Friends of Nevada Wilderness
“Preserve Nevada’s wild lands and protect the quality of life they provide.”
5 comments to the agencies, 79 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Advocacy for wilderness designations and stewardship of wild lands in Nevada, primarily BLM and USFS. Volunteer projects and education.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Friends of Nevada Wilderness (fnw) works in partnership with volunteers and others to protect Nevada's wilderness and wildlife.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Wilderness Stewardship Programs
$996K, 53% of spendingIn partnership with the agencies, our volunteer stewards clean up, monitor and heal wildlands and improve wildlife habitat and recreational trail access.
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AGENCIES, OUR VOLUNTEER STEWARDS CLEAN UP, MONITOR AND HEAL WILDLANDS AND IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND RECREATIONAL TRAIL ACCESS. IN 2024 WE COMPLETED 33 VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS WITH 353 VOLUNTEERS, GIVING BACK A TOTAL OF 291,125 OF IN-KIND VOLUNTEER SERVICE. VOLUNTEERS MONITORED 112 SPRINGS, PULLED INVASIVE WEEDS, SEEDED NATIVE PLANTS, COLLECTED WHITEBARK PINE SEEDS, REMOVED FENCE, MAINTAINED TRAILS, MONITORED DARK SKIES, AND INSTALLED SIGNS. OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAIL CREWS MAINTAINED ABOUT 67 MILES OF WILDERNESS TRAILS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Wilderness Legislation and Planning Programs
$248K, 13% of spendingWe continued support work on the truckee meadows and pershing and nye counties public lands bills.
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS LEGISLATION AND PLANNING PROGRAM: WE CONTINUED SUPPORT WORK ON THE TRUCKEE MEADOWS AND PERSHING AND NYE COUNTIES PUBLIC LANDS BILLS. WE ANALYZED AND PROVIDED DETAILED COMMENTS PUBLIC LAND PROPOSALS AFFECTING NEVADA WILDLANDS INCLUDING THE GREENLINK WEST TRANSMISSION LINE AND THE MASSIVE ESMERALDA 7 INDUSTRIAL SOLAR FACILITIES PROPOSED THROUGH OUR ESMERALDA/FISH LAKE AREA OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN PROPOSAL. WE ALSO PROVIDED COMMENTS ON THE WEST-WIDE SOLAR PEIS, THE SAGE GROUSE EIS, AND THE WHITE PINE PUMPED STORAGE PROPOSALS. WE ALSO CREATED OUR FIRST LEGAL DEFENSE FUND TO BETTER DEFEND PUBLIC LANDS
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Wilderness Education and Outreach Programs
$231K, 12% of spendingWe celebrated our 40th anniversary as a non-profit organization throughout the year we designed and printed two newsletters, produced the 2025 wild Nevada calendar, sent monthly e-newsletters and numerous alerts and…
Read it as they filed it
WILDERNESS EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM: WE CELEBRATED OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY AS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE DESIGNED AND PRINTED TWO NEWSLETTERS, PRODUCED THE 2025 WILD NEVADA CALENDAR, SENT MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTERS AND NUMEROUS ALERTS AND EVENT INVITATIONS TO OUR SUPPORTERS. WE HOSTED TWO ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH; A WILD SPEAKER SERIES, THE WILD AND SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL, THE BLACK ROCK RENDEZVOUS AND NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY EVENTS AND A DARK SKY FESTIVAL, ALONG WITH OUTREACH AT BURNING MAN. WE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TABLING EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER FAIRS WITH PATAGONIA AND LOCAL COLLEGES. OUR SAVE STARRY SKIES LICENSE PLATE BECAME AVAILABLE FOR NEVADA DRIVERS. ADDITIONAL STORIES, VIDEOS, AND PHOTOS CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR WEBSITE, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
79 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$1,476,146 programs, $389,866 management, $7,637 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The backers
Backed on the record by Pew Charitable Trusts, Wilburforce Foundation and Wilderness Society, latest filing FY25.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at Friends of Nevada Wilderness? Claim this page.
Those 521 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Friends of Nevada Wilderness is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $727,313 |
| 2012 | $750,232 |
| 2013 | $1,080,600 |
| 2014 | $1,117,657 |
| 2015 | $1,218,876 |
| 2016 | $1,261,471 |
| 2017 | $1,275,526 |
| 2018 | $1,231,491 |
| 2019 | $1,249,474 |
| 2020 | $1,132,667 |
| 2021 | $1,342,107 |
| 2022 | $1,714,400 |
| 2023 | $1,834,673 |
| 2024 | $1,949,529 |
From $727K in 2011 to $1.9M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years.
On the Hill
Friends of Nevada Wilderness has hired federal lobbyists: 13 filings from 2019 to 2022. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on defense and natural resources.
The record
On the record with the agencies
5 comments on federal decisions since 2023, each filed under the group’s own name on regulations.gov, none yet on a decision we track. Read them on regulations.gov.
Year by year
The record, in order
- 1984Friends of Nevada Wilderness is formed.the return, formation year
- 2022First appears in Wilburforce Foundation’s grants.the funder’s return
- 2023First appears in Pew Charitable Trusts’ grants.the funder’s return
- 2024First appears in Wilderness Society’s grants.the funder’s return
- 20252 comments, one to the Fish and Wildlife Service and one to the Bureau of Land Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 20263 comments, all to the Bureau of Land Management, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 5 comments filed under its own name, 3 funders whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The places they defend
Keeps a page on Avi Kwa Ame, designated March 21, 2023 after a coalition of tribes, conservation groups and recreation interests worked to establish it.
Who’s defending it On the ground · On watchBasin and Range National MonumentCampaigned for the 2015 designation and petitioned Nevada’s governor and senators to remove Basin and Range from the federal monument review.
Who’s defending it On the ground · On watchGold Butte National MonumentRan the petition campaign pressing Nevada officials to pull Gold Butte from the Interior Department’s monument review and has defended the monument since the designation fight, which drew over 90,000 supportive comments.
Who’s defending itMost urgent first: open comment windows, then live federal cases, then the threat level. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
The Nevada congressional delegation averages 75 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with Friends of Nevada Wilderness
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.