Nationally Accredited Non-profit: Certification & Financial Summary

• We maintain only the highest standards in transparency among non-profit organizations, meaning that any of our organizational, operational, or financial documents are freely available to the public. Copies of our annual financial statements, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, Reports to the Attorney General, Reports to the IRS, and letters of determination from the Department of the Treasury are available upon request by sending an email to mail@wildernessproject.org.


• We are nationally accredited as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity in excellent standing by the United Stated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Attorney General Office. View our Certified Nonprofit Report complements of Guidestar, the National Database of Nonprofit Organizations. Our Guidestar report includes official abbreviated information about our organization.


• We apply >95% of all donations to our youth environmental programs. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and National Charities Information Bureau advise maintaining a charity’s administrative expenses at no more than 40%. We exceed that recommendation by applying <5% of donations toward our supporting services (e.g., management, administration, and fundraising).


• We strive to exceed the strictest criteria developed by independent charity watchdog agencies, including the Better Business Bureau, for large national nonprofit organizations. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance, with assistance from the National Charities Information Bureau and Philanthropic Advisory Service, developed a series of 20 standards for charity accountability. While the BBB Wise Giving Alliance only rates larger non-profits that actively solicit donations through direct-mail or professional fundraising in a significant number of states in the US, we have voluntarily subjected ourselves to those same criteria.


• We strive to exceed the criteria for a Charity Navigator Four Star Rating (top rating) developed for large national nonprofit organizations. While Charity Navigator only rates very large non-profits (with an annual budget >$500,000), we have voluntarily subjected ourselves to those same criteria. When you give to NWP, you can be assured that you are giving wisely to an environmental charity that is committed making your donation go further to youth and ecology projects around the world.

Detailed Financial Data for the Nicodemus Wilderness Project:

We have been exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code since October 2000 and were officially recognized as a publicly supported charity {170(b)(1)(A)(vi)} by the IRS and Department of the Treasury on March 21, 2005 (Lois G. Lerner, Director, Exempt Organizations, IRS). This special distinction (only granted after five consecutive years of financial data) means that a substantial proportion of our funds come from the general public as opposed to private interests or individuals (i.e., private foundations). You can confirm our organizational and financial status at any time by calling the IRS (toll-free) at 1-877-829-5500 or the Attorney General of New Mexico Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-678-1508.

View our 2007 IRS Form 990 (PDF - 165 KB) and our 2006 IRS Form 990 (PDF - 159 KB). View our Past IRS Form 990s.

2007* Revenues and Expenses (Period Ending December 31).

*Annual financial information is updated by May of the following year (i.e., 2008 data will be published by May of 2009)

2007* Assets and Liabilities (Period Ending December 31)

*Annual financial information is updated by May of the following year (i.e., 2008 data will be published by May of 2009)