Grand Canyon Trust Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE GRAND CANYON TRUST IS TO SAFEGUARD THE WONDERS OF THE GRAND CANYON AND THE COLORADO PLATEAU, WHILE SUPPORTING THE RIGHTS OF ITS NATIVE PEOPLES.
- Income
- $17.0 million
- Spending
- $6.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 107.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 91%
- Employees
- 48
- Volunteers
- 210
- Highest pay
- $335,520, executive director
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 107.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 59% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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 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 (4)
- $1.5 million spent. LAND:THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPES, GRAND CANYON, ENERGY, AND UTAH AND ARIZONA PUBLIC LANDS PROGRAMS, THE TRUST STRIVES TO EFFECT CHANGE IN CONCERT WITH TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS. WE AUTHENTICALLY SUPPORT TRIBAL LEADERSHIP AND ALWAYS SUPPORT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY. SUPPORT FOR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS SERVES AS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE TRUST'S CONSERVATION WORK ON THE COLORADO PLATEAU. THROUGHOUT 2025, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CONTINUED PROTECTION OF BAAJ NWAAVJO I'TAH KUKVENI - ANCESTRAL FOOTPRINTS OF THE GRAND CANYON, AND GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENTS. AT THE REQUEST OF TRIBAL LEADERS AND WORKING WITH EACH INTER-TRIBAL COALITION, THE TRUST HELPED CONVENE AN INTER-MONUMENT, INTERTRIBAL GATHERING THAT INCLUDED LEADERS AND STAFF FROM ALL THREE OF OUR PRIORITY MONUMENTS (BEARS EARS, BAAJ NWAAVJO I'TAH KUKVENI, AND GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE). THE GATHERING LED TO A COMMITMENT TO GREATER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TRIBAL COALITIONS AND AN INTEREST IN INFORMATION-SHARING VIA FIELD TOURS.IN THE GRAND CANYON SPACE, WE GREW PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERTRIBAL CENTENNIAL CONVERSATIONS GROUP (ICCG) GRASSROOTS BODY, BOTH IN NUMBERS AND WITH INCREASED YOUTH REPRESENTATION. THIS IS ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT AS GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK PIVOTS TO WORKING EXCLUSIVELY WITH TRIBAL LEADERS INSTEAD OF GRASSROOTS LEADERS TO MANAGE A LANDSCAPE WITH COMPLEX HISTORIES WHERE COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL VOICES ALSO MATTER. BUT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT GRAND CANYON-RELATED WORK IN 2025 WAS RESPONDING TO THE AFTERMATH OF THE DRAGON BRAVO AND WHITE SAGE FIRES, WHICH BURNED ACROSS 200,000 ACRES OF THE NORTH RIM AND NEARLY OVERTOOK KANE RANCH. WE ENGAGED READILY WITH AGENCY STAFF AND OTHER PARTNERS TO TRACK DAMAGE AND BEGIN PROACTIVE PLANNING FOR THE REBUILD AND RESTORATION OF THE AREA. WE ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT A REBUILDING PROCESS THAT INCLUDES TRIBES AND NATIVE BUSINESSES AND THAT IS LOCALLY INFORMED.PUBLIC LANDS:IN UTAH, OUR WORK CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROTECTION OF OLD-GROWTH TREES ACROSS 91,557 ACRES OF ROADLESS AREAS ON NATIONAL FORESTS, AND WE HELPED PREVENT POST-FIRE SEEDING OF HARMFUL NON-NATIVE SPECIES ACROSS 30,364 ACRES. OUR ROADLESS RULE ADVOCACY FILLED AN IMPORTANT NICHE, FOCUSING ON UTAH FORESTS AND OFFERING SUPPORT FOR UTAH TRIBAL LEADERS. IN ARIZONA, WE FACILITATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 10-YEAR-PLAN FOR POST-FIRE FOREST RESTORATION ON THE KAIBAB PLATEAU, WHICH HAS NOW BEEN AGREED TO BY A DIVERSE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS. FINALLY, WE CONTINUED WITH OUR RESTORATION EFFORTS, COMPLETING 16 STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION PROJECTS ACROSS THE PLATEAU THAT FOCUSED ON RIPARIAN-AREA PROTECTION, WILDLIFE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT, AND POST-FIRE AND DROUGHT MITIGATION. WATER:IN 2025, WE BECAME MORE ACTIVE IN THE GROUNDWATER SPACE, WHERE, ALONGSIDE COALITIONS AND PARTNERS, WE CO-LED A NORTHERN ARIZONA GROUNDWATER WORKSHOP THAT ELEVATED RURAL AND TRIBAL VOICES AND STRENGTHENED COMMUNITY-DRIVEN ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DEEPER TRUST AND LISTENING. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR COLORADO RIVER WORK, SEEKING TO MOVE FORWARD INNOVATIVE AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO THE GROWING CRISIS. WHILE THE COLORADO RIVER POST-2026 GUIDELINES PUBLIC PROCESS WAS DELAYED THROUGHOUT 2025, WE WORKED TO INFLUENCE THE GUIDELINES FOR COLORADO RIVER OPERATIONS. WE ALSO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THE GLEN CANYON DAM ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PROCESS TO ENSURE DAM OPERATIONS PROTECT AND IMPROVE RESOURCES IN THE GRAND CANYON. WE STARTED IMPLEMENTING A LEGISLATIVE STRATEGY TO PUSH FOR A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF HOW GLEN CANYON DAM INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BE MODIFIED TO BENEFIT CONTINUED WATER DELIVERIES, POWER GENERATION, AND GRAND CANYON FLOWS AND RESOURCES WHEN WATER LEVELS ARE CRITICALLY LOW.
