Conservation Lands Foundation
Durango, CO · EIN 20-8924520. Reported 245 grants totalling $7,404,500 to 81 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Conservation Lands Foundation, the IRS classifies it under environment rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE C34) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 81 distinct organizations, with 5% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 86% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is well above the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and above the 67% private foundations manage. This list is close to settled, so a newcomer has to displace someone rather than fill a gap.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $20,000. Half of what it reported fell between $10,000 and $40,000; the smallest was $6,500 and the largest $105,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friends of the Owyhee | Ontario, OR | $355,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Inyo | Bishop, CA | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| New Mexico Wilderness Alliance | Albuquerque, NM | $320,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Archaeology Southwest | Tucson, AZ | $301,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Cedar Mesa | Bluff, UT | $290,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Outside Las Vegas Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $270,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Organ Mountains- Desert Peaks | Las Cruces, NM | $258,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Conserve Southwest Utah | Saint George, UT | $245,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Native American Land Conservancy | Banning, CA | $245,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dolores River Boating Advocates | Dolores, CO | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The California Desert Land Conservancy | Joshua Tree, CA | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Inc | Kanab, UT | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Nevada Wilderness | Reno, NV | $195,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Utah Dine Bikeyah | Salt Lake Cty, UT | $195,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Tuleyome | Woodland, CA | $190,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Amah Mutsun Land Trust | Santa Cruz, CA | $150,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Conservation Legacy | Durango, CO | $145,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blu Educational Foundation | Sn Bernrdno, CA | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Canyons Association | Grand Jct, CO | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve | Morongo Vly, CA | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Nfria Wserc Conservation Center Inc | Paonia, CO | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Amargosa Land Trust | Shoshone, CA | $110,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Gold Butte | Mesquite, NV | $110,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council | Alamosa, CO | $105,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wyoming Outdoor Council | Lander, WY | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cofem | Los Angeles, CA | $97,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Montana Wilderness Association Inc | Helena, MT | $95,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wilderness Workshop | Carbondale, CO | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Desert Mountains | Palm Desert, CA | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Mattole Restoration Council | Petrolia, CA | $82,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Oregon Natural Desert Association Inc | Bend, OR | $80,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Transition Habitat Conservancy | Pinon Hills, CA | $75,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Reston, VA | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Trinidad Coastal Land Trust | Trinidad, CA | $70,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Amargosa Basin | Shoshone, CA | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Indigenous Voices Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| New Mexico Wildlife Federation | Albuquerque, NM | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Outward Bound Adventures Inc | Pasadena, CA | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Wyoming Interfaith Network | Beulah, WY | $60,000 | 3 | 2 | 2024 |
| Friends of Ironwood Forest | Tucson, AZ | $57,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Native Movement | Fairbanks, AK | $55,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Trail Access Project | Las Vegas, NV | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Wyoming Wilderness Association | Sheridan, WY | $50,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Avi Kwa AME | Searchlight, NV | $49,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Nevada Conservation League Education Fund | Las Vegas, NV | $48,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Joshua Forest | Meadview, AZ | $46,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Lost Coast | Whitethorn, CA | $46,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Chaparral Lands Conservancy | San Diego, CA | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Frontera Land Alliance | El Paso, TX | $40,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Carrizo Plain Conservancy | Sn Luis Obisp, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Outdoor Outreach | San Diego, CA | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| San Juan Citizens Alliance | Durango, CO | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance | Cortez, CO | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Upper Gila Watershed Alliance | Silver City, NM | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Point Arena-Stornetta Lands | Point Arena, CA | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of Red Rock Canyon | Las Vegas, NV | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| 7G Foundation | Pauma Valley, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fort Ord Recreational Trail Friends | Marina, CA | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe | Santa Fe, NM | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Grand Staircase Regional Guides Association | Escalante, UT | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Northern Alaska Environmental Center | Fairbanks, AK | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Southwest Organizing Project | Albuquerque, NM | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Alaska Center Education Fund | Anchorage, AK | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Together We Can Incorporated | N Las Vegas, NV | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument | Black Canyon City, AZ | $26,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument | Helena, MT | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Community Initiatives | Oakland, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Cortez, CO | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Dunes | Arcata, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Upper Snake River Tribes Foundation Inc | Boise, ID | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Young Masterminds Initiative | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Alaska Conservation Foundation | Anchorage, AK | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument | Ashland, OR | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cactustocloud Institute | La Quinta, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Calwild | Oakland, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area | Terrebonne, OR | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Black Rock High Rock Inc | Gerlach, NV | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of the Yampa Inc | Steamboat Spr, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Native Land Trust Council | Cathedral Cty, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tewa Women United | Espanola, NM | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Valle Del Sol Inc | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
68 of 81 (84%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 69 of 81 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51 | $1,656,500 | $20,000 |
| 2022 | 68 | $1,937,000 | $20,000 |
| 2023 | 65 | $1,917,000 | $25,000 |
| 2024 | 61 | $1,894,000 | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
32% of its giving went to organizations in California. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $20,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in California.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Conservation Lands Foundation's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 65 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 2 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 835 E 2ND Ave Suite 314, Durango, CO, 81301.
EIN 20-8924520 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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