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Sky Island Alliance

EIN 86-0796748 · Tucson, AZ

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood84 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WE WORK TO CONNECT PEOPLE, WILDLIFE, AND LANDS ACROSS THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE, ADVOCACY, EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND ON-THE-GROUND CONSERVATION INITIATIVES. OUR MAIN ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PROTECTING FLOWING WATER AT SPRINGS AND STREAMS; CONSERVING TRANSBOUNDARY CONNECTIVITY AND HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE; ENGAGING PEOPLE IN UNDERSTANDING, APPRECIATING, AND RECONNECTING TO THE INCREDIBLE BIODIVERSITY OF THIS REGION; AND FOSTERING THE CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION AND PARTNERSHIPS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE THE SKY ISLANDS' INTERCONNECTED ECOSYSTEM.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.2 million
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
7.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 56%
Employees
13
Volunteers
394
Highest pay
$119,323, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 7.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 27% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 0% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 25

    16 of 16 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 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)
  1. $579,424 spent. CONSERVATION/COMMUNITY - WITH THE HELP OF OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE WORKED TO HEAL THE LAND IN 2024. WE LAUNCHED A NEW PROJECT TO BENEFIT NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRDS, MANY OF WHICH WINTER IN MEXICO. THIS PROJECT ON SONORAN RANCHES IS ASSESSING THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF KEY GRASSLAND BIRD SPECIES AND RESTORING HABITAT THROUGH EROSION CONTROL, INVASIVE SHRUB REMOVAL, AND NATIVE GRASS RESEEDING. THE PROJECT WILL INCREASE LOCAL CAPACITY FOR MONITORING THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROFAUNA AND ADVANCE CONTINENTAL-WIDE CONSERVATION FOR THREATENED GRASSLAND BIRDS.OVER THE LAST DECADE, SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS REMOVED OVER 80% OF THE INVASIVE PERIWINKLE FROM THE BANKS OF ARAVAIPA CREEK. THIS EFFORT, IN ONE OF THE MOST INTACT NATIVE FISHERIES LEFT IN ARIZONA, HAS IMPROVED THE HABITAT FOR NATIVE FISH. IN THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS WE IMPROVED WATER SOURCES FOR WILDLIFE TO ENSURE THEY WILL BE CLEAN AND ACCESSIBLE IN ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING CROSS-BORDER CORRIDORS IN THE SKY ISLANDS NOT BLOCKED BY BORDER WALL.WE HELPED HOST A BINATIONAL BORDER BIOBLITZ AT CUENCA LOS OJOS' RANCH IN SONORA AND SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN ARIZONA. TEAMS OF STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS LOGGED MORE THAN 600 OBSERVATIONS OF 221 DIFFERENT SPECIES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE HOSTED NUMEROUS WEBINARS AND EVENTS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN LEARNING ABOUT THE SKY ISLANDS, INCLUDING SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL SKY ISLANDS FESTIVAL IN MOCTEZUMA, SONORA.
  2. $252,008 spent. WILDLIFE - OUR BORDER WILDLIFE STUDY IS DOCUMENTING THE REMARKABLE WILDLIFE COMMUNITY LIVING ALONG 30 MILES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WITH AN ARRAY OF MORE THAN 100 CAMERAS. IN 2024 WE PUBLISHED OUR FIRST SCIENTIFIC PAPER IN FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION PROVING THAT THE BORDER IMPEDES WILDLIFE. WE DOCUMENTED FINDINGS FROM 9,240 WILDLIFE INTERACTIONS WITH BORDER BARRIERS OVER TWO YEARS. THIS IS THE FIRST STUDY ON THE CROSSING RATES OF SPECIES THROUGH BARRIERS AT THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER AND WE ARE USING IT TO ADVOCATE FOR WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY AT THE BORDER.OUR TEAM CONFIRMED TWO JAGUAR SIGHTINGS IN THE WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS (LIKELY OF THE SAME CAT), ON OUR WILDLIFE CAMERAS. THIS IS THE FIRST REPORTED JAGUAR IN THAT AREA IN 13 YEARS. WE ARE WORKING TO PROTECT AND RESTORE CROSS BORDER PATHWAYS TO HELP WILDLIFE LIKE JAGUAR RECOVER AND THRIVE.MORE NATURE LOVERS JOINED THE FOTOFAUNA NETWORK, THANKS TO NEW WILDLIFE-CAMERA LENDING LIBRARIES IN ARIVACA, SIERRA VISTA, AND DOUGLAS. FOTOFAUNA IDENTIFIES WILDLIFE PRESENCE ACROSS THE REGION, SPANNING MORE THAN 370 MILES FROM NORTH OF PHOENIX TO HERMOSILLO, TO INFORM PROTECTION. NEARLY 300 VOLUNTEERS AND ORGANIZATIONS SUBMITTED 941 WILDLIFE CHECKLISTS FROM THEIR WILDLIFE CAMERAS IN THE U.S. AND MEXICO.
  3. $73,171 spent. SPRING SEEKER/SPRING RESCUE - AS CLIMATE CHANGES AND WE SEE MORE HEAT WAVES, DROUGHTS, AND WILDFIRES, SPRINGS CAN ACT AS REFUGES WHERE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE PROTECTED. SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE WORKS WITH VOLUNTEERS TO SURVEY CONDITIONS, THREATS, AND RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES AT THESE PRECIOUS WATER SOURCES. VOLUNTEERS, STAFF, AND INTERNS SURVEYED 480 SPRINGS, BREAKING THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S RECORD OF 449. MANY OF THESE WERE IN WILDERNESS AREAS OF THE CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST IN ARIZONA AND IN THE SIERRA LOS AJOS, A PROTECTED AREA EAST OF CANANEA IN MEXICO.VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF REMOVED OVER 18 TONS OF INVASIVE ARUNDO DONAX STALKS AND ROOTS FROM ROCK LEDGE SPRING, RESTORING IT AS A DESERT OASIS FOR WILDLIFE NEAR TUCSON. THE WORK HELPED LAUNCH A THREE-YEAR PROJECT TO PULL HARMFUL WEEDS AND PLANT NATIVE SEEDS AT NINE LOW-ELEVATION SPRINGS IN THE SANTA CRUZ RIVER WATERSHED. IN THE CATALINA MOUNTAINS NORTH OF TUCSON, VOLUNTEERS BUILT 62 EROSION-CONTROL STRUCTURES TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE WATER FLOW IN AREAS BURNED BY THE 2020 BIGHORN FIRE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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 October 13, 2026.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1995.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 21, 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.