- $720,936 spent. NATIVE AMERICA:THE TRUST'S NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING NATIVE VOICES AND THE ROLES OF NATIVE PEOPLES IN THE PROTECTION OF THE COLORADO PLATEAU. WE DO THIS BY FACILITATING DIALOGUE AMONG THE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES THAT HAVE RESIDED ACROSS THIS LANDSCAPE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND WHO NOW CONTROL THE FUTURE OF SOME 30,000 SQUARE MILES OF THIS REGION.IN 2025, THE BLACK MESA COMMUNITY LAND USE PLAN WAS COMPLETED. IT IS A CRITICAL TOOL TO ENSURE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE A VOICE IN THE REBUILDING PROCESS POST-COAL. THE PLAN HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY ADOPTED BY THREE OF THE FIVE LOCAL CHAPTER GOVERNMENTS. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR COMMUNITY-BASED AGRICULTURAL WORK. THE LITTLE COLORADO RIVER AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE'S GOAL HAS BEEN TO ORGANIZE THE GROUP TO RAISE FUNDS AND FIND A CENTRAL HUB WHERE OPERATIONS CAN BE HOUSED. WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE NAVAJO NATION, IN 2025 THE COOPERATIVE SUBMITTED SEVERAL GRANT APPLICATIONS AND ATTRACTED TWO NEW FUNDERS, RAISING $25,000. THERE IS ALSO AN UNOFFICIAL AGREEMENT TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE TEESTO CHAPTER WHERE THE GROUP MEETS REGULARLY AND USES THE COMMUNITY GARDEN FOR WORKSHOPS. THERE WAS NO COLORADO PLATEAU INTERTRIBAL CONVERSATIONS (CPIC) GATHERING THIS YEAR, BUT CPIC MEMBERS WORKED WITHIN THEIR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS TO SUPPORT LAND PROTECTION AND FARMING EFFORTS. THESE EFFORTS CONTINUE TO BUILD ON CPIC'S FOUR MAIN PILLARS OF FOCUS: HEALTH, SACRED SITES, WATER, AND LANGUAGE & CULTURE.
