Reserva the Youth Land Trust LLC
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
At Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, we empower young people to make a measurable difference for threatened species and habitats through conservation, education, and storytelling.
- Income
- $142,097
- Spending
- $125,540
- Reserves
- 2.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Highest pay
- $54,167, founder and executive director
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 43 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (environment, under $250k).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.7 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 50% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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, 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 (3)
- $62,724 spent. Conservation: Reserva's conservation accomplishments included supporting the Dracula Reserve community after a devastating landslide with a $2484 grant to help Indigenous families rebuild destroyed homes in a sustainable way. We also supported long-term strategy development for the removal of mining concessions from this biodiverse landscape. We launched a new major project in Panama with our partners, The Leatherback Project, aimed at identifying marine migratory corridors for endangered sea turtles to inform conservation actions. We supported one expedition in February and co-organized a major 3-week expedition in July/August to begin satellite tag deployment fieldwork. Reserva purchased 10 satellite tags to support this impactful research, an investment in science representing a significant portion of our conservation expedition expenses (about $35,000 on satellite tags). We began scouting potential conservation sites in Colombia and contributed $4,400 toward conservation activities in a unique Andes-Amazon rainforest plot in Piamonte, Colombia. We also launched a new media campaign as part of Friends of Aldabra, a group using storytelling and advocacy to save the globally unique Aldabra Atoll from development threats. For all of this work, we used a fundraising software that specifically caters to our volunteer youth team, enabling fun peer-to-peer campaigns that help every young person be part of conservation actions.
- $23,307 spent. Education: Reserva's education accomplishments included: Youth Council development and expansion to more than 125 members from 30+ countries; we continued receiving submissions to our 1 Million Letters campaign to empower global youth to save nature and delivered our 6,500th letter at COP16 in Cali, Colombia. We delivered more than a dozen talks online and in person for schools, conventions, and organizations, including information on youth action for biodiversity conservation, creating a mission and vision, and youth-focused fundraising workshops. Reserva facilitated the sponsorship of a young Indigenous representative to attend WILD12 as part of a "kids day" event. We organized a delegation of nearly 30 youth, advisors, and partners to attend the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia. The conference enabled us to gather all three of our local project partners in one place and strengthen collaboration with other conservation funding partners. The experience was a valuable exposure to conservation policy for young conservation leaders and helped amplify our work in front of policymakers who rarely interact with field conservation practitioners.
- $15,314 spent. Storytelling: Reserva's storytelling accomplishments included: Amplifying the impact of our work by inspiring audiences in classrooms, conferences, on screen, and online to engage in solutions to biodiversity loss through strong media and storytelling. Our story was featured on a new Hallmark+ show called "Celebrations with Lacey Chabert" in episode 6, "Justin's Rainforest Celebration." Our media support for the Leatherback Project led to a story by New Scientist about their work. Launching a new storytelling campaign in collaboration with Overstories called Friends of Aldabra-a public awareness effort to prevent development-related threats to Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. The campaign was reposted by Leonardo DiCaprio and collected about 20,000 signatures and will continue into 2025. At COP16, we presented powerful stories about the discoveries of new species to science alongside our partners INABIO and with the Ecuadorian Minister of Environment. We also collected initial media assets for a project to take place in Colombia beginning in 2025.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.
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 March 2021.
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.