Society for Wilderness Stewardship
“Advance the practice and profession of wilderness stewardship.”
The work
What they do
Professional society for wilderness managers and stewards from all four federal wilderness-managing agencies. Training, standards, and knowledge sharing.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “THE MISSION OF THE SOCIETY FOR WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP IS TO ADVANCE THE PROFESSION OF WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP TO ENSURE THE LIFE-SUSTAINING BENEFITS OF WILDERNESS. AS A MEMBER-BASED ORGANIZATION, WE SEEK TO INCLUDE A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE DEDICATED TO WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP, INCLUDING MANAGERS, SCIENTISTS, EDUCATORS, VOLUNTEERS AND NON-GOVERNMENT CONSERVATION STAFF MEMBERS.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Keeping wilderness wild
$1.8MTHE SOCIETY ADVANCES THE PROFESSION OF WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP THROUGH SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.
Read it as they filed it
THE SOCIETY ADVANCES THE PROFESSION OF WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP THROUGH SCIENCE AND EDUCATION. THE SOCIETY'S PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:- PROFESSIONALIZE THE DISCIPLINE OF WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT AND STEWARDSHIP THROUGH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING. - IMPROVE THE PRACTICE OF WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP BY FOSTERING DEVELOPMENT, DELIVERY, AND APPLICATION OF STATE-OF-THE-ART SCIENCE AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. - BUILD THE CAPACITY OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM THROUGH COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIPS. - INCREASE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO ENSURE AN ENDURING RESOURCE OF WILDERNESS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. - ADVANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND SUPPORT OF THE LIFE-SUSTAINING BENEFITS OF WILDERNESS. - ENGAGE THE NEXT GENERATION OF WILDERNESS STEWARDS BY SUPPORTING THE EXPANSION OF EDUCATIONAL, EXPERIENTIAL, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
99 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 Society for Wilderness Stewardship is nowhere near one.
$1,787,887 programs, $26,810 management, $0 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
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 SWS? Claim this page.
Those 10 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If SWS is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 11The filings
13 years of filings
13 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2013 | $6,083 |
| 2013 | $8,554 |
| 2014 | $53,366 |
| 2015 | $76,584 |
| 2016 | $277,957 |
| 2017 | $453,200 |
| 2018 | $733,651 |
| 2019 | $524,791 |
| 2020 | $765,263 |
| 2021 | $705,649 |
| 2022 | $574,315 |
| 2023 | $1,474,531 |
| 2024 | $1,871,196 |
From $6K in 2013 to $1.9M in FY24, across 13 public filings. The 2024 peak of $1.9M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
Ways in
How to help
99 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 Society for Wilderness Stewardship
21 years on the ground, 10 volunteers, 99 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.