Greater Yellowstone Coalition
“To ensure the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and its wildlife remain wild and connected.”
The origin
How they started
Founded in 1983 by 35 conservation groups, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to keep the 20-million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem across Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho intact. Its signature move is buying out mining threats on Yellowstone’s doorstep: in 2023 it raised $6.25 million to purchase mineral rights to 1,598 acres on Crevice Mountain, just north of the park. It also helped pass the 2019 Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which withdrew more than 30,000 acres from future mining.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “GREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION WORKS WITH ALL PEOPLE TO PROTECT THE LANDS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE OF THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM, NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.”
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Keeping the wild alive
$4.0MLAND & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION GREATER YELLOWSTONE’S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS STITCHTOGETHER A STUNNING TAPESTRY OF HABITAT FOR THE REGIONS CELEBRATED WILDLIFE.
Including $517,361 granted onward, most of it $246,492 to Usda Forest Service.
Read it as they filed it
LAND & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION GREATER YELLOWSTONE'S PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS STITCHTOGETHER A STUNNING TAPESTRY OF HABITAT FOR THE REGIONS CELEBRATED WILDLIFE. GYCCONSERVES THE MOST CRITICAL PARTS OF THIS LANDSCAPE THROUGH ON-THE-GROUND PROJECTSAND BUILDING PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR POLICIES THAT PROTECT KEY LANDS. CURRENT PRIORITIESINCLUDE PROTECTING LANDS FROM A PROPOSED GOLD MINE, SECURING NEW PROTECTIONS FORWILDLIFE MIGRATION ROUTES, AND SAFEGUARDING CORE GRIZZLY BEAR HABITAT. GYC ALSO PLAYS A LEAD ROLE IN PROTECTING THE REGIONS ICONIC WILDLIFE, WITH A FOCUS ON GRIZZLY BEARS,BISON, AND MIGRATING UNGULATES LIKE ELK, MULE DEER, AND PRONGHORN. GYC SECURES FUNDING FOR NEW WILDLIFE HIGHWAY CROSSINGS, PREVENTS CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE, ADVOCATES FOR SCIENCE-BASED WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, AND RESTORES BISON TO THEIR ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS ON TRIBAL AND SELECT PUBLIC LANDS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$729KCLIMATE CHANGE & WATER PROTECTION AS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ACCELERATE ACROSS THE REGION, THE COLD CLEAN WATER THAT BRINGS LIFE TO GREATER YELLOWSTONE ARE UNDER THREAT.
Read it as they filed it
CLIMATE CHANGE & WATER PROTECTION AS THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ACCELERATE ACROSS THE REGION, THE COLD CLEAN WATER THAT BRINGS LIFE TO GREATER YELLOWSTONE ARE UNDER THREAT. TO BUILD REGIONAL RESILIENCY AND PROTECT WILDLIFE AND HABITAT FROM THEMOUNTING CHALLENGES OF A RAPIDLY CHANGING CLIMATE, GYC FOCUSES ON ADVANCING POLICIESAND PROJECTS THAT PROTECT AND RESTORE KEY WATERWAYS AROUND THE GREATER YELLOWSTONEECOSYSTEM. CURRENT PRIORITIES INCLUDING PROTECTING 100 MILES OF RIVERS IN MONTANATHROUGH FEDERAL LEGISLATION, AND PARTNERING WITH SCIENTISTS, GOVERNMENT, TRIBES, ANDLANDOWNERS ACROSS THE REGION TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND POLICIES THAT BUILD RESILIENCY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, WITH A FOCUS ON RIVERS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$663KTRIBAL CONSERVATION PRIORITIES & PARTNERSHIPS GYC RECOGNIZES THE WESTERNCONSERVATION MOVEMENT HAS HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED AND IGNORED DIVERSE VOICES ANDPERSPECTIVES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
Read it as they filed it
TRIBAL CONSERVATION PRIORITIES & PARTNERSHIPS GYC RECOGNIZES THE WESTERNCONSERVATION MOVEMENT HAS HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED AND IGNORED DIVERSE VOICES ANDPERSPECTIVES, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. GYC SEEKS TO CHANGE THISPARADIGM BY WORKING WITHIN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND TRIBAL-CENTERED PROGRAMS TOHONOR INDIGENOUS CONSERVATION PRIORITIES, ADVANCE TRIBAL RIGHTS, AND RETURNINDIGENOUS ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO THE LANDSCAPE. THIS INCLUDESREVITALIZING THE BIG WIND RIVER, BUILDING CAPACITY WITHIN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES BYINVESTING IN INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP, AND EXPANDING THE CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICALRESTORATION OF BUFFALO. GYCS INDIGENOUS STAFF MEMBERS LEAD THIS WORK FROM THEORGANIZATIONS OFFICE ON THE WIND RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION IN WYOMING.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
84 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and Greater Yellowstone Coalition is nowhere near one.
Backed on the record by Pew Charitable Trusts, Wilburforce Foundation, William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and 2 others, latest filing FY25.
$5,345,450 programs, $809,824 management, $237,316 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 GYC? Claim this page.
Those 17 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If GYC is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 18The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $2,511,314 |
| 2012 | $2,948,141 |
| 2013 | $2,537,107 |
| 2014 | $3,156,269 |
| 2015 | $2,984,990 |
| 2016 | $3,177,591 |
| 2017 | $4,851,784 |
| 2018 | $5,238,195 |
| 2019 | $3,176,800 |
| 2020 | $4,403,947 |
| 2021 | $4,409,204 |
| 2022 | $6,907,411 |
| 2023 | $13,368,134 |
| 2025 | $7,031,420 |
From $2.5M in 2011 to $7.0M in FY25, across 14 public filings. The 2023 peak of $13.4M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
Fights alongside Earthjustice (1 shared case), Natural Resources Defense Council (1 shared case) and Sierra Club (1 shared case). Same case, same side, on the federal docket.
The record
On the Hill
Greater Yellowstone Coalition has hired federal lobbyists: 1 filing in 2019. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on travel/tourism, natural resources and environment/superfund.
The Montana congressional delegation averages 7 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
The Wyoming congressional delegation averages 3 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
The Idaho congressional delegation averages 4 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
84 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 Greater Yellowstone Coalition
43 years on the ground, 17 volunteers, 84 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.