Institute for Regional Conservation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The Institute of Regional Conservation (IRC) is dedicated to the protection, restoration, and long-term management of biodiversity on a regional basis, and to the prevention of regional extinctions of rare plants, animals and ecosystems.
- Income
- $762,287
- Spending
- $747,551
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- -5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 94%
- Employees
- 16
- Volunteers
- 623
- Highest pay
- $44,019, ed/vice chair/president
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
Fair: 52 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Good: 81 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 254 of 6 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (5)
- $546,644 spent. Ecological Restoration and Management (ERM) Since 2006, we have designed and implemented dozens of ecological restoration projects to help recover degraded native ecosystems and depleted populations of native plants and animals. This work includes our Pine Rockland Initiative in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, Restoring the Gold Coast along the southeast Florida coastline, and Restoring Urban Nature in urbanized South Florida.
- $94,715 spent. Regional Conservation Models We develop regional conservation models and tools to advise and direct conservation and restoration strategies by diverse partners across broad regions. Examples of major programs include The Floristic Inventory of South Florida, Natives For Your Neighborhood, and Plantas de la Isla de Puerto Rico/ Plants of the Island of Puerto Rico. We have published extensively in gray, popular, and peer-reviewed literature, including global guidance on ecological restoration, botanical discoveries, and taxonomic revisions. volunteers to restore biodiversity along the barrier islands in southern Palm Beach County.
- $11,306 spent. Applied Conservation Science We collect, aggregate, and report baseline and current data on native and invasive plants, wildlife, and ecosystem conditions. urban Broward County, including as assessment of local extinctions of native plants and opportunities.
- $18,349 spent. General programming and Applied Conservation Science.
- General programming and Applied Conservation 18349. 0. 59585.
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 December 1985.
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.