Center for Heirs Property Preservation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
(See Schedule O)
- Income
- $7.9 million
- Spending
- $6.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 11.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 56%
- Employees
- 58
- Volunteers
- 58
- Highest pay
- $171,770, 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
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.9 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 23% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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: 92 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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, 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 (4)
- $1.7 million spent. LEGAL SERVICES CHPP provided legal education, consultations, and direct legal services to help families resolve heirs' property issues, complete estate plans, and reduce the risk of future land loss.2024 Legal Outcomes- HP/SFP Seminars Conducted: 15 heirs' property seminars and 34 heirs' property + sustainable forestry seminars - Total Seminar Attendance: 216 HP participants and 2,019 HP/SFP participants - Legal Intakes Completed: 671 (Continued on Schedule O)- Extended Legal Services Provided: 75 clients - Titles Resolved: 28 - Acres Secured Through Title Resolution: 75.9 acres - Tax-Assessed Value of Resolved Titles: $2,314,532 - Simple Wills Drafted at Wills Clinics: 242 - Wills Drafted In-House: 168 - Advanced Directives Completed: 26 Legal Landowner Impact Story A widow approached CHPP seeking clarity on property willed to her. CHPP's legal team corrected probate errors, filed the necessary deed documents, and resolved two property titles. Her children learned about the probate process, gaining knowledge that helps prevent future heirs' property issues.
- $1.2 million spent. SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY CHPP provided historically underserved landowners with forestry education, technical assistance, and support accessing federal cost-share programs to convert forestland into a productive asset.2024 Forestry Outcomes - Forestry Workshops Conducted: 24 - Workshop Attendance: 642 participants - Forestry Technical Assistance Provided: 265 landowners - Forestry Intakes Completed: 44 (Continued on Schedule O)- USDA/NRCS Cost-Share Funding Secured: >11 EQIP contracts totaling $210,000 >1 CSP contract totaling $20,000 Forestry Landowner Impact Story A Colleton County landowner worked with CHPP over five years to develop a forest management plan, complete a timber harvest, secure replanting funding, and become a Certified Tree Farmer. CHPP's foresters helped her build confidence in managing her land and making decisions that support long-term family benefit.
- $1.4 million spent. OUT-OF-STATE PARTNERSHIPS (OSP) In 2024, CHPP continued its work with the Mobile Basin Heirs' Property Support Initiative (MBHPSi), a partnership with World Wildlife Fund and Kimberly Clark, and secured additional funding to support organizations in other states that are replicating components of CHPP's service model. Arkansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia were added to partners in Mississippi and Alabama. CHPP also collaborated with partners in Texas to establish the East Texas Heirs' Property Initiative (ETHPi), a pilot modeled after CHPP's approach, that covers the 13 counties in the Piney Woods Region.(Continued on Schedule O)Organizations Involved - Alabama: Legal Services Alabama; LRLEAN - Arkansas: University of Arkansas Pine Bluff; Attorney Amy Pritchard - Kentucky & West Virginia: Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN); private attorneys - Mississippi: Mississippi Center for Justice; Mississippi Association of Cooperatives; Federation of Southern Cooperatives; Winston County Self-Help Cooperative - Texas: Phillip Kaiser, LLC; Texas A&M University; Texas Forest Service 2024 OSP Outcomes (All Partners Combined)Legal Services - Legal Consultations: 245 - Extended Legal Services: 32 families - Titles Resolved: 34 - Acres Represented: 3,927.6 acres - Wills Clinics: 15 - Wills/Estate Plans Drafted: 190 Forestry Services - Forestry Technical Assistance: 373 - Acres Receiving TA: 2,734 acres - Forest Management Plans Drafted: 34 - Cost-Share/Loan Applications Submitted: 43 - Conservation Practices Implemented: 73 - Tree Farm/FSC Certifications: 10 - New Farm Tract Numbers: 136 Education & Outreach - Legal Education Seminars: 38 - Forestry Workshops: 16 - Presentations/Information Tables: 29 - Individuals Increasing Knowledge/Awareness: 2,370 - New Farming and Forestry Enterprises: 27 OSP Landowner Stories Mississippi: A family working to probate their mother's estate needed a land survey to move forward. Winston County Self-Help Cooperative funded the survey at a pivotal moment, allowing the family to complete estate-planning steps.Mississippi: After her husband's sudden death, a widow with no title to the home sought help. Mississippi Center for Justice cleared title and drafted a will to protect her children.Alabama: Legal Services Alabama helped Ms. G. resolve a decades-old title issue left unprobated since her mother's death in 1999. With her siblings' support, LSA completed heirship affidavits and cleared the title.
- $741,679 spent. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CHPP conducted outreach activities and events to increase community awareness about heirs' property, estate planning, and sustainable land use.2024 Community Engagement Outcomes - Presentations & Information Tables: 27 - Attendance at Presentations/Tables: 1,904 - 9th Annual Rural & Limited Resource Landowner Symposium: > Date: June 2122, 2024 > Location: West Columbia, SC > Total Attendance: 180 > Featured Speakers: Shirley Sherrod (Keynote), Dr. Homer Wilkes (Guest Speaker) > Topics: NRCS programs, estate planning, forestry taxation, entrepreneurship on forestland, timber sales, alternative land uses, and the Uniform Partition of Heirs' Property Act Community Engagement Story Fifteen Woodland Community Champions (WCCs) completed a five-session leadership institute. As part of graduation, one Champion partnered with Trane Technologies to host two heirs' property seminars and an information table over two days, reaching more than 200 employees.
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 April 2006.
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.