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Political Economy Research Center Inc

EIN 81-0393444 · Bozeman, MT

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

PERC IS DEDICATED TO ADVANCING CONSERVATION THROUGH MARKETS, INCENTIVES, PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND PARTNERSHIPS.

Income
$8.0 million
Spending
$6.4 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
20.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 94%
Employees
30
Highest pay
$450,007, 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 20.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 20% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 18% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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 70% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (5)
  1. $1.8 million spent. PERC'S OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE OUR STUDENT PROGRAM, AND OTHER RELEVANT PROGRAMMATIC OUTPUTS AS WELL AS CONSERVATION COMMUNICATION. PERC'S COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS INCLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSERVATION AWARENESS VIDEOS, PLACEMENT OF MEDIA COMMENTARY IN LEADING OUTLETS SUCH AS CBS SUNDAY MORNING, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, NPR, AND OTHER LEADING NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND LOCAL OUTLETS, AND RELATED EFFORTS.WE ALSO DEVELOP AND PUBLISH AN IN-HOUSE MAGAZINE, PERC REPORTS THAT COVERS TIMELY CONSERVATION INNOVATIONS AND APPROACHES. THE MAGAZINE IS DISTRIBUTED TO OVER 11,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND ORGANIZATIONS. INTERESTED PARTIES MAY REGISTER FOR A FREE SUBSCRIPTION AT WWW.PERC.ORG.
  2. $1.2 million spent. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS - PERCS ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF ALL OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES. WE TREAT RESEARCH AS THE FIRST STAGE IN A MULTI-STAGE PROCESS TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION POLICIES AND STRENGTHEN CONSERVATION PRACTICES.AS A RESULT, OUR SOLUTIONS AND INITIATIVES ARE BASED UPON RIGOROUS RESEARCH FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF SCHOLARS AND PRACTITIONERS. CORE RESEARCH AREAS INCLUDE ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC LAND USE, PRIVATE LAND STEWARDSHIP, WATER, AND WILDLIFE. SPECIFIC FOCUS AREAS INCLUDE FOREST MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC LANDS FUNDING, PRIVATE CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE MIGRATION, WATER MANAGEMENT, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY.A MAJOR SOURCE OF RESEARCH COMES IN THE FORM OF PERCS MULTI-DAY RESEARCH AND IDEA DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCES AND IN-HOUSE SCHOLARS. THE SOLUTIONS AND PUBLICATIONS THESE CONFERENCES GENERATED (OR WILL GENERATE) INFUSE INTO BOTH THE ACADEMIC DEBATE ON CONSERVATION AND INTEGRATE INTO CONSERVATION POLICY AND PRACTICAL CONSERVATION OUTCOMES.PERCS IN-HOUSE RESEARCH INITIATIVES ARE AUGMENTED BY VISITING SCHOLARS FROM UNIVERSITIES AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. DETAILS ABOUT OUR FELLOWSHIPS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.PERC.ORG.
  3. $1.2 million spent. LAW AND POLICY OUTREACH - THE OBJECTIVE OF PERC'S LAW AND POLICY OUTREACH IS TO DISSEMINATE TO TARGETED AUDIENCES THE IDEAS GENERATED BY OUR RESEARCHERS, FELLOWS, VISITING SCHOLARS, ENVIROPRENEURS, AND EFFORTS OF OUR CONSERVATION INNOVATION LAB. OUR POLICY EFFORTS INCLUDE OUTREACH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN CONGRESS AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, AS WELL AS AT THE STATE LEVEL.PERC CONTINUES TO EXPAND THE IMPACT OF OUR RESEARCH FINDING THROUGH ENGAGING POLICY MAKERS THROUGH OUR LAW AND POLICY CENTER. LAUNCHED IN 2022, IT CONTRIBUTED TO DEVELOPING TIMELY POLICY REPORTS AND PUBLICATIONS AS WELL AS PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PARTNER ENGAGEMENTS. THESE RESULTED IN INVITATIONS TO PRESENT BEFORE KEY AUDIENCES, INCLUDING CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY, AND FILING OF AGENCY COMMENTS AND AMICUS BRIEFS. WE ALSO USE STRATEGIC LITIGATION TO ADVANCE KEY EFFORTS.KEY TOPICS IN POLICY ADVANCEMENT INCLUDE FOREST MANAGEMENT REFORMS TO REDUCE CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE, ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY, WATER MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE, FUNDING OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS, MIGRATION ROUTES, AND MORE. LEGAL EFFORTS INCLUDED ADVANCING ENDANGERED SPECIES RECOVERY. FURTHER DETAILS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW.PERC.ORG.
  4. $698,538 spent. CONSERVATION INNOVATION LAB - LAUNCHED IN 2023, PERC'S CONSERVATION INNOVATION LAB DEVELOPS AND PROTOTYPES GROUNDBREAKING MODELS TO ADDRESS KEY CONSERVATION CHALLENGES AND ADVANCE NEW TOOLS. IN KEEPING WITH OUR BELIEF THAT CONSERVATION SHOULD UNITE AND NOT DIVIDE, PARTNERSHIPS ARE A DEFINING PILLAR OF THE LAB'S ETHOS. BY ENGAGING GROUPS THAT TRADITIONALLY DO NOT COLLABORATE, THE LAB AIMS TO FIND COMMON GROUND AND DEVELOP CREATIVE NEW SOLUTIONS THAT MUTUALLY BENEFIT STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSERVATION ALIKE.PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY INCLUDE PRIVATE DISEASE MITIGATION FUNDS IN PARADISE VALLEY, MT, AND THE CODY AREA OF WYOMING. PERC ALSO LAUNCHED THE NATIONS FIRST VIRTUAL FENCE CONSERVATION FUND TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION THROUGH THIS INNOVATIVE NEW TOOL AND EXPANDED THESE EFFORTS WITH ADDITIONAL PROJECTS, COLORADOS FIRST ELK MIGRATION AGREEMENT, AND NUMEROUS OTHER EFFORTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT. THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT VITAL MIGRATION ROUTES, REDUCE WILDLIFE CONFLICT, PROTECT WORKING LANDSCAPES, AND MORE.
  5. $243,304 spent. CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP AND THE NEXT ERA OF CONSERVATION IS A KEY FOCUS AREA AT PERC. AS CONSERVATION CHALLENGES EVOLVEFROM SPECIES RECOVERY TO WATER SCARCITY AND LANDSCAPE FRAGMENTATIONTHERE IS A GROWING NEED FOR APPROACHES THAT MOVE BEYOND THE TOOLS OF THE PAST. PERC IS ADVANCING HIGH-LEVEL THINKING THAT WILL HELP SHAPE THE IDEAS AND POLICIES OF THE FUTUREAPPROACHES THAT HARNESS INCENTIVES, INNOVATION, AND STEWARDSHIP TO ACHIEVE DURABLE CONSERVATION OUTCOMES.THIS FOCUS AREA CONVENES CONSERVATION LEADERSINCLUDING PRACTITIONERS, CONSERVATION LEADERS, POLICYMAKERS, SCHOLARS, AND THOUGHT LEADERSTO EXCHANGE IDEAS, TACKLE EMERGING CHALLENGES, AND ADVANCE THE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL DEFINE THE NEXT ERA OF CONSERVATION. BY BRINGING TOGETHER DIVERSE EXPERTISE AND PERSPECTIVES, PERC FOSTERS COLLABORATION AND SPARKS INNOVATION TO HELP BUILD A NEW ERA OF CONSERVATION DESIGNED TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1981.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. 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.