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Wilderness Society

EIN 53-0167933 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

FOUNDED IN 1935 BY CONSERVATION VISIONARIES, THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY PROTECTS WILDERNESS AND UNITES PEOPLE TO PROTECT AMERICA'S WILD PUBLIC LANDS. WE WORK TO GUIDE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT TO THE RIGHT PLACES AND ENSURE THAT PUBLIC LANDS CONTRIBUTE TO CLIMATE SOLUTIONS. WE WORK TO ENSURE THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN ACCESS AND SHARE THE BENEFITS OF THE OUTDOORS, FROM THE URBAN TO THE WILD. IN 1964, WE LED THE EFFORT TO ESTABLISH THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM, WHICH HAS NOW GROWN TO 109 MILLION ACRES OF PERMANENTLY PROTECTED WILDLANDS THAT PRESERVE AMERICA'S NATURAL HERITAGE. FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS, WHICH BELONG TO ALL AMERICANS, FACE GROWING THREATS. THOSE ACRES AND MILLIONS MORE REQUIRE ACTION TO CONSERVE THEIR NATURAL CHARACTER. SEE WWW.WILDERNESS.ORG.

Income
$42.0 million
Spending
$43.5 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
12.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 91%
Employees
210
Volunteers
33
Highest pay
$509,193, president (to sep '24)

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 71% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 22% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    32 of 32 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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)
  1. $16.6 million spent. 30 X 30: THE GOAL OF THE 30 X 30 MOVEMENT IS TO ADDRESS THE DEVASTATING LOSS OF NATURE ACROSS THE GLOBE. IN APPROXIMATELY THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE'VE LOST 1.2 MILLION SQUARE MILES OF THE WILD LAND WORLDWIDE - ABOUT THE SAME AS THE TOTAL AREA OF INDIA. IF DEVELOPMENT AND DESTRUCTION CONTINUE AT THAT RATE, SCIENTISTS SAY THERE WILL BE NO TRULY WILD PLACES LEFT WITHOUT HUMAN DISTURBANCES IN LESS THAN A CENTURY. THIS LOSS OF NATURE AFFECTS OUR SOURCES OF CLEAN AIR AND WATER AS WELL AS THE PLACES WE RECREATE. IT ALSO MEANS FEWER PLACES TO ACT AS REFUGE FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE STRUGGLING TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE. ADDITIONALLY, THIS TREND IS HURTING OUR ABILITY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE ITSELF, AS FORESTS AND OTHER LANDSCAPES WITH A GREAT CAPACITY TO ABSORB GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE BEING WIPED OUT.
  2. $8.5 million spent. COMMUNITY LED CONSERVATION: ALL PEOPLE, OF EVERY RACE, GENDER, IMMIGRATION STATUS, PHYSICAL ABILITY OR INCOME LEVEL, SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO NATURE. WE ARE WORKING TO TRANSFORM CONSERVATION POLICY AND PRACTICE SO THAT EVERYONE CAN GET OUTDOORS AND BENEFIT EQUITABLY FROM PUBLIC LANDS.
  3. $6.5 million spent. NET ZERO: WE STRIVE TO MAKE PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERS ENTIRELY POLLUTION-FREE. THE FIRST STEP IS TO MAKE PUBLIC LANDS A NET-ZERO SOURCE OF EMISSIONS BY 2030 AND SUPPORT A JUST TRANSITION FOR FOSSIL-FUEL-DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO WANT TO BOOST RESPONSIBLE RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND TO PROTECT FORESTS AND LANDSCAPES THAT PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ABSORBING CLIMATE CHANGE EMISSIONS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1942.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.