The Mono Lake Foundation

Analysis

The Mono Lake Foundation is a registered charity in United States, based in Lee Vining, CA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in September 1985, 41 years ago. Its declared purposes cover philanthropy, voluntarism and grantmaking foundations, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, The Mono Lake Foundation reported income of $3.7m and spending of $3.7m, spending 100% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income fell from $4.1m to $3.7m (-9.0%), an average of -2.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 73% of the income it received.

Among 19,413 United States charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Mono Lake Foundation sits at the 91st percentile: it is larger than about 91% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 90th percentile, and in the 91st percentile within CA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Hays Medical Center Foundation ($3.7m), Tomorrows Hope Foundation II Inc ($3.7m) and Jewish Community Board of Akron Inc ($3.7m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 79% and program service revenue 2.1% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $127k (3.4% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $1.3m. It paid $128k in professional fundraising fees. At year end it held assets of $15.3m against liabilities of $156k, net assets of $15.1m. It reported 35 employees.