Jackson Wild
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
JACKSON WILD IS A CATALYST FOR OUR INDUSTRY RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE IN STORYTELLING, CELEBRATING INNOVATIVE IDEAS AND CREATING CONNECTIONS FOR DEEPER IMPACT. OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF PASSIONATE STORYTELLERS, THOUGHT LEADERS AND CHANGE AGENTS ELEVATE DIVERSE STORIES THAT ILLUMINATE OUR COLLECTIVE AND URGENT RESPONSIBILITY TO RESTORE THE PLANET.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- 0.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 70%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 70
- Highest pay
- $129,808, executive di
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
Weak: 39 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.8 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 67% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 21% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 52% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2524 of 24 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (5)
- THE JACKSON WILD SUMMIT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY CONVENING WHERE COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION THRIVE, IDEAS ARE LAUNCHED, AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE FORGED. CROSS-DISCIPLINE CONVERSATIONS ON THE CRITICAL ISSUES FACING OUR PLANET SET THE STAGE FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAPPEN NOWHERE ELSE, AS PARTICIPANTS WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS CRITICAL CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. IN 2025, THE SUMMIT GATHERED 650 NATURE, SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION MEDIA INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FROM OVER 40 COUNTRIES MOTIVATED BY DEEP REVERENCE AND URGENT CONCERN FOR THE NATURAL WORLD FOR FOUR DAYS OF KEYNOTE SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS, GEAR DEMOS AND FILM SCREENINGS. THE SUMMIT CULMINATED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL JACKSON WILD MEDIA AWARDS, RECOGNIZING 30 FILMS SELECTED BY A JURY FROM OVER 450 ENTRIES REPRESENTING 70+ COUNTRIES INTO THE ANNUAL COMPETITION. THE JACKSON WILD SUMMIT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY CONVENING WHERE COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION THRIVE, IDEAS ARE LAUNCHED, AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE FORGED. CROSS-DISCIPLINE CONVERSATIONS ON THE CRITICAL ISSUES FACING OUR PLANET SET THE STAGE FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAPPEN NOWHERE ELSE, AS PARTICIPANTS WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS CRITICAL CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. IN 2025, THE SUMMIT GATHERED 650 NATURE, SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION MEDIA INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS FROM OVER 40 COUNTRIES MOTIVATED BY DEEP REVERENCE AND URGENT CONCERN FOR THE NATURAL WORLD FOR FOUR DAYS OF KEYNOTE SESSIONS, WORKSHOPS, GEAR DEMOS AND FILM SCREENINGS. THE SUMMIT CULMINATED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WINNERS OF THE ANNUAL JACKSON WILD MEDIA AWARDS, RECOGNIZING 30 FILMS SELECTED BY A JURY FROM OVER 450 ENTRIES REPRESENTING 70+ COUNTRIES INTO THE ANNUAL COMPETITION.
- THE JACKSON WILD MEDIA LAB IS AN IMMERSIVE, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE FILMMAKING WORKSHOP FUNDED BY HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS THAT BRINGS SCIENTISTS AND MEDIA CREATORS TOGETHER TO LEARN FROM LEADERS IN THE PROFESSION AND WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT SCIENCE, NATURE AND CONSERVATION WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES ACROSS THE WORLDS EVOLVING MEDIA PLATFORMS. FOR TEN DAYS, MEDIA LAB FELLOWS WORK SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH INSTRUCTORS AND INDUSTRY-LEADING MENTORS TO GAIN INTENSIVE HANDS-ON FILM MAKING EXPERIENCE, LEARN THE ART OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, GET A CRASH COURSE USING PROFESSIONAL-GRADE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY SONY, AND EXPAND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS WITH PEERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. IN 2025, NINE GLOBAL FELLOWS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS RIGOROUS WORKSHOP, WITH 3 GROUP FILM PROJECTS PREMIERING LIVE TO INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONERS AND STREAMED AUDIENCES. THE JACKSON WILD MEDIA LAB IS AN IMMERSIVE, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SCIENCE FILMMAKING WORKSHOP FUNDED BY HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS THAT BRINGS SCIENTISTS AND MEDIA CREATORS TOGETHER TO LEARN FROM LEADERS IN THE PROFESSION AND WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE TOOLS TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT SCIENCE, NATURE AND CONSERVATION WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES ACROSS THE WORLDS EVOLVING MEDIA PLATFORMS. FOR TEN DAYS, MEDIA LAB FELLOWS WORK SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH INSTRUCTORS AND INDUSTRY-LEADING MENTORS TO GAIN INTENSIVE HANDS-ON FILM MAKING EXPERIENCE, LEARN THE ART OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, GET A CRASH COURSE USING PROFESSIONAL-GRADE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY SONY, AND EXPAND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS WITH PEERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. IN 2025, NINE GLOBAL FELLOWS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS RIGOROUS WORKSHOP, WITH 3 GROUP FILM PROJECTS PREMIERING LIVE TO INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONERS AND STREAMED AUDIENCES.
- THE WORLD WILDLIFE DAY FILM SHOWCASE IS PART OF WORLDWIDE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO EMPOWER ACTION AND INSPIRE A SENSE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND STEWARDSHIP FOR WILD SPECIES CONSERVATION AND IN CREATING AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED NATIONS AND CITES, WORLD WILDLIFE DAY PROMOTES FREE EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS AVAILABLE TO EMBASSIES, UNIVERSITIES, SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, NGOS AND OTHER PARTNER FILM FESTIVALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
- $872,448 spent. THE JACKSON WILD COLLECTIVE IS THE YEAR-ROUND VIRTUAL HOME FOR OVER 2,000 MEMBERS OF THE JACKSON WILD GLOBAL STORYTELLING COMMUNITY TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND INSPIRE CHANGE, SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY AND HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS. THROUGH ONGOING MENTORSHIP, AN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION DATABASE, AN UP-TO-DATE JOBS BOARD AND CAREER- BUILDING PROGRAMS, THE COLLECTIVE PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR STORYTELLERS AT ALL LEVELS TO ELEVATE THEIR IMPACT AND EXPAND THEIR OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2025, THE COLLECTIVE HOSTED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS FOR COLLECTIVE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
- THE JACKSON WILD COLLECTIVE IS THE YEAR-ROUND VIRTUAL HOME FOR OVER 2,000 MEMBERS OF THE JACKSON WILD GLOBAL STORYTELLING COMMUNITY TO CONNECT, COLLABORATE AND INSPIRE CHANGE, SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY AND HHMI TANGLED BANK STUDIOS. THROUGH ONGOING MENTORSHIP, AN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION DATABASE, AN UP-TO-DATE JOBS BOARD AND CAREER- BUILDING PROGRAMS, THE COLLECTIVE PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR STORYTELLERS AT ALL LEVELS TO ELEVATE THEIR IMPACT AND EXPAND THEIR OPPORTUNITIES. IN 2025, THE COLLECTIVE HOSTED VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS FOR COLLECTIVE MEMBERS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
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 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 August 1991.
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.