Cloud Forest Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Cloud Forest Institute is an educational and scientific non profit corporation. CFI encourages bioregional endeavors to re-establish balance within ecological systems by way of environmental education, forest reciprocity and resilient community development
- Income
- $159,494
- Spending
- $154,352
- Reserves
- 7.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (2)
- $54,353 spent. During 2025 the Forest Reciprocity Group (FRG) developed a nonprofit business plan to build a FRG Pole Aggregation Depot (FRG PAD) to educate about processing small diameter Douglas fir poles taken from forest restoration projects. FRG is a replicable organizational model advocating for firesafe landscapes and firesafe buildings through reducing forest fire-fuel loads and utilizing the materials from those efforts to build low-carbon embodied buildings. FRG aims to collaborate with forest health crews to restore forests to fire resilient ecosystems, thin small diameter trees to reduce catastrophic fire fuel loads, increase long-range carbon sequestration, and utilize and sell small poles and small-pole milled lumber from forest restoration to build fire-safe housing. The populations who benefit are tribal, rural and low income in need of locally sourced material to build fire-resilient homes. A sub-population within these communities who will benefit from our work are the underemployed of all ages, because the key economic development component FRG seeks to provide is training in marketable skills and viable careers in the areas of fire fuels management, materials transportation and processing, design and architecture, carpentry, and construction. Perhaps the greatest benefit will be to the global community by addressing two significant contributors of greenhouse gas. Our core goal is to collaborate with communities to educate about tending forests for health and fire resilience including restoration of waterways and protection of human settlements. In reciprocity, communities are provided with an abundance of superior materials to build fire-resistant homes and ecological housing developments thereby providing jobs and revitalizing local economies.
- $52,704 spent. Cultural Bridges Educational Tour to Ecuador. In July 2025, Cloud Forest Institute launched the first-ever Cultural Bridges Program with Bridge Charter Academy (BCA)-a 19-day, place-based learning experience that brought Oregon high school students into the heart of Ecuador's Chocó Andino. This was a powerful experience to build relationships within new communities in new ecosystems. Students took part in daily cultural immersion, field-based science, Spanish language intensives, and community-led service learning in Mindo and nearby communities. They observed bird banding and wildlife at Un Poco del Chocó reserve, learned from Indigenous and local leaders about stewardship and tradition, and joined hands-on projects ranging from habitat restoration to literacy support. Evenings often ended with informal reflection time-storytelling, shared meals, and conversations that helped students process what they were experiencing and who they were becoming. A major strength of the program was the pre-departure online course, which gave students a foundation in Ecuador's ecology, culture, and history. By the time they visited archaeological sites, met with educators, traveled from Quito to Indigenous communities near Otavalo, and explored museums and natural areas, they were ready to ask thoughtful questions and engage with genuine curiosity. They weren't just tourists-they were students earning Oregon high school credit through meaningful, place-based learning. The 2025 cohort returned home with new skills, new confidence, and friendships that will outlast the trip itself. For CFI, this summer affirmed the joy of building programs rooted in community partnership, cultural humility, and real-world learning. It also laid the groundwork for expanding Cultural Bridges into a full semester-abroad program in the years ahead.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2000.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.