Fort Ross Conservancy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Fort Ross Conservancy (FRC) is the not-for-profit partner of the Russian River Sector, Sonoma/Mendocino District of California State Parks. FRC works to preserve the nature and culture of the Sonoma Coast for the benefit of the public.
- Income
- $313,041
- Spending
- $403,665
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 16.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 89%
- Employees
- 14
- Volunteers
- 150
- Highest pay
- $65,000, executive dir.
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: 70 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 29% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 55% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 25 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
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 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 (1)
- $336,497 spent. Outreach - FRC staffs a bookshop and two visitor centers, publishes brochures andwebsite content related to our parks, and funds two interpreters to share theirknowledge with visitors. Our annual Fort Ross Dialogue conference, an independentforum which encourages collaboration, promotes our parks internationally.Youth Programming - FRCs outdoor education Environmental Living Program, aligned with 4th and 5th grade California standards, provides hands-on learning to allow students to directly experience 19th century history. Our Marine Ecology Program teaches students how to identify species and learn data collection with the Sonoma coast as their classroom.Land Stewardship - FRC believes land stewardship is core to our organizationsmission. We coordinate marine mammal census work to track the populations of Stellerand California sea lions on the offshore rocks at Fort Ross, with data distributed to scientific institutions. We are currently coordinating a multi-year grant to track the health of the endangered Behrens spotted butterfly. Both projects include both FRC staff and trained volunteers.FRC supports California State Parks in maintaining the cultural resources at ourparks. We steward 9,400 acres from intertidal habitat to redwood groves; preserve 15historic buildings and cultural features, staff two visitor centers, research andwrite books, pamphlets and interpretive panels, and engage over 300,000 visitorsannually.
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
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 January 1977.
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.