Fraternity of the Desert Bighorn
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 30% of its spending went to programs.
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 113 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $231,229
- Spending
- $288,777
- Spent on programs
- 30%
- Reserves
- 14.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 47%
- Employees
- 0
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 25% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 177% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1530% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 113 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 96% of charities in its peer group (animals, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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.
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 (5)
- $60,219 spent. WATER LEVEL MONITORING SYSTEMS - RANCHBOT.
- $18,513 spent. FUTURE WATER PROJECT SUPPLIES.
- $2,366 spent. JIM LUSK BUILD.
- $5,300 spent. THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN IS A 100% VOLUNTEER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED IN LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH MEMBERS "UNSELFISHLY DEDICATED TO THE WELFARE AND CONSERVATION OF DESERT BIGHORN AND NEVADA'S WILDLIFE." THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1964 BY A HANDFUL OF CONCERNED ADVOCATES AND CONSERVATIONISTS WHEN THE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATION IN NEVADA WAS AT A HISTORIC LOW OF LESS THAN 2,000 ANIMALS. THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST SIX DECADES IN UNISON WITH NDOW AND OTHER LIKE-MINDED CONSERVATION GROUPS TO RECOVER BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA NOW NEARING 10,000 ANIMALS. ON SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025, THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN (FDB) HELD ITS 61ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER BANQUET AT THE SOUTH POINT HOTEL AND CASINO. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2025, FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE (NDOW), CONSTRUCTED THREE DESERT BIGHORN WATER DEVELOPMENTS (AKA GUZZLERS) IN RUGGED AND REMOTE TERRAIN IN THREE MOUNTAIN RANGES IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. IN JANUARY 2025, THE FIRST OF THE THREE GUZZLERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE 2025 BUILD SEASON WAS SITUATED IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE MUDDY MOUNTAINS, CLARK COUNTY. DUE TO THE LARGE POPULATION OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN THIS LOCATION, THE WATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE PROJECT WAS BOOSTED TO AN EIGHT-TANK SYSTEM. THE EIGHT 2,300-GALLON TANKS EQUATED TO AN OVERALL STORAGE CAPACITY OF 18,400 GALLONS. IN FEBRUARY 2025, A NEW BIGHORN GUZZLER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE SPOTTED RANGE, NYE COUNTY. THE SPOTTED RANGE IS THE WESTERNMOST MOUNTAIN RANGE ON THE DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE THIRD BIGHORN GUZZLER CONSTRUCTED IN 2025 WAS IN THE NORTHWEST PAHRANAGAT RANGE, LINCOLN COUNTY. ONCE CHARGED BY RAIN AND SNOW PRODUCING STORMS, THE LARGE EIGHT-TANK PROJECT WILL RELIABLY PROVIDE WATER TO NOT ONLY DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP BUT ALSO OTHER AVIAN AND TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE. AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION ON AN AMBITIOUS WATER MONITORING INITIATIVE, THE FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH NDOW AND SEVERAL NONPROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS, CONTINUES TO INSTALL WATER LEVEL MONITORS AND COMPANION RAIN GAUGES AT NEWLY CONSTRUCTED AND EXISTING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BIGHORN GUZZLERS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE AUTONOMOUS WATER MONITORS COLLECT WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA. DATA COMMUNICATIONS ARE SATELLITE-MEDIATED AND ARE NEAR REAL-TIME. THE NEAR REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF GUZZLERS PROVIDES ESSENTIAL INFORMATION RELATIVE TO NOT ONLY WATER AVAILABILITY BUT ALSO MAINTENANCE ISSUES. THE WATER MONITORING EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED FROM RANCHBOT MONITORING SOLUTIONS (FORT WORTH, TX) AND TRACK TAG LLC (ELY, NV). THE WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA ARE CLOSELY MONITORED BY NDOW PERSONNEL AND FDB MEMBERS. THE FDB CONTINUES ENGAGEMENT IN PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ABOUT CONSERVATION MEASURES FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING VIABLE POPULATIONS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE FDB ACTIVELY PROMOTED DESERT BIGHORN CONSERVATION TO KIDS AND ADULTS AT THE CLARK COUNTY FAIR, AND SPONSORED FIVE KIDS TO ATTEND THE NEVADA YOUTH RANGE CAMP HELD IN THE SCHELL CREEK RANGE NEAR ELY, WHITE PINE COUNTY. IN ADDITION, THE FDB SPONSORED SEVERAL IMPORTANT EVENTS: THE 58TH MEETING OF THE DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL IN GOLD CANYON, AZ; SHEEP SHOW (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER, CHAPTER & AFFILIATES SUMMIT (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, AND A MEETING OF THE NEVADA BIGHORN WORKING GROUP HELD AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER. LASTLY, THE FDB HOLDS MONTHLY MEMBERS MEETINGS TO INFORM ATTENDEES OF UPCOMING BIGHORN SHEEP CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, AND TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
- THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN IS A 100% VOLUNTEER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED IN LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH MEMBERS "UNSELFISHLY DEDICATED TO THE WELFARE AND CONSERVATION OF DESERT BIGHORN AND NEVADA'S WILDLIFE." THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1964 BY A HANDFUL OF CONCERNED ADVOCATES AND CONSERVATIONISTS WHEN THE DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATION IN NEVADA WAS AT A HISTORIC LOW OF LESS THAN 2,000 ANIMALS. THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN HAS WORKED OVER THE LAST SIX DECADES IN UNISON WITH NDOW AND OTHER LIKE-MINDED CONSERVATION GROUPS TO RECOVER BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATIONS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA NOW NEARING 10,000 ANIMALS. ON SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2025, THE FRATERNITY OF THE DESERT BIGHORN (FDB) HELD ITS 61ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER BANQUET AT THE SOUTH POINT HOTEL AND CASINO. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2025, FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE (NDOW), CONSTRUCTED THREE DESERT BIGHORN WATER DEVELOPMENTS (AKA GUZZLERS) IN RUGGED AND REMOTE TERRAIN IN THREE MOUNTAIN RANGES IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. IN JANUARY 2025, THE FIRST OF THE THREE GUZZLERS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE 2025 BUILD SEASON WAS SITUATED IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE MUDDY MOUNTAINS, CLARK COUNTY. DUE TO THE LARGE POPULATION OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP IN THIS LOCATION, THE WATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF THE PROJECT WAS BOOSTED TO AN EIGHT-TANK SYSTEM. THE EIGHT 2,300-GALLON TANKS EQUATED TO AN OVERALL STORAGE CAPACITY OF 18,400 GALLONS. IN FEBRUARY 2025, A NEW BIGHORN GUZZLER WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE SPOTTED RANGE, NYE COUNTY. THE SPOTTED RANGE IS THE WESTERNMOST MOUNTAIN RANGE ON THE DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. THE THIRD BIGHORN GUZZLER CONSTRUCTED IN 2025 WAS IN THE NORTHWEST PAHRANAGAT RANGE, LINCOLN COUNTY. ONCE CHARGED BY RAIN AND SNOW PRODUCING STORMS, THE LARGE EIGHT-TANK PROJECT WILL RELIABLY PROVIDE WATER TO NOT ONLY DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP BUT ALSO OTHER AVIAN AND TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE. AS THE LEAD ORGANIZATION ON AN AMBITIOUS WATER MONITORING INITIATIVE, THE FDB, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH NDOW AND SEVERAL NONPROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATIONS, CONTINUES TO INSTALL WATER LEVEL MONITORS AND COMPANION RAIN GAUGES AT NEWLY CONSTRUCTED AND EXISTING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT BIGHORN GUZZLERS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE AUTONOMOUS WATER MONITORS COLLECT WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA. DATA COMMUNICATIONS ARE SATELLITE-MEDIATED AND ARE NEAR REAL-TIME. THE NEAR REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON THE STATUS OF GUZZLERS PROVIDES ESSENTIAL INFORMATION RELATIVE TO NOT ONLY WATER AVAILABILITY BUT ALSO MAINTENANCE ISSUES. THE WATER MONITORING EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED FROM RANCHBOT MONITORING SOLUTIONS (FORT WORTH, TX) AND TRACK TAG LLC (ELY, NV). THE WATER LEVEL AND RAINFALL DATA ARE CLOSELY MONITORED BY NDOW PERSONNEL AND FDB MEMBERS. THE FDB CONTINUES ENGAGEMENT IN PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AND ADULTS ABOUT CONSERVATION MEASURES FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING VIABLE POPULATIONS OF DESERT BIGHORN SHEEP AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. THE FDB ACTIVELY PROMOTED DESERT BIGHORN CONSERVATION TO KIDS AND ADULTS AT THE CLARK COUNTY FAIR, AND SPONSORED FIVE KIDS TO ATTEND THE NEVADA YOUTH RANGE CAMP HELD IN THE SCHELL CREEK RANGE NEAR ELY, WHITE PINE COUNTY. IN ADDITION, THE FDB SPONSORED SEVERAL IMPORTANT EVENTS: THE 58TH MEETING OF THE DESERT BIGHORN COUNCIL IN GOLD CANYON, AZ; SHEEP SHOW (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER, CHAPTER & AFFILIATES SUMMIT (WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION) IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, AND A MEETING OF THE NEVADA BIGHORN WORKING GROUP HELD AT THE RENO-SPARKS CONVENTION CENTER. LASTLY, THE FDB HOLDS MONTHLY MEMBERS MEETINGS TO INFORM ATTENDEES OF UPCOMING BIGHORN SHEEP CONSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES, AND TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
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? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2023 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on May 15, 2023.
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 July 2024.
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.