Amazon Conservation Team
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE AMAZON CONSERVATION TEAM (ACT) PARTNERS WITH INDIGENOUS AND OTHER LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT TROPICAL FORESTS AND STRENGTHEN TRADITIONAL CULTURE.
- Income
- $41.8 million
- Spending
- $12.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- 38.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $182,412, president
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 38.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 71% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 634% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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 49% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 15 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 (3)
- $6.2 million spent. LAND RIGHTS, PROTECTIONS & MANAGEMENT- IN BRAZIL, ON BANANAL ISLAND IN THE STATE OF TOCANTINS, BRAZIL, THE AWA PEOPLE ARE ADVANCING THE RECOVERY OF THEIR TERRITORY THROUGH PLANTING, FOREST MANAGEMENT, AND INITIATIVES LED BY THE KAWU NURSERY PROJECT, CREATED BY THE COMMUNITY WITH SUPPORT FROM ACT. BUILT IN MAY 2025, THE NURSERY ENSURES A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF NATIVE SEEDLINGS FOR THEIR RESTORATION WORK AND STRENGTHENS THE COMMUNITY'S AUTONOMY IN ENVIRONMENTAL RECOVERY. OVER 800 SEEDLINGS ARE CURRENTLY BEING PLANTED. ALONG RIVERBANKS AND WETLANDS, THE AWA HAVE CULTIVATED CAJU, BURITI, ACAI, AND AROEIRA - SPECIES GROWN BY THE COMMUNITY ITSELF, ESSENTIAL FOR PROTECTING WATER AND SOIL.- IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITIES, IN 2025, ACT CARRIED OUT LAND TENURE STUDIES FOR THE DEMARCATION OF KOKAMA TERRITORIES ALONG THE ICA RIVER IN BRAZIL'S UPPER SOLIMOES RIVER REGION, COVERING NEARLY 300,000 ACRES AND ALL KOKAMA VILLAGES. THE DEMARCATION IS AN ESSENTIAL STEP TOWARD OFFICIAL COLLECTIVE LAND RIGHTS FOR THE KOKAMA OVER THEIR ANCESTRAL TERRITORY. ADDITIONALLY, ACT MAPPED HYDROGRAPHY, VEGETATION, SOIL TYPES, AND NATIVE SPECIES. THROUGHOUT THE FIELDWORK, ETHNOMAPPING WORKSHOPS WERE CONDUCTED WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.- IN 2025, THE COMMUNITIES OF BRAZIL'S PARANA DO BOA-BOA INDIGENOUS LAND COMPLETED THE PRODUCTION AND PUBLICATION OF THEIR PGTA (TERRITORIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN), A FORMALLY RECOGNIZED GUIDE DEVELOPED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO SUPPORT THE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF THEIR TERRITORIES. COMPARABLE TO THE LIFE PLANS DEVELOPED IN OTHER ACT WORK AREAS, THE PGTA WAS THE FIRST SUPPORTED BY ACT-BRASIL - A MILESTONE COLLECTIVELY DEVELOPED WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NADEB AND KANAMARY PEOPLES. THE PGTA IS WHERE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES EXPRESS THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND DRAW UP THEIR PATHWAYS AND STRATEGIES TO CARE FOR THE FOREST, THE WATERS, THE FLORA AND FAUNA, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES OVER THE LONG TERM, BASED ON THEIR WORLDVIEW.- IN GUYANA, ANCESTRAL MAPPING HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN AND WITH THE FULL PARTNERSHIP OF FOUR MACUSHI INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, RESULTING IN TERRITORIAL AND VILLAGE MAPS WITH MORE THAN A THOUSAND LANDSCAPE AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA POINTS. AMONG MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES, THE ENDEAVOR SEEKS TO EMPOWER COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE AND BOLSTER PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY. IN 2025, ACT MET WITH ADDITIONAL VILLAGES OF THE MACUSHI, WAIWAI, AND WAPISHANA PEOPLES TO INCREASE THE ANCESTRAL MAPPING REACH AND TO RECORD ORAL HISTORIES, ALSO KNOWN AS STORIES OF PLACE, WITH THE GOAL OF PRESERVING AND TRANSMITTING TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE.