Whitefish Legacy Partners
“Sustain Whitefish’s recreational lands, access, and trails for current and future generations.”
The work
What they do
Trail building and land conservation on and adjacent to Whitefish Trail system and Flathead National Forest. Community-based conservation and recreation.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “TO ENSURE CONSERVATION, RECREATION, AND EDUCATION ON THE LANDS AROUND WHITEFISH, MONTANA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.”
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Watching the machines
$458KTHE WHITEFISH TRAIL IS OUR ANCHOR RECREATION PROJECT OFFERING A NON-MOTORIZED, MULTI-USE TRAIL NETWORK AND TRAILHEADS READILY ACCESSED FROM TOWN.
Read it as they filed it
RECREATION: THE WHITEFISH TRAIL IS OUR ANCHOR RECREATION PROJECT OFFERING A NON-MOTORIZED, MULTI-USE TRAIL NETWORK AND TRAILHEADS READILY ACCESSED FROM TOWN. THE TRAIL IS OPEN TO HIKERS, BIKERS, AND HORSE USERS AND IS COMPRISED OF STACKED LOOPS, SCENIC OVERLOOKS, SINGLE-TRACK TRAIL AND GATED LOGGING ROADS. OUR VISION IS TO CREATE A 55-MILE RECREATIONAL LOOP TRAIL AROUND WHITEFISH LAKE CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY OF WHITEFISH TO THE ADJACENT STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS. ONGOING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE IS MANAGED THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF WHITEFISH AND IS FUNDED 100% THROUGH THE WT ENDOWMENT FUND AND WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS. THE WHITEFISH TRAIL AND TRAILHEAD CONSTRUCTION TO CLOSE THE LOOP OF THE WHITEFISH TRAIL IS FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS AND MATCHING FUNDS RAISED BY WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS. THE CLOSE THE LOOP EFFORTS WILL PLAN, DESIGN, AND FUND THE FINAL PHASES OF THE WHITEFISH TRAIL BY YEAR 2025.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$196KOPERATIONS & EDUCATION: WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS WORKS AS THE COMMUNITY PARTNER AND CATALYST TO CREATE A NATURAL SURFACE TRAIL SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE WHITEFISH TRAIL, ENCOMPASSING THE 13,000 ACRES OF STATE LANDS IN OUR ST...
Read it as they filed it
OPERATIONS & EDUCATION: WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS WORKS AS THE COMMUNITY PARTNER AND CATALYST TO CREATE A NATURAL SURFACE TRAIL SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE WHITEFISH TRAIL, ENCOMPASSING THE 13,000 ACRES OF STATE LANDS IN OUR STUNNING BACKYARD. OUR WORK PERMANENTLY PROTECTS AND CONNECTS THESE IMPORTANT LANDSCAPES, SUPPORTS THE GROWTH OF TOURISM AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY, AND ENGAGES THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS. WLP'S EDUCATION AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS ON THE WHITEFISH TRAIL OFFER A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO CULTIVATE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR NATURAL LANDS, AND OUR OUTDOOR HERITAGE. WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS FACILITATES OUTINGS ON THE TRAIL AND WE STRIVE TO EDUCATE LOCALS, VISITORS, AND YOUTH ABOUT CONSERVATION AND THE INTERWOVEN ELEMENTS OF A THRIVING FOREST, SCENIC VIEWSHEDS, CLEAN WATER, CRITICAL WILDLIFE CORRIDORS, AND QUALITY RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES. EDUCATION AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED 100% THROUGH WHITEFISH LEGACY PARTNERS ANNUAL OPERATIONS, GRANTS, AND PRIVATE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$129KOUR COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PROJECTS KNOWN LOCALLY AS SMITH LAKE LEGACY AND PLACES WORTH PROTECTING CREATE A LEGACY OF PERMANENT, PUBLIC ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, WILDLIFE HABITAT, UNCLUTTERED VIEWS, HIGH QUALITY RECREATION,...
Read it as they filed it
CONSERVATION: OUR COMMUNITY CONSERVATION PROJECTS KNOWN LOCALLY AS SMITH LAKE LEGACY AND PLACES WORTH PROTECTING CREATE A LEGACY OF PERMANENT, PUBLIC ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER, WILDLIFE HABITAT, UNCLUTTERED VIEWS, HIGH QUALITY RECREATION, WORKING FORESTS. OUR WORK CREATES PERMANENT, PUBLIC ACCESS AND TRAILS IN SUSTAINABLE, WORKING FORESTS THROUGH A COMBINATION OF LICENSES, AGREEMENTS, EASEMENTS, LAND SWAPS, COMMUNITY FORESTS, COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP, AND OTHER INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS. OUR PLACES WORTH PROTECTING WORK IDENTIFIES OUR PRIORITY CONSERVATION STRATEGIES, DRIVES THE LEGALLY COMPLEX TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTS THE COMPLICATED FUNDING MECHANISMS AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE SMITH LAKE LEGACY EFFORTS WILL PROTECT AN ADDITIONAL 800 ACRES BY YEAR 2025.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
91 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 Whitefish Legacy Partners is nowhere near one.
$782,338 programs, $25,970 management, $52,532 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 Whitefish Legacy Partners? Claim this page.
Those 197 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Whitefish Legacy Partners is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 198The 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 | $1,433,208 |
| 2012 | $3,026,807 |
| 2013 | $2,145,420 |
| 2014 | $3,956,064 |
| 2015 | $466,261 |
| 2016 | $469,457 |
| 2017 | $544,686 |
| 2018 | $512,044 |
| 2019 | $525,523 |
| 2020 | $594,138 |
| 2021 | $824,456 |
| 2022 | $1,108,280 |
| 2023 | $2,515,854 |
| 2024 | $1,677,778 |
From $1.4M in 2011 to $1.7M in FY24, with no missed filing in 14 years. The 2014 peak of $4.0M 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
91 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.
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20 years on the ground, 197 volunteers, 91 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.