Catawba Lands Conservancy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
As a nationally accredited land trust, we conserve and manage land for public benefit in North Carolinas Southern Piedmont. We have conserved 235 properties, totaling 17,786 acres of land. We also facilitate the creation of a 1600 mile network of greenways, trails and blueways.
- Income
- $7.3 million
- Spending
- $6.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 78.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 93%
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $181,434, executive dir.
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 86% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 78.8 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 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 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, 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)
- $3.7 million spent. Land Acquisition: Catawba Lands Conservancy (Conservancy) protected five (5) new properties in 2024, totaling 126 acres in three (3) counties. The Conservancy works with willing landowners and communities to conserve land in perpetuity by placing voluntary conservation easements on land, accepting donations of land, and occasionally purchasing land. CLC serves a seven-county region in North Carolina that includes: Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Union, and parts of Cabarrus counties. Our conservation efforts focus on four areas: local farms, wildlife/plant habitat, water quality and connecting people to nature. Additionally, many of our properties have important species and habitat that the state of North Carolina designated as Natural Heritage Areas. Further, some of the properties provide critical habitat for state or federally listed threatened or endangered plants or animals.
- $1.3 million spent. The Carolina Thread Trail is an initiative to develop a regional network of greenways, trails and blueways (river paddling trails) that covers 1,600 miles and reaches 15 counties in both North and South Carolina, centered on the Greater Charlotte metropolitan area. It is a unique collaboration that will connect communities and conserved land via a network of trails developed through the implementation of locally adopted master plans that all connect to create a single network. The development of the network is predicated on cultivating partnerships with a variety of entities such as local governments, other non-profits and foundations, and private landowners.This long-term project will permanently protect the region's history, natural beauty, and social diversity, while conserving local lands and fostering free and equitable accessibility for residents and visitors. This includes enhancing bicycle and pedestrian transportation as a viable and convenient choice. The Thread Trail will connect more than 2.5 million citizens in North and South Carolina. It will connect points of regional and local significance. It provides multiple public benefits including economic development, conservation of land, enhancement of water quality, cleaner air, non-motorized transportation, and healthy recreation activities. At the end of 2024, there were 1,630 planned trail miles, of which approximately 435 trail miles and 200 designated blueway miles are complete.Previously, Carolina Thread Trail was a separate corporation that was a supporting organization of Foundation for the Carolinas. As of December 31, 2022, Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina Thread Trail merged. The merger eliminated the separate corporate entity for Carolina Thread Trail but otherwise did not affect its goals, objectives, personnel or plans.
- $735,745 spent. Land Stewardship: The Conservancy intentionally stewards its conservation assets. Staff monitors activities on fee owned land through site visits. Current conditions are evaluated against the conditions observed by the Baseline Documentation Report at the time of acquisition. Photographs may be taken and a monitoring report is generated and archived and the site visit is documented in a site visit report. As part of perpetual due diligence, the Conservancy ensures the plant, wildlife, and other conservation values remain undisturbed and protected. Where appropriate on fee owned property, the Conservancy provides public access opportunities, including both blueways and hiking trails, independently and through Carolina Thread Trail. Facilities for public access include a canoe/kayak launch (Spencer Mt. River Access and Pharr Family Preserve access), the Adam Springs Portage Trail, and canoe/kayak take-out (R.Y. McAden Access); and natural surface or paved hiking trails at the South Fork Trail, South Fork Rail Trail, Long Creek Preserve, Seven Oaks Preserve, Pharr Family Preserve, Buffalo Creek Preserve, Sallys Y Preserve, Catawba Springs Preserve, Girl Scouts, and Eastover Ridge Preserve. The Conservancy also monitors conservation easements using the same protocols as fee owned land. On private property protected by conservation easements, the Conservancy works with willing land owners to further enhance the conservation values of the protected property.
- $23,855 spent. Other - Other program expenses relate primarily to community education, outreach, and public programming.
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 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 2024.
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 January 1992.
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.
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.