Pajarito Environmental Education Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Enriching peoples lives by strengthening their connections to our canyons mesa mountain and skies.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 9.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 51%
- Employees
- 16
- Volunteers
- 120
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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.
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 June 30, 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 (3)
- $416,090 spent. Nature Center: PEEC operates the Los Alamos Nature Center for the County of Los Alamos NM. The nature centers hands-on interactive exhibits related to the land animals and flora of the Pajarito Plateau provide a learning experience for visitors of all ages. In addition to an exhibit hall the nature center offers a state-of-the-art planetarium and a wildlife observation room. The outdoor exhibits feature native plant gardens the largest collection of penstemons in the country a tree house and nature play area. The nature center gift shop offers locally-made products and environmentally-friendly items encouraging people to experience the outdoors. During FY25 we welcomed 12,667 visitors to the nature center and 1604 attendees to our planetarium shows.
- $314,060 spent. Public Programs: We offer numerous programs for the public at low or no cost. These include lectures classes hikes outings planetarium shows after-school programs and 7 summer camps. Many of these events like Nature Playtimes for children Forest Explorers for children Gentle Walks and Happy Ramblers for adults and three planetarium shows are scheduled each week. The weekly Summer Family Evening program brings the community together to learn more about and interact with the local environment and wildlife. The Bee City Los Alamos continued for its second year. During FY25 12,550 individuals attended one of our public programs.
- $177,911 spent. School Programs: We offer a variety of hands-on science lessons to students throughout northern New Mexico. These include in-school lessons and field trips astronomy classes in our planetarium outings to local public lands and field trips to the nature center. We offer our programs to public private and home-schooled children. During FY25 we served 5,363 students.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2001.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.