↑ parent cluster · ·
research dossier →

SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE

TUCSON, AZ · EIN 860796748 · Form 990 · FY2021 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Small ($100K-$1M) · www.skyislandalliance.org
revenue
$940K
expenses
$880K
net assets
$753K
employees
13
volunteers
396
program ratio
80%
filing since
2020
mission · from form 990

OUR MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE DIVERSITY OF LIFE AND LANDS IN THE SKY ISLAND REGION.

profile · synthesized from sources

Sky Island Alliance is a conservation organization dedicated to protecting the unique biodiversity of the Sky Island region, a bi-national area spanning the US and Mexico. They work to conserve plants, animals, and landscapes through scientific research, habitat restoration, and community engagement. The organization collaborates with scientists, conservation groups, landowners, and wildlife managers to achieve its mission.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2021

what they reported doing

Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.

  1. #1 primary $140K
    OUR BORDER WILDLIFE STUDY IS DOCUMENTING THE REMARKABLE WILDLIFE COMMUNITY LIVING ALONG 30 MILES OF THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER WITH AN ARRAY OF MORE THAN 60 CAMERAS. 2021 STARTED WITH ALL HANDS ON DECK TO DOCUMENT AND PUBLICIZE DESTRUCTIVE AND HEART-BREAKING RAPID BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION TEARING THROUGH THE SKY ISLANDS IN THE FINAL DAYS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. WE WORKED WITH BORDER COALITION PARTNERS AND THE PUBLIC TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE INCOMING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: NOT ANOTHER FOOT! WE LAUNCHED THE BORDER RESEARCH AND RECOVERY FUND TO ADVOCATE TO REINSTATE LAWS AT THE BORDER AND STOP WALL CONSTRUCTION, AND TO SUPPORT RESTORATION PLANNING TO HEAL PRIORITY AREAS AND KEEP OUR BORDER WILDLIFE STUDY GOING STRONG TO DOCUMENT WALL CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS. WE HIT THE ONE-YEAR MILESTONE FOR THE STUDY AND EXPANDED TO THE EASTERN HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. WORKING WITH ROUND RIVER CONSERVATION STUDIES STUDENTS, WE DOCUMENTED BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE AND HABITAT CONDITION IN OUR STUDY AREA. WE COLLECTED OVER THREE MILLION PHOTOS WITH OVER 60,000 CONTAINING SOME TYPE OF LIFE.
  2. #2 $65K
    AS CLIMATE CHANGES AND WE SEE MORE HEAT WAVES, DROUGHTS, AND WILDFIRES, SPRINGS CAN ACT AS REFUGES WHERE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE PROTECTED. SINCE MID-2020, SKY ISLAND ALLIANCE HAS WORKED WITH VOLUNTEERS TO SURVEY CONDITIONS, THREATS, AND RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES AT SPRINGS. OUR SPRING SEEKER PROGRAM HAS NOW SURPASSED 600 SURVEYS OF SPRINGS AND OTHER WATER SOURCES THAT WILDLIFE RELY ON IN THE U.S. AND MEXICO.THE COLOSSAL BIGHORN FIRE BURNED 120,000 ACRES IN TUCSON'S SANTA CATALINA MOUNTAINS IN 2020. IN 2021, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS SURVEYED OVER 100 SPRINGS IN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE FIRE, AND STAFF WORKED WITH THE FOREST SERVICE TO DEVELOP RESTORATION PLANS TO KEEP WATER FLOWING. ALL SPRINGS ABOVE 7000 FEET ELEVATION IN THE CATALINAS WERE SURVEYED, HELPING US IDENTIFY WHICH SPRINGS NEED THE MOST RESTORATION. AN ADDITIONAL 156 SPRINGS WERE SURVEYED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST TO ADVANCE PROTECTION OF WATER AND ASSIST THE FOREST SERVICE WITH WATER RIGHTS VALIDATIONS. FINALLY, A FORMER SUMMER 2020 INTERN AND 2021 FELLOW LED SONORAN-BASED SPRING SEEKER WORK TO ENGAGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN THE USE OF SPRING SEEKER AND DEVELOPMENT OF WATER STEWARDSHIP PROJECTS WITH RANCHERS AND OTHER LANDOWNERS IN SONORA.
named programs · 1 · from sources

what they call their work

Forever Fund
An endowment created to ensure the long-term organizational sustainability and support the work of Sky Island Alliance into the future, with a goal to raise $8 million.
activities · 8