- SINCE 2007, ACT HAS HELPED TRAIN MORE THAN 60 COMMUNITY RANGERS AND ESTABLISHED SEVEN RANGER POSTS ACROSS SURINAME. THE MOST RECENT POST, VIER GEBROEDERS, OPENED IN JUNE 2025 IN THE SIPALIWINI NATURE RESERVE, IN A REMOTE AREA NEAR THE BRAZILIAN BORDER. THE STATION, MANNED AT ALL HOURS, IS AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD IMPROVING THE PROTECTION OF A SENSITIVE AREA FROM VIOLATIONS RELATED TO ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES - ESPECIALLY LAND DEGRADATION FROM ILLEGAL MINING ACTIVITIES, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, AND WILDLIFE, DRUG, AND ILLEGAL ARMS TRAFFICKING - WITH FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. COMMUNITY RANGERS IN SURINAME PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING ILLEGAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE ACTIVITIES - PARTICULARLY GOLD MINING, WHICH HAS SURGED IN RECENT YEARS DUE TO RECORD-HIGH GOLD PRICES. IN 2025, FOLLOWING INTENSIVE TRAINING, SIX RANGERS ACHIEVED THE STATUS OF SPECIAL OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL POLICE FORCE, CERTIFIED BY SURINAME'S MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND POLICE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF AN AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN ACT AND THE MINISTRY. THE STATUS INTEGRATES THE COMMUNITY RANGERS IN THE NATIONAL MONITORING SYSTEM AND PROVIDES THEM WITH A LIMITED, NON-WEAPON-BEARING MANDATE TO ENFORCE THE LAW BY ACTING AGAINST VIOLATIONS AND REPORTING ON ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THEIR TERRITORY. ADDITIONALLY, WITHIN THE SCOPE OF AN AGREEMENT WITH ACT, 16 RANGERS WERE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED IN FOREST MONITORING BY THE MINISTRY OF LAND POLICY AND FOREST MANAGEMENT. JOINT FIELD PATROLS HAVE COMMENCED BETWEEN RANGERS AND NATIONAL GAME WARDENS. THE RANGERS ALSO PROVIDE ONGOING ASSISTANCE IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, INCLUDING WILDLIFE MONITORING AND WATER QUALITY SAMPLING.- OVER DECADES, ACT HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN SECURING THE TERRITORIAL RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SAFEGUARDING ECOLOGICALLY AND CULTURALLY STRATEGIC AREAS THROUGH RIGHTS-BASED PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION SYSTEMS. IN COLOMBIA, IN 2025, 339,574 ACRES OF INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES WERE LEGALIZED OR EXPANDED.- COLOMBIA'S SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA IS AMONG THE MOST BIODIVERSE ECOREGIONS IN THE WORLD. THERE, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION PROGRESSED SIGNIFICANTLY IN PRIORITIZED RIVER BASINS THROUGH COORDINATED WORK WITH INDIGENOUS AUTHORITIES AND LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING RESTORATION AND REFORESTATION OF MANGROVE AND DRY FOREST. WITHIN THE SACRED SITE OF JABA TANIWASHKAKA, 2.5 HECTARES HAVE BEEN RESTORED WITH 1,190 NATIVE TREES FROM 30 DIFFERENT SPECIES. THE RESTORATION PROCESS HAS INCORPORATED SUSTAINABLE AGROECOLOGICAL PRACTICES, INCLUDING THE USE OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS COLLECTED ON-SITE, CHEMICAL-FREE AGRICULTURE, MIXED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS (COMBINING TIMBER SPECIES WITH FOOD CROPS), NON-CHEMICAL PEST CONTROL, AND BIODIVERSITY-FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT BY RETAINING ALL EXISTING TREES.