Cactus & Succulent Society of America Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE CCSA STRIVES TO PROMOTE THE APPRECIATION, KNOWLEDGE & CONSERVATION OF CACTUS & SUCCULENTS THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, CONVENTIONS, SHOWS, SEED BANKS AND RESEARCH GRANTS.
- Income
- $739,689
- Spending
- $546,548
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 30.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 46%
- Employees
- 1
- Volunteers
- 200
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 30.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 26% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 57% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
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, 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 (7)
- $214,322 spent. EACH YEAR THE CSSA HAS A PLANT SHOW AND SALE AT THE HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS IN SAN MARINO, CA. THE 58TH ANNUAL SHOW WAS HELD JUNE 27-29, 2025. Rare specimens from around the world WERE BEAUTIFULLY showcased, including plants native to Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Botswana, Madagascar, and the Middle East. The juried competition includeD categories for photography, paintings, crafts, and dish gardens. THE BEST VENDORS FROM THE SOUTHWEST CAME TO SELL THOUSANDS OF RARE PLANTS.
- $180,247 spent. THE CSSA HOLDS A CONVENTION EVERY OTHER YEAR WHERE MEMBERS ENJOY TALKS BY LEADING SPEAKERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. The convention program included national and international renowned speakers on cactus and succulent topics of interest to all attendees. Field trips were arranged to visit remarkable gardens, visits to wild cactus populations and trips. The convention included world class vendors with both common and rare cacti and succulents for sale.
- $29,565 spent. THE CACTUS AND SUCCULENT JOURNAL IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES PER YEAR AND APPEALS TO AMATEUR AND ADVANCED HOBBYISTS, NURSERYMEN, ACADEMIC BOTANIST AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN. THE CSSA HAS PUBLISHED THE JOURNAL SINCE 1929. RECENT BACK ISSUES AND OLDER VOLUMES CAN BE PURCHASED ON DVD. HASELTONIA IS THE TECHNICAL YEARBOOK OF THE CSSA. IT IS PUBLISHED IN FULL COLOR AND FEATURES PEER-ARTICLES ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF CACTUS AND SUCCULENTS. SERIOUS STUDENTS OF SUCCULENT FLORA, BOTANISTS, TAXONOMISTS, RESEARCHERS AND ORTICULTURALISTS WILL FIND HASELTONIA A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THEIR BOOK COLLECTION. BACK ISSUES ARE AVAILABLE. THE CSSA IS BUILDING A LIBRARY OF SPECIALTY BOOKS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THREE BOOKS: THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HAWORTHIA, AGAVE, AND OTHER SUCCULENT MONOCOTS; ALOES OF THE CACTUS SUCCULENT JOURNAL; AND BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ADROMISCHUS, AEONIUM, UDLEYA AND SUCCULENT DICOTS. MORE ARE PLANNED.
- $29,553 spent. CSSA has a Research Grants Program that provides small facilitation grants in support of research on succulent plants. Typical awards range up to $1200 - 3000 and occassionaly more. The Research Grants Program is administered by the CSSA Research Committee, which is overseen by the CSSA Board of Directors. The Research Grants Program is funded entirely from donations made to CSSA and dedicated to this program. Donors include individuals, organizations, and businesses. Substantial funding is derived from the Rare Plant Auction held at the CSSA Conventions and shows. During the year the Research Fund awarded a total of $11,670 through three grant awards. The Conservation Fund awarded a total of $15,152 through three separate awards.Because the membership of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America is composedprimarily of hobbyists, and because research funds are donated primarily by hobbyists, many of the grants funded by the Society are for research that increases the level of knowledge and understanding of the members about succulent plants. General types of research supported by the CSSA include, but are not limited to, studies to discover new species or forms; of ecological associations; to increase knowledge of taxonomy, nomenclature, and biogeography; relating to all aspects of cultivation, artificial propagation and mass production; relating to conservation of threatened or endangered species; of basic biology, such as morphology and physiology, especially as these relate to the needs and interests of hobbyists.
- $15,463 spent. STARTED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID WHEN MANY CLUBS COULD NOT MEET IN PERSON, MONTHLY WEBINARS CONTINUE SO MEMBERS CAN HEAR THE WORLDS BEST SPEAKERS VIA ZOOM MEETINGS.
- $13,663 spent. Other Program Revenues: DVDs and other sales
- $4,784 spent. MEMBERS DONATE SEEDS TO THE SEED DEPOT AND OTHER MEMBERS CAN PURCHASE THOSE SEEDS. VOLUNTEERS PROCESS THE ORDERS.
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? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 1983.
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 October 21, 2026.
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