Colorado Open Lands
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
COLORADO OPEN LANDS' MISSION IS TO PRESERVE THE SIGNIFICANT OPEN LANDS AND NATURAL HERITAGE OF COLORADO THROUGH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIVE LAND CONSERVATION, AND STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP.
- Income
- $51.3 million
- Spending
- $50.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 98%
- Reserves
- 2.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 25
- Highest pay
- $198,172, president &
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 55% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1598% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, 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 2525 of 25 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
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 March 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 (6)
- $43.9 million spent. LAND CONSERVATION WE HAVE LED THE PROTECTION OF NEARLY 700,000 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE ACROSS COLORADO, THANKS TO FANTASTIC PARTNERSHIPS AND VISIONARY LANDOWNERS. THE PROTECTION OF THOSE 700,000 ACRES ENSURES THAT VALUABLE WILDLIFE HABITAT, PRODUCTIVE FARMS AND RANCHES, IRREPLACEABLE SCENIC VIEWS, AND VITAL WETLANDS AND RIVER CORRIDORS WILL BE THERE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WE USE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AS OUR PRIMARY METHOD FOR PROTECTING LAND. A CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT THAT ENSURES EACH PROPERTY'S UNIQUE CONSERVATION VALUES ARE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED. FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $3.8 million spent. STEWARDSHIP THE PURPOSE OF OUR STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSERVATION VALUES (FOR EXAMPLE WILDLIFE HABITAT, OPEN SPACE INCLUDING PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND, RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES) OF EACH CONSERVATION EASEMENT WE HOLD ARE PROTECTED FOREVER. BY DOING SO, WE ENSURE THAT THE WISHES OF THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT DONOR AND THE PUBLIC'S TRUST ARE UPHELD. COLORADO OPEN LANDS MAINTAINS A MODEL CONSERVATION EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM THAT IS CERTIFIED BY THE STATE OF COLORADO AND ACCREDITED BY THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE ACCREDITATION COMMISSION. FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, SEE SCHEDULE O.
- $1.0 million spent. HEALTHY LANDS & WATER THE PURPOSE OF THE HEALTHY LANDS & WATER PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE CRITICAL LANDSCAPES TO BE ECOLOGICALLY VIBRANT, RESILIENT, AND PRODUCTIVE. TO ACHIEVE THIS WORK, WE BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT LANDOWNERS IN STEWARDING, RESTORING, AND ENRICHING CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES ACROSS COLORADO.
- $367,301 spent. COMMUNICATIONS, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION COLORADO OPEN LANDS IS DEDICATED TO FORGING A REAL CONNECTION BETWEEN CONSERVED LANDS AND THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO. IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT THAT WE OFFER A SUITE OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS, DESIGNED TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO LAND AND ALL THE BENEFITS IT PROVIDES. WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: A CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP SERIES, EXPEDITIONS ON CONSERVED PROPERTIES, A DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM CONSERVED LANDS, AGRICULTURAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, FARM TO TABLE EVENTS, AND PROMOTION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE A SEMI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER AS WELL AS MONTHLY EMAILS FULL OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ENGAGE WITH CONSERVED LANDS. FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, SEE SCHEDULE O.
- LAND CONSERVATION COLORADO OPEN LANDS HAS LED THE PROTECTION OF NEARLY 700,000 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MORE THAN 400 PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND PARTNERS ACROSS COLORADO. THIS WORK ENSURES THAT VALUABLE WILDLIFE HABITAT, LOCAL FARMS AND RANCHES, ICONIC SCENIC VIEWS, AND VITAL WETLANDS AND RIVER CORRIDORS WILL BE CONSERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. COLORADO OPEN LANDS FOCUSES ON SEVERAL PRIORITY LANDSCAPES UNDER PARTICULAR THREAT THAT CONTAIN CRITICAL CONSERVATION VALUES INCLUDING THE DENVER METRO AREA, SOUTH PARK, THE GUNNISON VALLEY, THE NORTHERN FRONT RANGE AND THE SAN LUIS VALLEY THE PRIMARY TOOL WE USE TO CONSERVE LAND IS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, A VOLUNTARY LEGAL AGREEMENT TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE SUBDIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATELY-OWNED OPEN LANDS TO ENSURE THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THAT LAND AND WATER ARE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED. COL DIRECTLY HOLDS 695 CONSERVATION EASEMENTS IN OVER 50 COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE. . LAND STEWARDSHIP THE PURPOSE OF OUR STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSERVATION VALUES(WILDLIFE HABITAT, OPEN SPACE INCLUDING PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND, RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES) OF EACH CONSERVATION EASEMENT WE HOLD ARE PROTECTED FOREVER. IN DOING SO, WE ENSURE THAT THE WISHES OF THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT DONOR AND THE PUBLIC'S TRUST ARE UPHELD. THIS OBJECTIVE IS MET BY MAINTAINING CLOSE CONTACT WITH CURRENT LANDOWNERS, AND BY MONITORING PROPERTIES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. ANNUAL MONITORING ALLOWS US TO VISIT REGULARLY WITH LANDOWNERS, PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE LAND, THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, AND ANY NEEDS, CONCERNS OR DIFFICULTIES THAT THE LANDOWNER MAY HAVE. COLORADO OPEN LANDS MAINTAINS A MODEL CONSERVATION EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM THAT IS CERTIFIED BY THE STATE OF COLORADO AND ACCREDITED BY THE LAND TRUST ALLIANCE ACCREDITATION COMMISSION. COLORADO OPEN LANDS ALSO WORKS TO ENHANCE AND RESTORE THE CONSERVATION VALUE OF CONSERVED LANDS. WE HAVE WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS TO IMPROVE STREAMS AND RIVERS, RESTORE WETLANDS, CREATE IMPROVED WILDLIFE AND WATERFOWL HABITAT, AND IMPROVE PRAIRIE AND SOIL HEALTH. COL HAS MANAGED MULTIPLE LARGE-SCARE RESTORATION PROJECTS AROUND COLORADO AS WELL AS CONNECTED MANY PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WITH KEY RESOURCES TO HELP IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THEIR LAND AND WATER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENTIRE STATE. . HEALTHY LANDS & WATER THE PURPOSE OF THE HEALTHY LANDS & WATER PROGRAM IS TO RESTORE CRITICAL LANDSCAPES TO BE ECOLOGICALLY VIBRANT, RESILIENT, AND PRODUCTIVE. TO ACHIEVE THIS WORK, WE BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT LANDOWNERS IN STEWARDING, RESTORING, AND ENRICHING CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES ACROSS COLORADO.
- COMMUNICATIONS, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION COLORADO OPEN LANDS IS DEDICATED TO FORGING A REAL CONNECTION BETWEEN CONSERVED LANDS AND THE PEOPLE OF COLORADO. IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT THAT WE OFFER A SUITE OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS, DESIGNED TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO LAND AND ALL THE BENEFITS IT PROVIDES. WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: A CONSERVATION LEADERSHIP SERIES, EXPEDITIONS ON CONSERVED PROPERTIES, A DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM CONSERVED LANDS, AGRICULTURAL DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, FARM TO TABLE EVENTS, AND PROMOTION OF URBAN AGRICULTURE. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE A SEMI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER AS WELL AS MONTHLY EMAILS FULL OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ENGAGE WITH CONSERVED LANDS. FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, SEE SCHEDULE O.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 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 March 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 October 1982.
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.
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