- ACT'S ANCESTRAL TIDES PROGRAM IS A MARINE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE THAT PARTNERS WITH LOCAL AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS COSTA RICA, PANAMA, MEXICO, AND COLOMBIA. SINCE 2019, ANCESTRAL TIDES HAS PROTECTED MORE THAN 1,600 SEA TURTLE NESTS AND GUIDED MORE THAN 150,000 HATCHLINGS SAFELY TO THE OCEAN - MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THE PROGRAM HAS PARTNERED WITH 18 INDIGENOUS GROUPS. IN ADDITION TO 16 WORKING SITES ACROSS THE NETWORK, SEVEN SEA TURTLE HATCHERIES ARE NOW IN OPERATION, WITH A HATCHING SUCCESS RATE OF OVER 90% IN ALL COUNT
- $2.5 million spent. GOVERNANCE AND CULTURE -IN 2025, IN THE BONA INDIGENOUS VILLAGE IN THE NORTHERN BRAZILIAN STATE OF PARA, ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE TUMUCUMAQUE INDIGENOUS AREA, ACT SPONSORED MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS ENGAGING 90 INDIGENOUS REPRESENTATIVES TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FORMAL DOCUMENT THAT LAYS OUT AN EDUCATIONAL PLAN FOR A NETWORK OF 22 WAYANA AND APALAI INDIGENOUS VILLAGES AND THEIR SCHOOLS, KNOWN AS A PROJETO POLITICO PEDAGOGICO (PEDAGOGICAL AND POLITICAL PROJECT). THE PLAN MAPS OUT HOW WESTERN SCHOOLING WILL BE INTEGRATED WITH TRADITIONAL TEACHING THAT IS CULTURALLY ESSENTIAL TO THE COMMUNITIES. ONCE RATIFIED IN THE INDIGENOUS ASSEMBLY, THE DOCUMENT WILL BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL TO THE EDUCATIONAL SECRETARIAT OF AMAPA.-IN FEBRUARY 2025, IN SURINAME'S PARA DISTRICT, 23 VILLAGE LEADERS AND MEMBERS FROM SEVEN VILLAGES ASSEMBLED AT COLA KREEK FOR A WEEK OF LEADERSHIP TRAINING SPONSORED BY ACT. THE TRAINING FOCUSED ON OPTIMIZING NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ON SHARED OBJECTIVES AND THE PRIORITIES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. -IN COLOMBIA'S SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA, MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS WERE CARRIED OUT BETWEEN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO BRING AWARENESS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SACRED SITES AND ECOSYSTEMS, ALONG WITH KNOWLEDGE-EXCHANGE DIALOGUE SESSIONS. THIS WORK ENABLED PROGRESS IN JOINTLY DEVELOPING PROTECTION PATHWAYS AND LED TO THE SIGNING OF INTERCULTURAL AND INTERETHNIC AGREEMENTS TO SAFEGUARD FOUR SACRED SITES OF THE LINEA NEGRA. THE SITES NOW BENEFIT FROM STRONGER MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION, AND THE EXCHANGE AND DIALOGUE SESSIONS HAVE HELPED STRENGTHEN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR IMPORTANCE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ECOSYSTEM BALANCE. -SINCE 2012, IN COLOMBIA, ACT HAS WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SIERRA NEVADA DE SANTA MARTA'S KOGUI, ARHUACO, WIWA, AND KANKUAMO PEOPLES TO EXPAND INDIGENOUS RESERVES, ACQUIRE PRIVATE LANDS TO SAFEGUARD SACRED SITES, RESTORE BIODIVERSITY, AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE. IN 2025, ACT CONTINUED OUR COMMITMENT TO THE AREA BY COLLABORATING WITH INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE AGUSTIN CODAZZI GEOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE (IGAC) TO RECORD THE ORAL HISTORIES OF 38 PRIORITIZED SACRED SITES. THESE STORIES-TOLD BY ELDERS AND ACCOMPANIED BY MAPPED DATA-WILL BE SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITIES THROUGH INTERACTIVE MAPPING PLATFORMS TO BE USED IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATIONAL SPACES, WHILE A SMALLER SELECTION WILL BE MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TO RAISE AWARENESS.