- $432,184 spent. VOLUNTEER AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS: IN 2025, 210 TRUST VOLUNTEERS COLLECTIVELY CONTRIBUTED 2,247 HOURS TO RESTORATION AND STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS ACROSS THE COLORADO PLATEAU. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT HAS A RIPPLE-OUT EFFECT WITH BENEFITS FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS, AND THE VOLUNTEERS THEMSELVES. THE IMPACTS OF VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTIONS ARE FAR-REACHING, AS WE SUPPORT AGENCIES AND PARTNERS WHO ARE STRETCHED THIN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE DOI AND USDA DOWNSIZING IN 2025. CURRENTLY, ONE VOLUNTEER HOUR EQUATES TO $34.79 (DO GOOD INSTITUTE), THUS WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED $78,173 IN WORKFORCE SUPPORT ACROSS THE COLORADO PLATEAU'S IMPERILED LANDSCAPES. IN 2025, WE PLANNED 17 AND EXECUTED 15 PROJECTS; ONE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, AND ONE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO WASHED-OUT ROADS IN GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT. FOURTEEN OF THE 15 PROJECTS WERE MULTI-DAY EVENTS THAT REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT TIME AND ENERGY FROM VOLUNTEERS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS.THE RISING LEADERS PROGRAM, GUIDED BY THE PRINCIPLES OF STEWARDSHIP, RESILIENCE, HEALTH, AND CULTURAL VITALITY, SERVED 201 YOUNG LEADERS IN 2025, WHO JOINED US FROM ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO, UTAH, COLORADO, AND CALIFORNIA. THEY CONTRIBUTED 738 HOURS OF SERVICE ACROSS 15 DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT TOOK PLACE ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES, INDIGENOUS-OWNED FARMS, TRIBAL LANDS, PUBLIC LANDS, AND ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS. THE FOURTH ANNUAL REGIONAL INTERTRIBAL INTERGENERATIONAL STEWARDSHIP EXPEDITION (RIISE) SERVED 18 INDIGENOUS YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 16-20, AND FOUR INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE HOLDERS (DINE, HOPI, HUALAPAI). PARTICIPANTS EXAMINED THE GRAND CANYON'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE DURING THIS NINE-DAY EXPEDITION. THROUGH STORYTELLING, ART, SONG, AND DISCUSSION, TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS WERE INTERGENERATIONALLY SHARED AT CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT SITES FRAMING CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH A LENS OF REVERENCE AND CONNECTION. EIGHT LEADERSHIFT SCHOLARS, AGES 20-28, JOINED US FOR AN IMMERSIVE LEADERSHIP AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TRAINING ACROSS DINE AND HOPI LANDS. SCHOLARS EXAMINED THE LEGACY OF ENERGY EXTRACTION ON BLACK MESA WHILE ALSO CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY EXPERTS IMPLEMENTING A JUST TRANSITION. WE PILOTED A HYBRID LEARNING MODEL UTILIZING ONLINE LESSONS WITH HANDS-ON SERVICE PROJECTS IN THE FIELD. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED MOUNTING PLANT SPECIMENS FOR THE FIRST-EVER HOPI HERBARIUM, VISITING AN AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVE TO SEE NATIVE-LED REGENERATIVE ECONOMIES IN ACTION, AND EXPLORING INDIGENOUS ECO-TOURISM WITH TOUR GUIDES AND CATERERS, TO NAME JUST A FEW. THE SEEDS AND STORIES PROJECT, NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR, EXPANDED FROM 25 PARTICIPANTS IN 2024 TO 150 INDIVIDUALS IN 2025. OVER THE COURSE OF 13 WORKSHOPS ACROSS FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS, STUDENTS TOOK PART IN WEAVING YUCCA, HARVESTING VEGETABLES, PLANTING BEANS, TRADITIONAL COOKING, SEED SAVING, AND ETHNOBOTANY CLASSES. OUR PARTNERS - ELDER INDIGENOUS FARMERS, STORYTELLERS, AND PARK RANGERS - HELPED EXPAND YOUNG PEOPLE'S VISION FOR CONSERVATION CAREERS ROOTED IN CULTURAL TRADITION.
- $2.2 million spent. THE ADMINISTRATION DECLARED A "NATIONAL ENERGY EMERGENCY" ON JANUARY 20, 2025, SETTING THE STAGE FOR A CONSEQUENTIAL YEAR FOR THE ENERGY PROGRAM. WE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR APPROVALS AND ACTIVITY AT THE EZ MINE AND PINYON PLAIN MINE. IN LATE 2025, WE DISCOVERED THAT A MONITORING WELL AT PINYON PLAIN MINE HAD DETECTED INCREASING LEVELS OF ARSENIC THROUGHOUT 2025, INCLUDING SEVERAL INSTANCES THAT EXCEEDED THE ALERT LEVELS SET IN THE MINE'S AQUIFER PROTECTION PERMIT. WE HAVE ALERTED PARTNERS, COCONINO COUNTY, SENATOR MARK KELLY'S OFFICE, THE HAVASUPAI TRIBE, AND THE GRAND CANYON TRIBAL LEADERS' COALITION OF ANY RELEVANT MINING UPDATES. AT THE WHITE MESA MILL, THE TRUST AGAIN SUPPORTED THE WHITE MESA CONCERNED COMMUNITY IN HOSTING ITS ANNUAL SPIRITUAL WALK AND PROTEST, WHICH GARNERED RECORD PARTICIPATION AND MEDIA COVERAGE IN 2025.
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 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 December 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 August 1985.
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.