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Coalition· Mountain conservation

Mountain Institute

“Protect mountain environments and advance mountain cultures.”

Home groundWashington, DC
Founded1972
KindCoalition 501(c)(3)

Give to them ↗Every way to help ↓

The work

What they do

Mountain conservation and community development. Works on Appalachian conservation including national forest lands in West Virginia.

Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Advance the well- being of mountain people and conservation of mountain environments.”

Where the money went, FY2020

The work, and what it cost

The work as filed

$264K

South America - This program addresses water security and climate change adaptation in the Andes Mountains with local communities, government and universities.

Including $28,089 granted onward.

Read it as they filed it
South America - This program addresses water security and climate change adaptation in the Andes Mountains with local communities, government and universities. Our project in Mountain Ecosystem Based Adaptation shared lessons with Perus Ministry of Environment and contributed to the design of the SERNANP climate change adaptation strategy. Accomplishments included: training courses and production of videos to improve food availability for cattle as well as solutions to improve the management of native grasslands In northern Perus Piura region, studies of ethnobotany identifying the biochemical active principles of six promising medicinal plants; training farmers in the processing of medicinal plants; pilot projects to produce potato botanical seed to replace use of virus infected tuber seeds. As a result of our work, highland communities in Piura obtained government support from the National Innovation Fund (PINIA) to conduct applied research in trout production.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2020, signed under penalty of perjury.

Boots on the ground

$31K

Asia - In 2018 the Asia Program focused on improving the livelihoods and resilience of impoverished mountain communities, restoring ecosystems, and adapting to climate change in Nepal.

Including $4,386 granted onward.

Read it as they filed it
Asia - In 2018 the Asia Program focused on improving the livelihoods and resilience of impoverished mountain communities, restoring ecosystems, and adapting to climate change in Nepal. Highlights include training of farmers in cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, including provision of seeds and other supplies; establishment of community-run plant nurseries; restoration of degraded lands; citizen-scientists training to monitor biodiversity; and porter and trekking guide training. We initiated the Mountain Ecosystem-based Adaptation project in Nepal, which will be extended to Bhutan next year. The Institute also initiated work on the conservation of the snow-leopard in two mountain regions. See details in Schedule O.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2020, signed under penalty of perjury.

Pressing the policymakers

$7K

North America -The Mountain Institute manages global policy dialogue and awareness raising in this program as well as the global Ecosystem-based Adaptation project components.

Read it as they filed it
North America -The Mountain Institute manages global policy dialogue and awareness raising in this program as well as the global Ecosystem-based Adaptation project components. In the Western USA we are working with indigenous peoples seeking to preserve ancient traditions while protecting their sacred land. The current focus of the program is in the Western United States, where The Mountain Institute works with Native Americans and Federal Protected Area managers on visitor interpretation and collaborative natural resource management in partnership with Portland State University, Oregon. We supported an annual gathering of the Nuwuvi Tribe to strengthen their community and links to the land and natural resources, in Nevada. See additional details in Schedule O.

IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2020, signed under penalty of perjury.

Follow the dollar

75 cents of every dollar goes to the work

75¢
75¢ the work25¢ keeping the lights on0¢ finding the next member

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.

$301,093 programs, $99,498 management, $700 fundraising. Form 990, FY2020.

The people

Who does the work

2paid staff
9board members
54years on the ground
Augusta MolnarBoard ChairVolunteer, 10 hrs a week, $0

Chairs the 9-member board.

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 Mountain Institute? Claim this page.

The filings

10 years of filings

10 years of filings

Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.

$2M$600K FY2020112020
Total revenue by fiscal year
YearRevenue
2011$3,097,278
2012$2,321,439
2013$3,419,822
2014$2,850,554
2015$2,661,270
2016$2,776,027
2017$2,297,136
2018$1,546,610
2019$1,574,026
2020$600,340

From $3.1M in 2011 to $600K in FY20, with no missed filing in 10 years.

Stand with Mountain Institute

54 years on the ground, 75 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.

Sources and methodFinancials, headcounts, and program text: IRS Form 990, FY2020 and 9 prior filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, EIN 55-0541323. Leadership and compensation: Form 990 Part VII and the return’s signature block, FY2020 filing. Org-reported figures are always labeled. Data verified as of 2026-09-23. Nothing on this page is pay-to-play.