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Nia Tero Foundation

EIN 82-1949563 · Seattle, WA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

NIA TERO WORKS ALONGSIDE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO SECURE THEIR GUARDIANSHIP OF VITAL ECOSYSTEMS. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE GUARDIANS OF EARTH.(SEE SCHEDULE O)

Income
$32.9 million
Spending
$42.5 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
16.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 94%
Employees
44
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$795,577, chief executive officer

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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 16.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 29% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 26% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% 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 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 12 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, 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)
  1. $23.8 million spent. UPHOLD: PLACE-ANCHORED PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES:NIA TERO IS COMMITTED TO WORKING ALONGSIDE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN GEOGRAPHIES CENTRAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF ALL HUMANITY. OUR INITIAL REGIONS INCLUDE THE PACIFIC ISLANDS, AMAZONIA, AND NORTH AMERICA, WHERE WE WORK WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO SHARE A COLLECTIVE TERRITORY AND HAVE STRONG GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THEIR HOMELANDS AND WATERS. IN ADDITION TO OUR GROWING NETWORK OF PARTNERS IN REGIONS, WE ALSO ARE PARTNERING ON AN INITIATIVE CALLED THE WAYFINDERS CIRCLE, A FELLOWSHIP OF 12 INITIAL MEMBERS FROM ACROSS SEVEN SOCIO-CULTURAL REGIONS WITH A WILLINGNESS AND CAPACITY TO SHARE THEIR VISION AND EXPERIENCES TO INSPIRE ALL PEOPLE TO RE-IMAGINE DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION, AND THE WAY WE RELATE TO EACH (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) OTHER AND EARTH. IN TOTAL, OUR PLACE-ANCHORED PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO ARE GUARDIANS OF OVER 100 MILLION HECTARES OF TERRITORY.
  2. $8.6 million spent. EXPAND: AMPLIFICATION AND SCALING:IN ORDER TO EXPAND RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS GUARDIANSHIP WORLDWIDE, NIA TERO IS PURSUING THREE ONGOING BODIES OF WORK THAT INTEGRATE BOTH OUR PLACE-ANCHORED PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AS WELL AS ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS, NETWORKS AND INITIATIVES, OUTSIDE OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. FIRST, THROUGH GRANTMAKING, CONVENING AND DIRECT TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THEIR CHOSEN ALLIES, WE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN POLICY FRAMEWORKS, SECURITY AND SELF-GOVERNANCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. SECOND, THROUGH STRATEGIC CONVENING AND FACILITATION, AS WELL AS TARGETED GRANTMAKING AND FUNDRAISING, WE ARE WORKING TO INCREASE DIRECT FINANCING FOR INDIGENOUS GUARDIANSHIP. AND LASTLY, THROUGH COMPELLING (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) STORYTELLING AND COMMUNICATIONS, WE SUPPORT THE ELEVATION OF VOICE, WAYS AND MEANS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF INDIGENOUS GUARDIANSHIP AND INSPIRE CHANGE.
  3. $2.9 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: ALL OF NIA TERO'S WORK IS DONE THROUGH AND WITH OTHERS, FROM THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WHO INSPIRE AND LEAD US, TO OUR FOUNDING PARTNERS AND LIKE-MINDED INSTITUTIONS. NIA TERO HAS BEEN WORKING WITH REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ADVISORS, PLACE-ANCHORED PARTNERS, AND LIKE-MINDED INSTITUTIONS TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT WILL HELP US ACHIEVE OUR MISSION.
  4. $1.2 million spent. SCIENCE AND LEARNING:NIA TERO IS COMMITTED TO GATHERING KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN ENABLE MEASUREMENT OF THE IMPACT OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH BOTH STANDARD SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS AS WELL AS INDICATORS OF WELL-BEING DEFINED BY OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS THEMSELVES. THIS INCLUDES DEVELOPING SYSTEMS THAT COMBINE TRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL METRICS WITH BIOCULTURAL METRICS THAT ARE DEFINED AND MEASURED BY OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.

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

  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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

  4. 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.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since March 2018.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.