A WEB-BASED INFORMATION PLATFORM IN 2004, ECOSYSTEM MARKETPLACE PUBLISHES NEWSLETTERS, BREAKING NEWS, ORIGINAL FEATURE ARTICLES AND MAJOR REPORTS ABOUT MARKET-BASED APPROACHES TO CONSERVING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES. BEGINNING IN 2007, STAFF BEGAN COLLECTING SURVEY DATA TO INFORM THE FIRST-EVER "STATE OF THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKETS" REPORT; SINCE THEN, COVERAGE HAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE FOREST CARBON, WATERSHED INVESTMENTS AND BIODIVERSITY IN OUR SIGNATURE "STATE OF" MARKET ANALYSIS REPORT FORMAT. LATELY, EM HAS EXPLORED NEW TOPICS OF INTEREST TO OUR TRADITIONAL MARKETS (E.G., THE BUYERS' REPORT), EXPANDED OUR COVERAGE TO NEW FOCAL TOPICS (E.G., SUPPLY CHANGE, AND THE CONSERVATION INVESTMENT SURVEY), AND INCREASED OUR EXTERNAL ADVISING AND CONSULTING OPPORTUNITIES (E.G., GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR CLEAN COOKSTOVES, FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL).EM BELIEVES THAT TRANSPARENCY IS A HALLMARK OF ROBUST MARKETS AND THAT BY PROVIDING FREELY-ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION, WE CAN FACILITATE TRANSACTIONS (THEREBY LOWERING TRANSACTION COSTS) AND ALSO CATALYZE NEW THINKING AND SPUR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MARKETS AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THEM. WITH EM'S HIGH QUALITY MARKET INTELLIGENCE, PROJECT DEVELOPERS CAN BETTER MANAGE AND SELL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES; BUYERS CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MARKETS AND THEIR LEGITIMACY; POLICY MAKERS CAN LEARN FROM PAST POLICIES TO CREATE MORE ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS FOR MARKETS; AND ACADEMICS CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES AND TRENDS OF PAYMENTS FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.
- $297,296 spent. KATOOMBA: THE KATOOMBA GROUP, HOSTED BY FOREST TRENDS, IS A GLOBAL NETWORK OF PEOPLE WORKING TO MOBILIZE PUBLIC FUNDING AND PRIVATE CAPITAL TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE NATURE IN WAYS THAT ALSO EMPOWER INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
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 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 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 March 1999.
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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