Nonprofit · EIN 95-4187832
SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND
Tax-exempt · WESTLAKE VLG, CA 91362
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 (amended) | $5,977,017 | $4,464,098 | $1,512,919 | $4,676,040 | $193,057 | $4,482,983 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 (amended) | $3,337,539 | $3,136,824 | $200,715 | $3,260,386 | $290,322 | $2,970,064 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $2,372,310 | $2,128,738 | $243,572 | $2,978,608 | $209,259 | $2,769,349 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $5,722,954
- of which government grants
- $3,195,729
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $241,302
- Net income from fundraising events
- $12,761
- Other revenue
- $12,761
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $422,860
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $224,050
- Other salaries and wages
- $2,534,140
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $3,023,109
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Travel
- $82,779
- Depreciation
- $1,359
- Program services (functional)
- $4,041,172
- Management and general (functional)
- $278,660
- Fundraising (functional)
- $144,266
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $3,260,386
- Total assets, end of year
- $4,676,040
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $193,057
- Net assets, end of year
- $4,482,983
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $2,887,969
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $1,595,014
- Gross receipts
- $5,988,999
- Employees
- 107
- Volunteers
- 10
- Year formed
- 1988
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEANNA ARMBRUSTER | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $127,050 |
| NICOLE CORTELL | CFO Officer | 20 | $97,000 |
| KIM KOVACS | President Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| THOMAS BLISS | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| DARRIN HURWITZ | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Dennis Washburn | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Elaine Lee | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Asia Evans | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Gretchen Warnock Aluwihare | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| James Fox | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Andrew Vought | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Tess Blankenship | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Lesley Goren | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 11 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEANNA ARMBRUSTER | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $112,115 |
| NICOLE CORTELL | CFO Officer | 20 | $70,550 |
| KIM KOVACS | President Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| THOMAS BLISS | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| DARRIN HURWITZ | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| Dennis Washburn | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Elaine Lee | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Asia Evans | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Gretchen Warnock Aluwihare | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| James Fox | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Andrew Vought | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 11 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEANNA ARMBRUSTER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer | 40 | $83,340 |
| NICOLE KAPLAN | CFO Officer | 20 | $46,195 |
| KIM KOVACS | PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| DENNIS H WASHBURN | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| ANNMARIE GREENWOOD | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| THOMAS BLISS | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 |
| TES MACARAYA | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| ASIA MARIE EVANS | VICE PRESIDENT Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| DARRIN HURWITZ | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 |
| ELAINE LEE | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MARILYN PEAKE | MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1 BAXTER WAY STE 180, WESTLAKE VLG, CA 91362-3822
- Signed the 990
- DEANNA ARMBRUSTER, Executive Director
- Phone
- (805) 370-2341
- Website
- www.samofund.org/
- Return prepared by
- Nelson & Associates CPAs
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 95-4187832 or by the name SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND (THE FUND) OPERATES AS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA. THE FUND WAS ESTABLISHED ON JANUARY 22, 1988, TO PROTECT AND ENCOURAGE APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATIONAL AND STATE PARKLANDS IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS BY SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) and CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS (CSP). THE FUND ACHIEVES THIS MISSION BY PARTNERING WITH NPS AND CSP TO FURTHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND RESEARCH; IMPROVING PARK FACILITIES AND TRAILS; ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND YOUTH IN EDUCATION; AND LEADING EFFORTS TO STEWARD THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THESE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS.