what they do

direct service · 3
  • Implement on-the-ground conservation and ecosystem restoration Conservation Advocacy & Land Protection
    Conduct landscape rehabilitation, wildlife movement support, spring identification and restoration, and invasive species removal across the Sky Islands region.
  • Implements on-the-ground conservation and ecosystem restoration projects Habitat Restoration & Invasive Species Management
    Conducts landscape rehabilitation, wildlife movement support, spring identification and restoration, and invasive species removal across Sky Island regions to enhance ecological connectivity and biodiversity.
  • Landscape and Wildlife Conservation Habitat Restoration & Invasive Species Management
    Conducts landscape rehabilitation, facilitates wildlife movement, identifies and restores springs, and removes invasive species to conserve the Sky Island region.
advocacy · 1
  • Facilitate public advocacy and action for wildlife and habitat conservation Conservation Advocacy & Land Protection
    Provide action opportunities for individuals to support the conservation of the Sky Islands and its wildlife, enabling public engagement in advocacy efforts.
capacity building · 4
  • Forever Fund Management Endowment and Investment Fund Management
    Manages the Forever Fund, established in 2022 through a legacy gift, held at the Arizona Community Foundation, which crossed the $100,000 threshold in 2025.
  • Forever Fund Management Endowment and Investment Fund Management
    Manages the Forever Fund, established in 2022 through a legacy gift, held at the Arizona Community Foundation, which reached $100,000 in 2025.
  • Manage endowment fund for long-term conservation support Endowment and Investment Fund Management
    Administer the Forever Fund, established in 2022 through a legacy gift from Andrew Odell and held at the Arizona Community Foundation, which crossed the $100,000 threshold in 2025 to support ongoing conservation work.
  • Manages endowment fund to support long-term conservation work Endowment and Investment Fund Management
    Established the Forever Fund in 2022 through a legacy gift from Andrew Odell, held at the Arizona Community Foundation, and grew it to surpass $100,000 by 2025 to ensure sustained support for conservation initiatives.
strategies · 9

how they think

Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any approach shared with other orgs to see the full field.

  • Advocacy through supporter mobilization action_alerts_and_advocacy unique to this org
    Engages and activates supporters in conservation efforts by distributing action alerts and advocacy opportunities through newsletters, leveraging public participation to influence conservation outcomes.
  • Collaborative Conservation through Alliances unique to this org
    The organization builds alliances with diverse stakeholders including scientists, conservation organizations, landowners, land and wildlife managers, and community members to collectively sustain biodiversity in the Sky Island region.
  • Collaborative conservation partnerships collaborative_conservation unique to this org
    Builds alliances with scientists, conservation organizations, landowners, land and wildlife managers, and community members to sustain biodiversity, recognizing that coordinated, multi-stakeholder efforts are essential for effective regional conservation.
  • Collaborative conservation partnerships collaborative_conservation unique to this org
    By building alliances with scientists, conservation organizations, landowners, land and wildlife managers, and community members, the organization leverages diverse expertise and resources to sustain biodiversity in the Sky Island region.
  • Environmentally aligned financial investments socially responsible investing unique to this org
    Aligns financial practices with conservation values by investing 100% of capital in a socially responsible pool that screens for environmental, social, and governance factors, ensuring funding supports broader ecological sustainability.
  • Environmentally aligned financial investments socially_responsible_investing unique to this org
    The organization invests its capital in a socially responsible pool that screens for environmental, social, and governance factors, ensuring its financial practices align with its conservation mission.
  • Ethical investment for environmental and social impact socially_responsible_investing unique to this org
    The organization strategically invests its capital in socially responsible funds that screen for environmental, social, and governance factors, aligning its financial practices with its conservation mission.
  • Fostering collaborative conservation through diverse partnerships collaborative_conservation unique to this org
    The organization builds alliances with a wide range of stakeholders, including scientists, conservation organizations, landowners, land and wildlife managers, and community members, to collectively sustain biodiversity in the Sky Island region.
  • Socially Responsible Investing for Mission Alignment socially_responsible_investing unique to this org
    The organization aligns its financial investments with its mission by investing 100% of its capital in a Socially Responsible Pool that screens for environmental, social, and governance factors, ensuring its financial practices support its conservation goals.
financials · form 990 · fy2021

the money

revenue
Total revenue$940K
Contributions & grants$935K99%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3K0%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$880K
Program expenses80%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$612K
Grants paid out$43K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$796K
Cash$700K
Investments$0
Liabilities$43K
Net assets$753K
Liquid reserves9.6 mo
2 years on record · 2020–2021 · YoY revenue +9.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2021

who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LOUISE MISZTAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 43 $97K
MAGGIE TRINKLE CFO 43 $74K
board members · 14
  • ADRIANA ZUNIGA — BOARD MEMBER
  • AMERICA LUTZ LEY — BOARD MEMBER
  • BILL BEMIS — SECRETARY
  • CLAIRE ZUCKER — BOARD MEMBER
  • DOUG PARSONS — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELAINE WALSH — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELIA M TAPIA VILLASENOR — CO-CHAIR
  • EMILY MARTIN BROTT — TREASURER
  • GUADALUPE SOTELO — BOARD MEMBER
  • JUAN CARLOS BRAVO — BOARD MEMBER
  • LARRY FISHER — BOARD MEMBER
  • MICHAEL VAN ALSBURG — CO-CHAIR
  • SHANNON BRESLIN — BOARD MEMBER
  • TIM WERNETTE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 2

who they work with

  • Andrew Odell Funder — Provided a legacy gift that created the Forever Fund in 2022.
  • Arizona Community Foundation Partner — Holds and manages the Forever Fund, including its Socially Responsible Pool investments.