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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: December 2025 Expires: December 2027

Student Conservation Association

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
9
(703) 524-2441
1310 North Courthouse Road, Suite 110
Arlington, VA, 22201
https://thesca.org/
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Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Student Conservation Association does not meet the following 1 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 9 (Fund Raising Expense Ratio)
Spending should be no more than 35% of related contributions on fund raising. Related contributions include donations, legacies, and other gifts received as a result of fund raising efforts.

SCA does not meet this Standard because:

  • According to its audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2025, the organization's fundraising costs were 41% ($3,567,825) of related contributions, which totaled $8,734,530.

Student Conservation Association meets the remaining 19 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the planet."

Year, State Incorporated:
1964, NY

Student Conservation Association (SCA) reports that it offers hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and young adults, aiming to build the next generation of conservation leaders by engaging participants in service projects across public lands and urban green spaces. The organization's programs include conservation internships, which offer paid positions from short-term (under three months) to long-term (up to 12 months), where participants engage in ecological surveys, visitor services, GIS mapping, and restoration tasks, with support for housing, stipends, and AmeriCorps benefits. The team-based corps programs focus on ecological restoration, trail building, fire mitigation, invasive species removal, wildlife habitat improvement, vegetation monitoring, and GIS mapping. In addition, SCA states that its the urban green and community programs provide paid conservation jobs and opportunities for underrepresented youth in urban areas, combining environmental stewardship with workforce training, leadership development, and social-emotional growth. In 2024, the organization reports that it improved 127,479 acres, built or restored 1,897 miles of trail, and enhanced 908 miles of shoreline or waterways.

For the year ended March 31, 2025, Student Conservation Association's program expenses were:

Program services $35,780,564
Total Program Expenses $35,780,564

Chief Executive
Lidia Soto-Harmon, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$262,474

Chair of the Board
Gail Carmody

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Retired, Field Supervisor, United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Board Size
20

Paid Staff Size
150

*2023 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements

Fundraising costs were 41% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $8,734,530, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Student Conservation Association's audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2025.

Source of Funds
Government contracts $38,848,964
Grants and contributions $8,414,313
Other income $475,278
Investment income $451,956
In-kind contributions $320,217
Total Income $48,878,503

Programs: 71% Fundraising: 7% Administrative: 22%

Total Income $48,878,503
Total expenses: $50,236,404
  Program expenses $35,780,564
  Fundraising expenses $3,567,825
  Administrative expenses $10,888,015
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-1,357,901
Beginning Net Assets $17,633,512
Other Changes In Net Assets $306,518
Ending Net Assets $16,214,354
Total Liabilities $7,209,166
Total Assets $23,423,520

Note 1: As noted in the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" refers to a gain on operating lease termination ($367,775), change in value of beneficial interests in trusts ($22,322), and change in value of split-interest agreements (-$83,579).

Note 2: According to SCA's audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2025, the organization received $320,217 in contributed goods and services including advertising ($280,217) and airline tickets ($40,000).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance