EIN 81-0369262

Montana Land Reliance

IRS 501(c) type
501(c)(3)
Num. employees
33
City
Helena
State
Year formed
1978
Most recent tax filings
2022-12-01
Description
The mission of The Montana Land Reliance (MLR) is to partner with landowners to provide permanent protection for private lands that are significant for agricultural production, forest resources, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space.
Total revenues
$13,399,553
2022
Total expenses
$13,912,399
2022
Total assets
$13,663,260
2022
Num. employees
33
2022

Program areas at Montana Land Reliance

Land projects: mlr worked with numerous landowners in 2022 to permanently protect their private lands for continued agricultural production, open space, and natural habitat. Twenty-seven conservation easements were donated or sold to mlr that protected, in perpetuity, approximately 66,658 acres, including over 51 miles of river/stream frontage. Mlr has protected a total of 1,286,862 acres of agricultural/recreational lands in Montana. That acreage includes 343,848 acres in The greater yellowstone ecosystem; 20,881 acres in The northern continental divide ecosystem; 221,415 acres of crop/hay/pasture lands; 1,065,447 acres of range and forest lands; 618,883 acres of elk habitat; and over 47,578 acres of wetlands. Over 1,956 miles of stream frontage have been protected by easements held by mlr to date. Specific expenditures related to Land projects included: general Land project planning and easement discussions expenditures of $229,061; completed easement projects and new Land projects negotiation expenditures of $125,734; non-collectible project accounts of $9,587; and purchased easements expenditures of $11,826,665 (round grove ranch i - $1,649,500; casey i - $1,145,877; martin & margaret clark - $705,060; axtell ranch - $2,675,000; middle fork Land & livestock - $2,747,621; carlson - $40,000; roen i - $1,550,444; sullivan - $100,000; halmes - $15,000; rimkus - $362,300; and mattson $835,863).
Education and outreach activities: mlr staff travel across The state of Montana conducting meetings with potential clients, county planning boards, county commissioners, various agricultural groups/organizations, and other community groups to provide answers to their questions and to conduct general educational activities focused on The benefits of Land conservation and conservation easements. For these outreach activities, mlr publishes various educational brochures and an annual report to provide information and enhance The transparency of its public interest activities. Additionally, staff participate with numerous conservation groups to educate The public about The Land trust community's conservation efforts. Expenditures related to mlr's outreach and education activities amounted to $425,345 in 2022. Those expenditures included general outreach activities to landowners, attorneys, accountants, government agencies, etc. - $296,497; publication materials (brochures, annual report, newsletters, etc.) - $22,553; and membership and outreach to state, regional, and national Land conservation/agricultural organization, etc., - $106,295.
Stewardship and monitoring: mlr stewardship staff (consisting of one stewardship director; one gis coordinator/land steward; one stewardship coordinator; and 19 part-time Land stewards) monitor each property on which mlr holds a conservation easement. This monitoring includes a visit to The subject property and discussions with The landowners/managers. The stewardship staff also works with existing easement holders to supply natural resource information for The landowner to improve their Land holdings for conservation purposes. Stewardship staff works with legal counsel in regard to any potential issues that arise regarding interpretation or enforcement of conservation easements held by mlr. Mlr is in The process of digitizing all The easement project files for all mlr conservation easements that have been completed and are of record scanning of this documentation will enhance staff's ability to work efficiently with easement holders across The state. Mlr granted $165,985 to The Montana Land Reliance foundation inc., to be invested into The Land protection fund to cover stewardship and monitoring expenditures. Total expenses related to The stewardship, monitoring, and enforcement of conservation easements held by mlr amounted to $584,423, including $165,985 granted to The Montana Land Reliance foundation. General administration of The stewardship program; mapping of new/potential projects; digitizing of all existing easement files/documents accounted for $52,119. The remaining $366,319 covered The costs of The stewardship director, gis coordinator, stewardship coordinator, and 19 part-time Land stewards (salaries/benefits - $288,640; fees for services - $15,493; office expenses - $8,120; information technology - $12,434; occupancy - $8,813; travel/per diem - $25,661; and conference/conventions - $7,158). Stewardship/monitoring activities carried out by staff involves visiting or viewing aerial photos of each easement property on an annual basis to ensure that The terms of The conservation easements are being upheld.

