Tall Timbers Research Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH,INC. IS TO FOSTER EXEMPLARY LAND STEWARDSHIP THROUGH RESEARCH, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION.OUR PRIMARY RESEARCH FOCUS IS THE ECOLOGY OF FIRE AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INCLUDING BOBWHITE QUAIL AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL PLAIN. OUR CONSERVATION EFFORTS ARE DEDICATED TO HELPING PROTECT THE DISTINCTIVE RED HILLS LANDSCAPE OF SOUTH GEORGIA AND NORTH FLORIDA, AND ITS TRADITIONAL LAND USES. OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM TRANSFERS RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION INFORMATION FOR RESOURCE MANAGEMENT.DEFINING EXEMPLARY LAND STEWARDSHIP EXEMPLARY LAND STEWARDSHIP (ELS) BALANCES ECOLOGICAL VALUES AND ECONOMIC UTILITY WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF LONG-TERM CONSERVATION. THE FOUNDATION OF ELS ON UPLAND HABITATS IN THE RED HILLS IS THE FREQUENT USE OF FIRE TO ACCOMMODATE MANAGEMENT FOR BOBWHITE QUAIL, SELECTION TIMBER HARVEST, AND OTHER TRADITIONAL LAND USES. SCENIC, OPEN MULTI-AGED FOREST STRUCTURES ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO ELS.
- Income
- $23.0 million
- Spending
- $27.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- -11.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 54%
- Employees
- 153
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $273,228, 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
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% 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 49% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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)
- $8.4 million spent. GAME BIRD STAFF CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON NORTHERN BOBWHITE AT CORE STUDY AREAS IN NORTH FLORIDA, GEORGIA, TENNESSEE, CENTRAL FLORIDA, EAST TEXAS, AND SOUTH CAROLINA. IN COLLABORATION WITH MULTIPLE UNIVERSITIES. AT THESE CORE LOCATIONS, STAFF CONDUCTED YEAR-ROUND MONITORING OF BOBWHITE SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION. WE RADIO-TAGGED OVER 1,300 BOBWHITES AND BANDED OVER 2,800 AS PART OF BOTH LONG-TERM RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH ON OUR STUDY SITES. WE TRANSLOCATED WILD BOBWHITES FROM FL AND GA TO SITES IN TX, AL, PA, AND VA FOR RESEARCH AND TO ESTABLISH NEW POPULATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDED MORE THAN 1,600 HOURS OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MULTIPLE STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AND MADE OVER 480 LANDOWNER SITE VISITS IN 11 STATES ON OVER 200 PROPERTIES TO PROVIDE OUTREACH ON QUAIL MANAGEMENT.
- $4.3 million spent. FIRE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH STAFF FOCUSED ON CRITICAL RESEARCH ON WILDLAND FUELS, FIRE BEHAVIOR, FIRE EFFECTS, AND SMOKE IN OUR LOCAL RED HILLS AREA, MORE BROADLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL PLAIN, AND ACROSS THE US. FIRE RESEARCHERS PRODUCED 22 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS IN 2025. STAFF MADE 38 PRESENTATIONS VIA WEBINARS AND CONFERENCES ON THE IMPEDIMENTS TO PRESCRIBED FIRE, SMOKE SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT, PLANT COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO FIRE, AND DENDROCHRONOLOGY TO DETERMINE FIRE HISTORY OVER THE LAST FIVE CENTURIES. SCIENTISTS WORKED WITH UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND 4 GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM FLORIDA, ALABAMA, AND WASHINGTON. STAFF ASSISTED WITH ADVANCED FIRE EDUCATION AND TRAINING THROUGH THE NATIONAL INTERAGENCY PRESCRIBED FIRE TRAINING CENTER, NATIONAL ADVANCED FIRE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, AND NATIONAL ADVANCED SILVICULTURE PROGRAM, ACROSS THE US. STAFF LED PRESCRIBED FIRE OUTREACH AND APPLICATION ON > 30 SITES WORKING WITH PRESCRIBED BURN ASSOCIATIONS ACROSS GEORGIA, ALABAMA, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE DELMARVA PENINSULA, AND IN TEXAS. STAFF ENGAGED WITH MANAGERS AND LEADERSHIP OF NATIONAL FIRE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF INTERIOR AND AGRICULTURE ON SMOKE AND FIRE RESEARCH AND APPLICATION PRIORITIES.
- $2.2 million spent. GENERAL RESEARCH STAFF FOCUSED RESEARCH AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IN THE CONSERVATION LANDS OF NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA ON A DIVERSITY OF SPECIES OF CONSERVATION CONCERN. RESEARCH ON RARE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES WAS CONDUCTED AT CORE STUDY AREAS AT TALL TIMBERS RESEARCH STATION AND LIVINGSTON PLACE AND IN GEORGIA ON PRIVATE LANDS. WE MONITORED POPULATIONS OF RED-COCKADED WOODPECKERS, GOPHER TORTOISES, STRIPED NEWTS, TIGER SALAMANDERS, AND INVENTORIED WETLAND BIRD ROOKERIES ACROSS THE REGION. WE CONTINUED A RESURVEY OF SNAKE POPULATIONS ON TALL TIMBERS, 21 YEARS AFTER A SIMILAR SURVEY WAS DONE BY OUR STAFF. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR MULTI-YEAR RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROJECT FOCUSED ON FERAL HOGS, NOT NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA, BUT CAUSING SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO THE REGION. WE INITIATED NEW RESEARCH ON BIRD HABITATS IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND CONTINUED OUR RESEARCH ON RAIL POPULATIONS ALONG THE GULF OF MEXICO.
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 November 1960.
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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