Santa Fe Conservation Trust
Santa Fe Conservation Trust
PO BOX 23985
Santa Fe NM 87502-3985
Santa Fe NM | IRS ruling year: 1994 | EIN: 85-0418988
See Part III, Line 1.
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PO BOX 23985
Santa Fe NM 87502-3985
Santa Fe NM | IRS ruling year: 1994 | EIN: 85-0418988
See Part III, Line 1.
Great
This charity's score is 99%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Santa Fe Conservation Trust is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Santa Fe Conservation Trust has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
---|---|
$1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
$500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
Less than 50% | Full Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
70% or higher | Full Credit |
60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Preservation of natural resources (conservation) (BMF activity code: 350)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Santa Fe Conservation Trust) or EIN (850418988) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Santa Fe Conservation Trust reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Revenue
Office operations, access to organizational data for employees and other technological issues.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Cancellation of the Banff Mountain Film Festival that SFCT hosts in Santa Fe led to lost ticket and sponsor revenue; SFCT had to convert it's annual fundraiser to a virtual format, which led to increased operational expenses as well as lower sponsorship revenue. In May of 2020, the City of Santa Fe canceled our professional services agreement for soft-surface trails in Santa Fe.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In-person outreach events and programs (Star Parties, Insider Tours, Passport to Trails and Vamonos: Santa Fe Walks) were all put on hold, substantially impacting our community engagement.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Converted the office network with our data server to a virtual private network (VPN), allowing all employees to telecommute. Created virtual in-town walks to be shared with the schools and the public. Introduced Online Chats to host open forum discussions about environmental issues.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We will maintain the VPN for greater flexibility for staff to work in the office or remotely. We plan on continuing the Online Chats with environmental advocates and experts to engage the public on important topics.
Not Currently Scored
Santa Fe Conservation Trust cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Santa Fe Conservation Trust reported its two largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Land Program - Over the past twenty-five years, SFCT has protected over 40,000 acres in Northern New Mexico, in Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties, working with landowners to create v ... (More)
Land Program - Over the past twenty-five years, SFCT has protected over 40,000 acres in Northern New Mexico, in Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties, working with landowners to create voluntary land protection agreements using conservation easements. Conservation easements are legal documents that permanently protect private land, ensuring it remains pristine and beautiful for future generations which benefits the public at large. SFCT works with landowners and their families to preserve the natural environment for posterity and future generations. SFCT partners with local community groups, including the Santa Fe County Open Space Trails program, the City of Santa Fe and others to protect natural lands and trails, and to bring new trails and open space projects to the public. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Trails Program - SFCT has been involved in the creation of the Dale Ball Trails, Atalaya Trail, Santa Fe Rail Trail, the Spur Trail, La Tierra Trails, La Piedra Trail and--with the Commonweal conserva ... (More)
Trails Program - SFCT has been involved in the creation of the Dale Ball Trails, Atalaya Trail, Santa Fe Rail Trail, the Spur Trail, La Tierra Trails, La Piedra Trail and--with the Commonweal conservancy--the Galisteo Basin Preserve Trails. SFCT Trails Pro (Less)
Santa Fe Conservation Trust has earned a 88% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Community Conservation programs introduce more citizens to the local trails, let them experience nature's health-giving qualities, and improve their health by getting them outside and moving. SFCT offers programs to ensure equitable access to nature and Santa Fe’s trail resources. Since 2014, SFCT has introduced 3,000 south side kids and their families to Santa Fe’s trail system (Passport to Trails). In 2018, SFCT started an in-town walking program (Vámonos: Santa Fe Walks) for those whose access to nature is more challenging: the elderly, infirm, transportation limited, immigrant community, or those afraid to walk alone.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Community meetings or town halls
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff, Our board
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
We have begun offering online chats with pertinent information about conservation issues, with a live Q&A session. These have served to inform us on related issues and other pertinent topics that have led to the creation of future chats. Based on feedback and community members voicing concerns, we recently had a chat regarding the implementation of new streetlights in the City of Santa Fe, and the pros and cons of different implementations as the concerned safety and visibility versus conservation of the character of the city and the preservation of the dark night skies and effects on human and wildlife health. We hope to use information gathered in this chat to help inform the city governance make responsible, sustainable and enjoyable decisions.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
In 2020, we re-prioritized our trail construction and maintenance focus based on community feedback, as well as creating virtual walks and maps so that community members would still be engaged, and compiled pictures and stories from the community on social media.
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 83 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 4 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (2/7) | |
---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Equity Policies and Procedures (2/7) | |
---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Santa Fe Conservation Trust has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Santa Fe Conservation Trust partners with our community to keep northern New Mexico’s living lands and people flourishing together. We protect culturally and environmentally significant landscapes, ignite people’s passion for nature and enable the continual regeneration of our healthy place.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
We envision a future where everyone in northern New Mexico cherishes nature and works to preserve it for this and future generations.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Increase Organizational Capacity. Hiring additional land and trail program staff to increase our ability to conserve land and expand the scope and reach of the trails program.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Complete and Implement Strategic Conservation Plan - to guide and leverage land conservation efforts in order to achieve landscape scale impacts, serve landowner needs and our Community
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
Goal Three: Practice Community Conservation — to support and expand programs to broader audiences and underserved communities, with the aim of increasing our impact in our service area of northern New Mexico.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
As a member of the Land Trust Alliance, we send employees and board members to the LTA Rally. Last year, the land program manager and a land review committee member attended the "virtual" Rally. As well, SFCT has paid for access to all ongoing webinars from the LTA this year, allowing for 6 attendees to any and all webinars. Board and staff are always encouraged to expand their horizons through education and training, and offers reimbursement for related activities. As well, they are encouraged to participate in land stewardship and trail work, regardless of their role in the organization.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
SFCT collaborates with other local land trusts, nonprofits, foundations and government entities to conserve land and expand access to nature through trails. This collaboration can take many forms: co-holding properties, acquiring dedicated funding for conservation projects, and maintaining and expanding the public resource of the trails. Through the GUSTO (Grand Unified Santa fe Trails Organization) we collaborate with local trail advocacy groups and the public, envisioning a complete and interconnected network of trails in and around Santa Fe for the equitable access of all to nature. Our Online Chats, e-newsletters and social media all focus on environmental and equitable access advocacy, increasing awareness of important issues that deal with SFCT's mission.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
In light of the inability to hold in-person events, the Santa Fe Conservation Trust transformed many of its programs into a virtual format, still promoting and advocating for environmental issues and engaging with the community. It was actually an opportunity to refocus on the work we could do outside and remotely, which fortunately are exactly our core programs: land and trails. SFCT closed on six land projects last year, including new conservation easements, easement transfers, and a 300-acre fee owned property, more than we have ever done. We continued to monitor and steward the properties already under our protection, on foot and via advanced satellite imagery (neat, right?). Trail maintenance and construction activities continued in small, distanced groups, as well as trail planning and collaboration. After scrambling to get our workforce online and working remotely, applying for gaps in funding after canceled events and contracts, and not being able to utilize our rather large volunteer base, we have come out the other side stronger and better equipped for the future.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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