Grants made by Montana Land Reliance

GranteeGrant descriptionAmount
Montana Land Reliance FoundationSCH I, STMT 1$165,985

Who funds Montana Land Reliance

Grants from foundations and other nonprofits
GrantmakerDescriptionAmount
Montana Land Reliance FoundationCosts Related To Programs$464,390
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)Conservation Projects$350,000
Schwab Charitable FundEnvironmental and Animals$129,500
...and 25 more grants received totalling $1,380,306

Personnel at Montana Land Reliance

NameTitleCompensation
Jim MessinaPresident and Chief Executive Officer
Jordan VanaManaging Director$105,001
Paul BurdettGeneral Counsel
Lois DelgerOperations Manager
Melanie BrockPhilanthropy Manager
...and 9 more key personnel

Financials for Montana Land Reliance

RevenuesFYE 12/2022
Total grants, contributions, etc.$13,117,005
Program services$0
Investment income and dividends$223,785
Tax-exempt bond proceeds$0
Royalty revenue$0
Net rental income$0
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets$58,763
Net income from fundraising events$0
Net income from gaming activities$0
Net income from sales of inventory$0
Miscellaneous revenues$0
Total revenues$13,399,553

Form 990s for Montana Land Reliance

Fiscal year endingDate received by IRSFormPDF link
2022-122023-10-30990View PDF
2021-122022-11-14990View PDF
2020-122021-11-01990View PDF
2019-122022-01-18990View PDF
2018-122019-12-10990View PDF
...and 9 more Form 990s

Organizations like Montana Land Reliance

OrganizationLocationRevenue
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County (LCSLO)San Luis Obispo, CA$10,080,960
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF)Des Moines, IA$34,922,369
Colorado Open LandsLakewood, CO$46,520,950
Wyoming Stock Growers Land TrustCheyenne, WY$3,815,897
Sempervirens FundLos Altos, CA$12,822,982
Summit Land ConservancyPark City, UT$11,174,428
Prickly Pear Land Trust (PPLT)Helena, MT$9,438,886
Foothills Conservancy of North CarolinaMorganton, NC$6,519,264
The Land Trust for Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara, CA$17,878,214
Five Valleys Land Trust (FVLT)Missoula, MT$5,290,292
Data update history
January 22, 2024
Posted financials
Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2022
January 3, 2024
Received grants
Identified 9 new grant, including a grant for $464,390 from Montana Land Reliance Foundation
October 25, 2023
Received grants
Identified 16 new grant, including a grant for $461,063 from Montana Land Reliance Foundation
August 1, 2023
Posted financials
Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2021
August 1, 2023
Posted financials
Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2020
Nonprofit Types
Social advocacy organizationsEnvironmental organizationsHeadquarter / parent organizationsCharities
Issues
Land and water conservationEnvironment
Characteristics
Political advocacyLobbyingConservation easementState / local levelReceives government fundingEndowed supportTax deductible donations
General information
Address
PO Box 355
Helena, MT 59624
County
Lewis and Clark County, MT
Website URL
mtlandreliance.org/ 
Phone
(406) 443-7027
Facebook page
themontanalandreliance 
Twitter profile
@mtlandreliance 
IRS details
EIN
81-0369262
Fiscal year end
December
Taxreturn type
Form 990
Year formed
1978
Eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions (Pub 78)
Yes
Categorization
NTEE code, primary
C34: Land Resources Conservation
NAICS code, primary
813312: Environment, Conservation, and Wildlife Organizations
Parent/child status
Central organization
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