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The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County

EIN 95-3797404 · Santa Barbara, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To conserve natural resources, agricultural land and open spaces for present and future generations.

Income
$13.0 million
Spending
$5.0 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
28.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 83%
Employees
25
Volunteers
275
Highest pay
$284,305, executive dir.

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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 59% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 28.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 62% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 40% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (environment, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    18 of 18 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 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 (4)
  1. $2.2 million spent. Acquisition: We engage in the acquisition of conservation land and easement interests. We conduct general outreach within the county to potential transaction partners and landowners. We respond to landowner and agency inquiries and partner with other conservation organizations in furtherance of our mission. We seek conservation funding and match conservation transactions to appropriate funding sources. We follow the land trust alliance standards and practices for our transactions.
  2. $732,790 spent. Education & Outreach: We engage in public education, land use, and interpretive programs in service to our mission. The Arroyo Hondo preserve hosts school and community group trips and is open to the public for free two weekends a month. We offer educational programs at Arroyo Hondo on topics such as birding, wildflowers, fire & stream ecology. We offer free community nature hikes and other guided activities at locations around the county year-round. We also offer opportunities to volunteer with the land trust in roles including preserve docent, hike guide, and restoration crew. We engage in collaborative efforts to understand community values and use a science-based landscape-scale approach to identify land conservation, stewardship, restoration, and open space access opportunities.
  3. $524,194 spent. Preserves: We conserve land in perpetuity for natural resource protection, preservation, of agriculture, and for recreation through conservation easement and fee title transactions. We own the following nature preserves: Carpinteria Salt Marsh Preserve, Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Coronado Butterfly Preserve and Hot Springs Canyon. In 2022, we purchased the Gaviota Overlook Property which has been added to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve.
  4. $480,579 spent. Stewardship: We maintain a perpetual obligation to ensure the public benefits of resource protection are upheld for each of our conservation easements and fee title properties. We conduct annual monitoring and compliance activities on all of our fee title and conservation easement properties to ensure the conservation values are preserved. We undertake restoration work on properties to repair or enhance habitat value.

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

  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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1983.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.