Program accomplishments
- HABITAT RESTORATION AND TRAILSThe Fund supports projects and programs that preserve the SMMNRA for public access and ecological resilience. The Seed Farm at Rancho Sierra Vista continues to serve as a vital site for ecological restoration, workforce development, and learning opportunities for local youth. In 2025, the nursery continued expanding its capacity to produce native plants used in habitat restoration and climate resilience projects across the mountains and surrounding communities.The nursery program includes the Oxnard Youth Ecologists (OYE) workforce program and the Monarch and Milkweed initiative. The OYE program provides youth with job skills and hands-on experience in ecological restoration, native seed collection and propagation, and conservation leadership. Youth participants helped cultivate tens of thousands of native plants and supported the distribution of milkweed plants across Los Angeles and Ventura counties to strengthen pollinator habitat and regional wildlife corridors.The Liberty Canyon nursery continued operating at full capacity to support restoration work associated with the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing and surrounding habitat connectivity projects. RESTORATION CREWS ALSO CONTINUED POST FIRE RECOVERY EFFORTS, INCLUDING PLANTING NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS AND IMPLEMENTING EROSION CONTROL MEASURES IN LANDSCAPES AFFECTED BY THE WOOLSEY, PALISADES, AND OTHER FIRES.The Trail Crew maintained and restored hundreds of miles of public trails throughout the recreation area, addressing storm damage, fire impacts, and routine maintenance to ensure safe public access to parklands.Expenses $2,524,957 · grants $222,860
- EDUCATIONThe Fund delivers strategic education and workforce development programs that create pathways into conservation careers. The Fund provides funding for programming, transportation, and field-based learning experiences that connect young people to the Santa Monica Mountains.The Open Outdoors for Kids program continues to connect youth with the natural world. This program brings approximately 25,000 fourth graders to the park each year to learn about plants, animals, ecosystems, and Native American heritage.For college students and young adults, the Fund provides opportunities to work alongside National Park Service staff and conservation professionals. Youth workforce programs place students and interns in seasonal roles that support interpretation, restoration, science, and education programs while providing hands-on experience and mentorship that prepares participants for careers in environmental stewardship and public lands management.Expenses $792,224
- WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND PROTECTIONThe Fund supports wildlife research and monitoring programs conducted in partnership with the National Park Service, California State Parks, and collaborating scientists. Research initiatives include long-term studies of mountain lions, mule deer, and federally listed California red-legged frogs.Interns and field technicians assist with wildlife monitoring through satellite tracking, camera traps, and field surveys that help scientists better understand wildlife movement patterns, habitat connectivity, and the impacts of urban development on native species.Community education programs also support wildlife protection through initiatives such as the Nature Neighbor program and the Break the Poison Chain campaign, which raise awareness about rodenticide impacts on wildlife. The Fund also supports volunteer programs and cultural interpretation activities at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, where youth and community members participate in educational and cultural events that celebrate the regions Indigenous heritage.Expenses $389,507 · grants $200,000
- OUTREACH AND OTHER SPECIAL INITIATIVESThe Fund provides annual support for volunteer programs that assist the National Park Service, California State Parks, and partner park organizations throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. These programs include the Mounted Volunteer Patrol, Mountain Bike Unit, National Trails Day events, habitat restoration volunteer days, and other stewardship activities that engage community members in caring for public lands.The Fund also supports cultural preservation and public engagement initiatives, including archaeological research projects and educational programming at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center developed in collaboration with Indigenous community members. These initiatives help ensure that the cultural, historical, and ecological significance of the Santa Monica Mountains is preserved and shared with future generations.Expenses $334,484
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 95-4187832
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1989
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $4,676,040
- Income (IRS master file)
- $5,988,999
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $5,977,017 | $4,464,098 | $4,676,040 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $3,337,539 | $3,136,824 | $3,260,386 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $2,372,310 | $2,128,738 | $2,978,608 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $1,175,537 | $2,413,793 | $2,639,727 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2017 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2016 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 95-4187832).
Questions about SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND
- What is the EIN of SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND is 95-4187832.
- Is SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1989.
- Are donations to SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who are the officers and directors of SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 13 people; 2 received compensation from the organization, the highest $127,050 (DEANNA ARMBRUSTER, Executive Dir.).
- How much revenue does SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS FUND have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $5,977,017, expenses of $4,464,098 and total assets of $4,676,040 at year end.
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