Gallatin Valley Land Trust
“Protect open space, working farms and ranches, and trail corridors in the Gallatin Valley.”
The work
What they do
Land conservation, trail building, and easements in the Gallatin Valley adjacent to national forest and park lands. Trail system connecting communities to public lands.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “GVLT CONNECTS PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, AND OPEN LANDS THROUGH CONSERVATION OF WORKING FARMS AND RANCHES, HEALTHY RIVERS, WILDLIFE HABITAT, AND THE CREATION OF TRAILS IN THE MONTANA HEADWATERS OF THE MISSOURI AND UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVERS.”
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Guarding the water
$2.0MLand Conservation GVLT furthered its mission to conserve working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat, and river corridors in Southwestern Montana.
Read it as they filed it
Land Conservation GVLT furthered its mission to conserve working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat, and river corridors in Southwestern Montana. We identify strategic areas with high conservation values and conserve blocks of open land that protect special parts of our landscape. We hold 135 conservation easements covering 74,764 acres. Our staff visit each conservation easement annually to monitor their condition and partner with landowners on restoration projects to improve eroding streambanks, plant vegetation, and enhance floodplains. In FY25, we conserved 5,938 acres of land in priority conservation focus areas, including Paradise Valley, East Gallatin, and Amsterdam/Churchill. We also launched Northern Yellowstone Open Lands, a regional initiative serving Park County, Montana landowners and communities who are committed to preserving the regions unparalleled landscapes and working lands.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Boots on the ground
$748KCommunity Trails GVLT connects people, communities, and the land through public trails and collaborative trail projects.
Read it as they filed it
Community Trails GVLT connects people, communities, and the land through public trails and collaborative trail projects. We completed the Burke Park Traverse; trail enhancements to Triple Tree, Drinking Horse, and Painted Hills trails; and created all-abilities trails in Sunset Hills. Staff and 511 volunteers spent over 1300 hours maintaining trails at Burke Park, Drinking Horse, and Triple Tree . We also partnered with other local recreation groups on an Outside Kind campaign to share messages about considerate trail and outdoor etiquette.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Boots on the ground
$150KEducation GVLT shares news with over 10,000 monthly e-newsletter subscribers and more than 16,000 social media followers on community trails, private land conservation, and related public events.
Read it as they filed it
Education GVLT shares news with over 10,000 monthly e-newsletter subscribers and more than 16,000 social media followers on community trails, private land conservation, and related public events. GVLT publishes our audited financial statements, IRS Form 990s, and annual reports on our website. The 22 rising leaders on the NextGen Advisory Board educate and inspire their peers to volunteer and support GVLT. Our Trails team hosted 511 volunteers for over 1300 hours of service and educated them all on GVLTs mission and accomplishments. Through a partnership with Random Acts of Silliness, we brought the trails to life with the ever-enchanting Bumblewood Thicket Fairy Village, introducing many first-time users to the trail system. The Summer Trails Challenge engaged thousands of community members to explore the trails and log 114,095 miles of trail use in four weeks.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
77 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.
Backed on the record by Kendeda Fund, latest filing FY23.
$2,864,905 programs, $324,631 management, $516,448 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. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at GVLT? Claim this page.
Those 640 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If GVLT is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 641The filings
15 years of filings
15 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $518,624 |
| 2012 | $719,551 |
| 2013 | $672,798 |
| 2014 | $990,936 |
| 2015 | $1,565,881 |
| 2016 | $2,207,304 |
| 2017 | $1,112,474 |
| 2018 | $3,557,451 |
| 2019 | $1,352,222 |
| 2020 | $2,237,799 |
| 2021 | $2,137,454 |
| 2022 | $4,279,011 |
| 2023 | $3,937,748 |
| 2024 | $4,872,360 |
| 2025 | $3,719,249 |
From $519K in 2011 to $3.7M in FY25, with no missed filing in 15 years. The 2024 peak of $4.9M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
The Montana congressional delegation averages 7 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
77 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
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 Gallatin Valley Land Trust
36 years on the ground, 640 volunteers, 77 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.