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Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants Inc

EIN 95-6095398 · Sun Valley, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood86 out of 100GovernanceStrong93 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION FOR WILDFLOWERS AND NATIVE PLANS INC.(TPF)INSPIRES AND EDUCATES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS ABOUT THE BEAUTY AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT LANDSCAPES.

Income
$2.9 million
Spending
$2.9 million
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
6.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 46%
Employees
34
Volunteers
269
Highest pay
$111,502, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 86 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 14% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    15 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

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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 August 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 (3)
  1. $1.3 million spent. HORTICULTURE: ACROSS ITS 22-ACRE SUN VALLEY PROPERTY AND SATELLITE LOS NOGALES NURSERY IN MONTECITO HEIGHTS, TPF SHOWCASES NATIVE PLANT HORTICULTURE. THE HEADQUARTERS PROPERTY INCLUDES EXTENSIVE DEMONSTRATION GARDENS, NATURAL VEGETATION, EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, AND PLANT PRODUCTION FIELDS, ALONGSIDE A FULL-SERVICE NURSERY, SEED PROGRAM, AND BOOKSTORE. MUCH OF THE HORTICULTURAL WORK ONSITE IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, WHICH HAD 277 ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN 2025. TPF OFFERS HORTICULTURAL AND BOTANICAL SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, NONPROFIT PARTNERS, AND PRIVATE BUSINESSES WITH A FOCUS ON RARE PLANT CONSERVATION AND URBAN RESTORATION. TPF SOLD 128,590 NATIVE PLANTS AND OVER 41,857 PACKETS OF NATIVE SEEDS. 6,055 OF THE PLANTS SOLD/DISTRIBUTED WERE GROWN FROM LOCALLY SOURCED SEED, PROVIDING THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO BIODIVERSITY.
  2. $429,676 spent. EDUCATION: THEODORE PAYNE FOUNDATION (TPF) OFFERS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, ADULTS SEEKING CONTINUING EDUCATION, AND K-12 STUDENTS. THESE EFFORTS ARE AIMED AT INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF NATIVE PLANTS, ALONGSIDE PRACTICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO IMPLEMENT ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, TPF HOSTED 164 ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES TO 2,721 STUDENTS. DURING THE SAME TIME, 508 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS COMPLETED TPF'S 20-HOUR CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT LANDSCAPER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.
  3. $353,965 spent. OUTREACH: THROUGH DIVERSE OUTREACH PROGRAMS, TPF PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LANDSCAPES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN TOUR, A TWO-DAY EVENT SHOWCASING VISIONARY LANDSCAPES AROUND LOS ANGELES HAD NEARLY 3,000 ATTENDEES. IN FY 2025, TPF TABLED AT 51 EVENTS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REACHING 11,222 PEOPLE, DISTRIBUTED 23,660 FREE SEED PACKETS, AND INSTALLED OVER 1,200 PLANTS IN COMMUNITY SPACES. IN ADDITION TO IN-PERSON EVENTS, ROBUST ONLINE OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND MEDIA APPEARANCES REACH A LARGE AUDIENCE. TPF PROMOTES NATIVE PLANTS TO 51,000+ SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS AND 35,000+ NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 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 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 August 2025.

    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 December 1962.

    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.