BBB Wise Giving Report for
Nature Conservancy

BBB Wise Giving Report issued November 2011
BBB Wise Giving Report expires November 2013


This BBB Accredited charity meets all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability and is a Seal Holder. Find out more...


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Charity Contact Information

Name: Nature Conservancy
Address: 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100
  Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703-841-5300
Web Address: www.nature.org
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comments

Year, State Incorporated: 1951, District of Columbia
Affiliates: Ecological Trust Fund of Panama, Fundacion The Nature Conservancy of Panama, The Nature Conservancy of Japan, The Nature Conservancy Action Fund, TNC Conservacion de la Naturaleza, Woodland Development Company LLC, TNC China LLC, The Nature Conservancy in Europe, TNC Boreas LLC, The Nature Conservancy do Brasil, The Nature Conservancy of California, Adirondack Land Trust, The Nature Conservnacy Limited (Australia), The Nature Conservancy of Venezuela, Conservation Farms & Ranches (CF&R), PT Putri Naga Komodo LLC, Montark Inc, The Nature Conservancy of Montana, The Nature Conservancy of New Mexico, The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut

Stated Purpose: "to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive."

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Evaluation Conclusions

               

Nature Conservancy (TNC) meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
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Programs

               

TNC works around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. TNC reports operations in all 50 states and more than 30 countries — protecting habitats from grasslands to coral reefs, from Australia to Alaska to Zambia. The organization addresses threats to conservation involving climate change, fresh water, oceans, and conservation lands. To carry out its programs, TNC partners with indigenous communities, businesses, governments, multilateral institutions, and other non-profits.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, TNC's program expenses were:

  
Conservation activities and actions 349,101,000
Book value of conservation and land easements sold or donated to governments and others 200,476,000
Total Program Expenses: $549,577,000
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Governance

               

Chief Executive : Mark R. Tercek, President and CEO
Compensation*:
 $493,993

Chair of the Board: Roger Milliken, Jr.
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation: President, Baskahegan Company

Board Size: 23

Paid Staff Size: 4020

*July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
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Fund Raising

               

Method(s) Used:

Direct mail, telemarketing, special events, print advertisements, grant proposals, Internet appeals, door to door appeals, planned giving, cause-related marketing, and membership appeals.
Fund raising costs were 12% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $619,572,000, are donations received as a result of fund raising activities.)
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Tax Status

               

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.
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Financial

               

The following information is based on TNC's audited financial statements (consolidated with affiliates) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

Source of Funds  
Contributions for land, land preservation fund, and other conservation projects 198,965,000
Investment returns 169,939,000
Contributions for operations 167,478,000
Sale of conservation land and easements to governments and others 148,783,000
Government grants 138,135,000
Land and easements contributed for conservation 83,726,000
Royalties, fees, and other 25,063,000
Mitigation and contracts 24,886,000
Contributions to endowments and similar funds 15,421,000
Contributions of goods and services 11,758,000
Contributions of trade lands 4,089,000
Change in value of planned giving investments 1,950,000
Total Income $990,193,000


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Uses of Funds as a % of Total Expenses

Programs: 76%  Fund Raising: 10%  Administrative: 14% 

Total income   $990,193,000
  Program expenses $549,577,000
  Fund raising expenses 71,393,000
  Administrative expenses 98,683,000
 
Total expenses   $719,653,000
Income in Excess of Expenses   270,540,000
Beginning net assets   4,623,651,000
Ending net assets   4,894,191,000
Total liabilities   770,568,000
Total assets   $5,664,759,000

Note1: In reaching the conclusion that TNC meets the Standard calling for a charity's unrestricted net assets that are available for use not to be more than three times the size of the past year's expenses, or three times the size of the current year's budget, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance considered the following: TNC's total unrestricted net assets of $4,101,045,000 included fixed assets of land, buildings and equipment (less related debt, which represents the portion of land and fixed assets that is not included in net assets) totaling $3,182,627,000. If one omits these fixed assets, then available unrestricted net assets are $918,418,000, which is 1.1 times the size of the past year's expenses.
Note2: According to TNC, in the year ended June 30, 2010, the organization received in-kind contributions in the amount of $3,764,185 including clothing/household goods ($2,079,524), computer software ($1,642,561) and cars ($42,100).

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An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.

This report is not to be used for fund raising or promotional purposes.

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