- $1.3 million spent. COMMUNITY LIVELIHOODS AND WELL-BEING-FOR THE AWA COMMUNITY OF THE ITARO VILLAGE ON BRAZIL'S BANANAL ISLAND, ACT HAS SOUGHT TO INCREASE THE AWAS' FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND STRENGTHEN THEIR TRADITIONAL DIET THROUGH AN INCREASE IN THE AVAILABILITY AND DIVERSITY OF FOOD SPECIES, REDUCING CONSUMPTION OF PROCESSED FOODS BY THE SAME PROPORTION. IN 2025, ACT WORKED WITH VILLAGERS TO CONSTRUCT A SEEDLING NURSERY WITH CAPACITY FOR PRODUCTION OF 4,000 SEEDLINGS ANNUALLY. ACT ALSO PROVIDED THE COMMUNITY WITH SEEDS FOR 35 DIFFERENT SPECIES, WITH SEEDLINGS PLANTED IN THE RAINING SEASON. A LOCAL LABOR SYSTEM PROVIDES COMPENSATION TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR TIME DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT. THE PROJECT PROMOTES A PROCESS OF GREATER DIVERSIFICATION OF FOREST COVER IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF THE ITAR VILLAGE, CONTRIBUTING TO GREATER DIRECT CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND REDUCING DEFORESTATION PRESSURE IN OTHER AREAS. -IN 2025, ACT PROVIDED EMERGENCY AND RESILIENCE SUPPORT TO TWO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF BRAZIL IMPACTED AND DISPLACED BY THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, THE WAUJA PEOPLE OF THE ULUPUENE VILLAGE OF THE XINGU AND THE AWA OF THE ITARO VILLAGE OF BANANAL ISLAND. HOUSING WAS REBUILT, AND FOOD AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS WERE SUPPLIED TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE LIVING CONDITIONS, WHILE INDIGENOUS FIREFIGHTERS WERE EQUIPPED AND TRAINED FOR FIRE PREVENTION AND RESPONSE CAPACITY. FOR THE AWA, FIREFIGHTING TRAINING WAS COORDINATED WITH ICMBIO, THE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROLLING FIRES IN THE REGION, WHILE 24 MEMBERS OF THE WAUJA RECEIVED TRAINING THROUGH IBAMA, THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION ACTIONS IN INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES. THE FIRE BRIGADES ARE CLOSELY LINKED TO ECOLOGICAL RECOVERY, AS FIRES ARE AMONG THE MAIN CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION IN THE REGIONS. -IN THE HEART OF SURINAME, COLOMBIA AND BRAZIL, SUSTAINABLE STINGLESS BEEKEEPING FOR CONSERVATION IS SUSTAINING LIVELIHOODS, PRESERVING CULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND PROTECTING VITAL ECOSYSTEMS. IN SURINAME, WITH ACT'S ONGOING TECHNICAL TRAINING AND SUPPORT, 80 DEDICATED BEEKEEPERS ACROSS FIVE VILLAGES ARE MANAGING APPROXIMATELY 480 HIVES OF VARIOUS STINGLESS BEE SPECIES. THE PROJECTS CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON DESTRUCTIVE GOLD MINING. LOCAL LEADERS ARE SPEARHEADING APIARIES AND PASSING KNOWLEDGE TO YOUNGER GENERATIONS, ENSURING BOTH CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP. IN COLOMBIA, ACROSS 11 MUNICIPALITIES AND 42 VILLAGES, AND FOUR INDIGENOUS RESERVES, 114 FAMILIES INTEGRATE STINGLESS BEEKEEPING INTO THEIR AGROFORESTRY PLOTS. IN THE MORE THAN 800 HIVES UNDER COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT, 15 BEE SPECIES ARE CULTIVATED. THE BEES BOOST THE PRODUCTIVITY OF NATIVE PLANTS AND FOOD CROPS, WHILE HONEY SALES PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO DEFORESTATION-DRIVEN ECONOMIES SUCH AS CATTLE RANCHING AND COCA CULTIVATION.
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 November 6, 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 December 1998.
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 November 4, 2026.
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