California Institute for Biodiversity
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Create and publish educational materials, conduct professional development, promote awareness, and sponsor research on the spectacular biological diversity of the State of CA.
- Income
- $846,316
- Spending
- $6.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 5.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 57%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 4
- Highest pay
- $441,400, president executive director
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 658% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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
Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 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
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 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 (2)
- $6.2 million spent. See Schedule O.
- COMPLETING THE CALIFORNIA ATBI (ALL TAXA BIODIVERSITY INVENTORY). Saving Intertidal Biodiversity. CIB convened an Intertidal Biodiversity working group of leading scientists to scope an ambitious plan for a statewide project that will secure a specimen of every species (currently most are unknown to science), develop a DNA barcode library, and complete other urgently-needed work. Insects, Funga, and Soil Biodiversity. CIB made 150+ grants to scientists at California Academy of Sciences, The Nat, CSU East Bay, UCB, UCD, UCR, UCSD, and others. Outcomes include FUNDIS vouchered thousands of macrofungi (mushrooms) from across California, most DNA sequenced yielding vouchers of well over 1,000 species. CIB grantees and partners collected thousands of soil samples for environmental DNA sequencing by CALeDNA, for prioritizing field expeditions, as well as a comprehensive map of California biodiversity. Hundreds of field collections made for Insecta Barcode, plus thousands of museum specimens sampled, achieved the goal of DNA sequencing 1,000,000 insect specimens. Biorepositories and Orphan Collections grants to scores of nonprofits and universities are supporting teams to rescue collections, accession specimen backlogs, and upgrade collection infrastructure and reboot scientific collections for the 21st century. SAVING PLACES.Land Conservation and Achieving 30 by 30. CIB calculates the next few years are a critical window of opportunity for conservation. Generational change, combined with the current polycrisis, provide urgency and opportunity. Our work ranges from supporting large coalitions, to ensuring conservation investments are guided by the best available science, to engaging in key local acquisition efforts. CIB worked within several coalitions to help ensure 30x30 goals are built into state practices, as well as stable and adequate funding for land conservation. CIB worked with partners to explore nontraditional conservation approaches that can provide solutions for Californians to save the lands and biodiversity they love. This work has identified a number of achievable changes to the broad conservation acquisition system that could dramatically improve efficacy of existing private funding, make public funding much more efficient and impactful, to accelerate the pace of habitat conservation in California. CIB is convening partners to transform these ideas into specific proposals, that can then be moved forward over the next two years.CIB served on Steering Committee for the states California Biodiversity Network, representing the needs and perspectives of scientists as the state makes investment decisions. Accomplishments include writing the Appendix D Science Needs report. In 2023 CIB identified a suite of properties for sale in the floodplain of a wild and critical riparian system in Southern California. The watershed is adjacent to National Forest land, provides movement connectivity for mountain lions and habitat imperiled species, and is central to several California tribes and bands. A team of land conservation specialists is now actively advancing acquisition of these parcels for durable protection, with the support of key funding agencies in the area. RENATURING CALIFORNIA:CIB advanced Pocket Forests solutions, to nurture recovery of local biodiversity and bring the benefits of nature to communities. CIB sponsored legislation establishing a statewide Pocket Forest program within CalFire to make grants to schools and communities; our coalition secured passage by the legislature but it was unfortunately vetoed by Governor Newsom. Working with local science teachers, CIB helped City of Berkeley allocate $150K to deliver four forests to underinvested communities. The Local Native Seedbank project convened NGOs, industry, agencies, scientists and other stakeholders to develop guidelines, build shared systems, secure funding, and ensure California has preserved seeds for the indigenous plants required to reestablish habitat, pollinators, and biodiversity. CIB continued to advocate for solutions to pesticide over- and mis-use. This included reforming loopholes that allow agricorps to push unregistered and unlawful pesticides via coated seeds. Thanks to coalitions efforts the Governor and legislature updated pesticide mill fee to invest in Californias transition to sustainable agriculture. EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT. CIB Worked with California mycological societies to officially designate a California State Mushroom. 11 local mycology clubs selected 6 candidate species, and thousands of Californians voted. CIB sponsored legislation, passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor. Biodiversity Curricula including CalAlive! K-12 curricula developed by CIB were donated to educators and nature centers in California, to support their important work educating the next generation. CIB awarded numerous student research grants to support students across California in their work to develop a statewide ATBI (All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory) of California life. Their projects are inspiring, their stories from the field delightful.
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 December 1996.
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.
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