Friends of the Desert Mountains
“Acquire and preserve pristine desert habitat in the Coachella Valley.”
1 comment to the agencies, 80 cents of every dollar to the work.
The work
What they do
Land acquisition and stewardship in the California desert. Works on BLM lands, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, and desert conservation.
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Education
$349K, 34% of spendingFrom scenic guided hikes to engaging lectures and interactive presentations, we open eyes and inspire hearts-all at no cost to the public.
Read it as they filed it
EDUCATION: FROM SCENIC GUIDED HIKES TO ENGAGING LECTURES AND INTERACTIVE PRESENTATIONS, WE OPEN EYES AND INSPIRE HEARTS-ALL AT NO COST TO THE PUBLIC. OUR PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES, CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THE DESERTS RICH AND NATURAL HERITAGE AND EMPOWERING THEM TO BECOME STEWARDS OF THE LAND. BEHIND THE SCENES, WE ALSO INVEST IN RIGOROUS TRAINING FOR OUR TEAM AND VOLUNTEERS, DEEPENING THEIR EXPERTISE IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND THE UNIQUE STORY OF CALIFORNIAS DESERT LANDSCAPES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Community Outreach
$284K, 28% of spendingWe believe that conservation thrives when people care deeply-and they can not care if they dont know.
Read it as they filed it
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: WE BELIEVE THAT CONSERVATION THRIVES WHEN PEOPLE CARE DEEPLY-AND THEY CAN NOT CARE IF THEY DONT KNOW. THAT IS WHY FRIENDS OF THE DESERT MOUNTAINS IS EVERYWHERE: SPEAKING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, CRAFTING COMPELLING MEDIA STORIES, AND SHARING OUR MISSION WITH ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN-FROM EARLY MORNING ROTARY CLUBS TO LOCAL CLASSROOMS. OUR PASSIONATE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ARE RELENTLESS ADVOCATES, KEEPING THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC LANDS AND DESERT PRESERVATION AT THE FOREFRONT OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Land Acquisition
$184K, 18% of spendingSince 1987, Friends of the Desert Mountains has been a driving force in protecting the breathtaking landscape of the coachella valley-safeguarding over 63,000 acres of pristine desert.
Read it as they filed it
LAND ACQUISITION: SINCE 1987, FRIENDS OF THE DESERT MOUNTAINS HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE IN PROTECTING THE BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPE OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY-SAFEGUARDING OVER 63,000 ACRES OF PRISTINE DESERT. WE WORK HAND-IN-HAND WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS TO PURCHASE UNDEVELOPED, ECOLOGICALLY VITAL PROPERTIES AT FAIR MARKET VALUE. EACH ACRE WE CONSERVE HELPS ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY MULTIPLE SPECIES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN, PROTECTING THE REGIONS RARE WILDLIFE AND FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
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.
$816,132 programs, $153,203 management, $49,671 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The backers
Backed on the record by REI Cooperative Action Fund, latest filing FY24.
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 Desert Mountains? Claim this page.
Those 100 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Friends of the Desert Mountains 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 | $8,312,414 |
| 2012 | $305,578 |
| 2013 | $940,854 |
| 2014 | $441,620 |
| 2015 | $266,177 |
| 2016 | $792,049 |
| 2017 | $774,395 |
| 2018 | $1,308,630 |
| 2019 | $588,153 |
| 2020 | $338,009 |
| 2021 | $734,472 |
| 2022 | $501,216 |
| 2023 | $906,532 |
| 2025 | $1,045,172 |
From $8.3M in 2011 to $1.0M in FY25, across 14 public filings (none on record for 2024). 2011, at $8.3M, stands well above the other years on file.
The record
On the record with the agencies
1 comment 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.
Their ground
The places they defend
See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
The California congressional delegation averages 82 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 Desert Mountains
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.