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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: April 2026 Expires: April 2027

Open Space Council for the St Louis Region

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
(314) 835-9225
PO Box 220011
Saint Louis, MO, 63122
https://openspacestl.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

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

Open Space Council for the St Louis Region meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"To conserve, protect and sustain land and water resources in the St. Louis Region."

Year, State Incorporated:
1965, MO

The Open Space Council for the St. Louis Region is a nonprofit organization committed to conserving, protecting and sustaining land and water resources throughout the area, and is dedicated to ensuring their responsible and ethical use. As a steward of nature, it works to maintain the integrity of land and waterways for practical purposes, recreation and their natural beauty, to be enjoyed now and for generations to come. The Open Space Council has been around since May 1965. Throughout its history, it has played an integral role in: -Restoring and supporting a clean and healthy Meramec River -Helping establish Castlewood State Park, Forest 44 Conservation Area and Beetree County Park, to name a few -Restoring more than three thousand acres of land, and almost 500 miles of river -Helping to thwart efforts to dam the Meramec River In addition to restoring and maintaining the region's already dedicated open spaces, the organization's ongoing work includes identifying areas that can be acquired and set aside for public use, and discouraging improper land use and detrimental development. Acting as a Land Trust, it raises and provides funds for new open space projects, offering land owners an alternative to development. Through environmental and community building events such as Operation Clean Stream and Operation Wild Lands, The Open Space Council seeks to raise awareness about the importance of land and water conservation, and the value of clean water.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, Open Space Council for the St Louis Region's program expenses were:

Programs $413,420
Total Program Expenses $413,420

Chief Executive
Bonnie Harper, Executive Director

Chair of the Board
Scott Emmelkamp

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Planning Design Studio

Board Size
21

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Grant proposals, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)

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 Open Space Council for the St Louis Region's unaudited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

Source of Funds
Grants $212,528
Investment Return $95,615
Donated Supplies $55,942
Sponsorships $43,302
Program Income $21,663
Member Dues and Contributions $18,466
Miscellaneous $8,286
Contributed Easement $-210,000
Total Income $245,802

Programs: 87% Fundraising: 4% Administrative: 9%

Total Income $245,802
Total expenses: $476,825
  Program expenses $413,420
  Fundraising expenses $18,460
  Administrative expenses $44,945
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-231,023
Beginning Net Assets $1,272,616
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $1,041,593
Total Liabilities $263,143
Total Assets $1,634,735

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 of Eastern & Southwest Missouri & Southern Illinois