Friends of the Columbia Gorge
“Protect the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.”
1 live lawsuit, 2 comments to the agencies, 80 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Advocacy, litigation, land acquisition, and stewardship to protect the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area from incompatible development.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Ensuring the gorge remains a vibrant, living place wondrous, wild, and accessible for all is at the core of what we do.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Public Engagement
$573K, 26% of spendingA large cross section of public support is critical to preserve the columbia gorge for future generations.
Read it as they filed it
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT - A LARGE CROSS SECTION OF PUBLIC SUPPORT IS CRITICAL TO PRESERVE THE COLUMBIA GORGE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. TO MEET THIS CHALLENGE, FRIENDS SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR KEY CONSERVATION INITIATIVES, EXPOSE LOCAL YOUTH TO THE GORGES WONDERS, AND ILLUSTRATE THE GORGES SIGNIFICANCE AS AN ICON OF THE PACIFIC NW AND NATIONAL TREASURE.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Conservation
$476K, 22% of spendingFriends works to protect the scenic and natural resources of the gorge by protecting the air quality, limiting sprawl, and protecting forest and farmlands.
Read it as they filed it
CONSERVATION - FRIENDS WORKS TO PROTECT THE SCENIC AND NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE GORGE BY PROTECTING THE AIR QUALITY, LIMITING SPRAWL, AND PROTECTING FOREST AND FARMLANDS. AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT TO FRIENDS' SUCCESS HAS BEEN THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY BUILD A DIVERSE NETWORK OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND MOBILIZE THOUSANDS OF DEDICATED FRIENDS ACTIVISTS AND ALLIES ACROSS THE REGION.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Member Services
$328K, 15% of spendingFriends staff dedicates time, experience, and knowledge to provide our membership with a well-rounded understanding in the history, landscapes, biodiversity, flora, fauna, and trails within the columbia gorge national…
Read it as they filed it
MEMBER SERVICES - FRIENDS STAFF DEDICATES TIME, EXPERIENCE, AND KNOWLEDGE TO PROVIDE OUR MEMBERSHIP WITH A WELL-ROUNDED UNDERSTANDING IN THE HISTORY, LANDSCAPES, BIODIVERSITY, FLORA, FAUNA, AND TRAILS WITHIN THE COLUMBIA GORGE NATIONAL SCENIC AREA. SPENDING TIME WITH MEMBERS AND CREATING EXPERIENCES TO HELP THEM GRASP THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF THE WORK THE ORGANIZATION DOES TO PRESERVE, PROTECT, AND STEWARD THE GORGE.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Legal
$314K, 15% of spendingWhen gorge resources are threatened by unlawful decisions and violations, friends exercises its right to implement sophisticated legal strategies and cutting-edge public education tools to protect gorge resources and…
Read it as they filed it
LEGAL - WHEN GORGE RESOURCES ARE THREATENED BY UNLAWFUL DECISIONS AND VIOLATIONS, FRIENDS EXERCISES ITS RIGHT TO IMPLEMENT SOPHISTICATED LEGAL STRATEGIES AND CUTTING-EDGE PUBLIC EDUCATION TOOLS TO PROTECT GORGE RESOURCES AND KEEP WATCH ON RECKLESS LAND DEVELOPMENT.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
80 cents of every dollar goes to the work
A good sign, not a scorecard: what matters is the extremes, and this is nowhere near one.
$1,741,304 programs, $190,684 management, $232,361 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
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 the Columbia Gorge? Claim this page.
Those 317 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Friends of the Columbia Gorge is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe record
The court record
The filings
15 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $1,388,983 |
| 2012 | $811,738 |
| 2013 | $1,275,600 |
| 2014 | $3,104,435 |
| 2015 | $1,862,482 |
| 2016 | $4,185,589 |
| 2017 | $1,707,348 |
| 2018 | $1,227,686 |
| 2019 | $1,989,842 |
| 2020 | $1,874,125 |
| 2021 | $3,842,590 |
| 2022 | $724,334 |
| 2023 | $2,277,082 |
| 2024 | $827,745 |
| 2025 | $1,662,604 |
From $1.4M in 2011 to $1.7M in FY25, with no missed filing in 15 years. 2016, at $4.2M, stands well above the other years on file.
The record
On the record with the agencies
2 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
- 1980Friends of the Columbia Gorge is formed.the directory; the return’s own formation year is 1981
- 20242 comments, both to the Fish and Wildlife Service, under the group’s own name.regulations.gov
- 2026Center For Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: plaintiff, still in court.the docket
Rust, a case still in court. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 1 federal case with the group on the docket, 2 comments filed under its own name. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
Friends of the Columbia Gorge is not on our editors’ record for a threatened place yet. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge files one related organization on its return: Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust (501(c)(3)). A related organization shares people or purpose; it does not share the books.
The Oregon congressional delegation averages 87 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
The Washington congressional delegation averages 79 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 the Columbia Gorge
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.