The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a public charity based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1972, it creates parks and protects land for people, with work that includes supporting community efforts to plan, fund, and create parks and conserve land.
The Trust for Public Land at a glance
In short: The Trust for Public Land gave $151.4M across 125 grants in 2025 (avg $1.2M), top state California. 71% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $151,384,022
- +142.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 125
- +50.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,211,072
- +61.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $54,895
- Total assets
- $432,699,986
- +9.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 71% first-time grantees (88 of 124, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Trust for Public Land
- Contact
Mailing address: 23 Geary Street 1000, San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 495-4014
Website: https://tpl.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Trust for Public Land funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was MN Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife ($21.4M). Together the top 10 received $106.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
454 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 212 grants of 454 (47%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
TPL describes its work as nationwide. In filing year 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (26%), Minnesota (15%), Washington (13%), Idaho (12%), and Montana (12%). Listed grants also included recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 125 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Trust for Public Land open to new grantees?
71%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 88 of 124 grantees (71%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1.1M; repeat grants $1.4M. How we count
Medians: $64K first-time, $45K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $37.3M (2021) to $182.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 125 grants totaling $151.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MN Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife St. Paul, MN | Land Conservation | $21,372,152 |
| Idaho Department of Lands Coeur d'Alene, ID | Grants, Land Conservation | $18,618,750 |
| Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Attn Land & Water Unit Helene, MT | Land Conservation | $17,705,105 |
| Marin County Open Space District San Rafael, CA | Land Conservation | $13,202,915 |
| Land Trust of Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz, CA | Grants, Land Conservation | $9,380,000 |
| California Rangeland Trust Sacramento, CA | Grants, Land Conservation | $6,929,420 |
| Douglas County Douglasville, GA | Land Conservation | $5,370,000 |
| Kittitas County Ellensburg, WA | Land Conservation | $4,786,738 |
| Kittitas Reclamation District Ellensburg, WA | Land Conservation | $4,786,738 |
| Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Olympia, WA | Land Conservation | $4,786,738 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing reports 125 grants; the 2024 and 2023 filings report 83 and 91 grants, respectively.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $432,699,986 | $301,245,450 | $282,536,794 | $151,384,022 | 125 | $7,307,462 |
| 2024 | $396,538,094 | $237,278,506 | $197,479,138 | $62,405,974 | 83 | $5,382,830 |
| 2023 | $324,349,767 | $297,379,545 | $290,939,884 | $182,010,218 | 91 | $4,597,012 |
| 2022 | $308,182,607 | $193,309,210 | $171,537,007 | $74,846,061 | 80 | $9,198,852 |
| 2021 | $286,454,400 | $144,472,811 | $117,599,640 | $37,318,645 | 75 | $2,924,038 |
| 2020 | $232,386,284 | $141,296,610 | $150,943,297 | $58,733,758 | 83 | $3,255,351 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
TPL’s stated mission is to “create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.” Its website describes work to expand parks and schoolyards, protect land, and help communities secure public funding for parks, land conservation, clean water, and climate resilience.
TPL’s 2024 filing reports that it completed 58 conservation transactions protecting 100,060 acres, completed 13 new schoolyards and two new parks, and helped pass 24 state and local ballot measures that generated more than $16.1 billion in public funds for parks and natural spaces.
The 2025 filing’s grants include awards for land conservation to government agencies, counties, and conservation organizations. For example, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, which received $9.38 million, describes its mission as protecting, caring for, and connecting people to natural and working lands. The California Rangeland Trust, which received $6.93 million, describes its mission as conserving California’s working rangelands. Other 2025 grantees include the New Mexico Land Conservancy, whose stated mission includes protecting wildlife habitat, agricultural lands, open space, and cultural and historic resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, TPL reported 125 grants totaling $151,384,022. Awards ranged from $5,534 to $21,372,152, with a median grant of $54,895. Among the largest awards were $21,372,152 to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife, $18,618,750 to the Idaho Department of Lands, $17,705,105 to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and $13,202,915 to Marin County Open Space District. These grants were listed for land conservation, with some also identified as grants.
TPL also provides technical assistance to prospective applicants for the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program in partnership with the National Park Service. Its website describes a 2026 toolkit with application guidance, grant-writing tips, sample timelines, and resources, as well as webinars and one-on-one support. This assistance supports applications to ORLP; the program is administered by the National Park Service. TPL’s website says the 2026 technical assistance is offered at no cost.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lucas St Clair as chair, David Poppe as vice chair, Florence Williams as secretary, and Joe Lipscomb as treasurer. It lists Diane C Regas as president through September 30, 2024. Directors listed include Jodi Archambault, J Franklin Farrow, Mickey Fearn, Anita Graham, and Allegra Happy Haynes.
The Trust for Public Land is led by Diane C. Regas, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 29 of 62 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Diane C. Regas
President
President → Director & President, 2022
Director & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$472K (2020) → $525K (2025)
Carrie Hauser
President
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$223K (2025)
Lucas St Clair
Chair
Director → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ignacia S. Moreno
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Richards
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Parish
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheryl Crockett Tishman
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan D. Whiting
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas S. Reeve
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allegra Happy Haynes
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Weaver
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mickey Fearn
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Taylor Toynes
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eliot Merrill
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Franklin Farrow
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Jones
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Wong
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ted Roosevelt V
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex M. Johnson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alexis G. Sant
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alvin Warren
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anita Graham
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christoper G. Lea
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
F. Jerome Tone
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerome Vascellaro
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jodi Archambault
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
L. Anton Seals Jr.
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindi Von Mutius
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip June
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Knight
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanne S. Gill
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Parish
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David M. Carson
Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Corp Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$205K (2020) → $259K (2025)
James H. Obendorf
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial & Administrator Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Finance & Administrator Officer → Senior Vice President, Chief Financial & Administrator Officer, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$255K (2020) → $317K (2025)
Katherine M. Pandori
Vice President, Finance & Accounting
Vice President, Director of Finance & Accounting → Vice President, Director of Finance & Actg, 2022
Vice President, Director of Finance & Actg → Vice President, Finance & Accounting, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$199K (2020) → $238K (2025)
Kenneth J. Danter
Executive Vice President & Chief Program Officer
Senior Vice President & Field Programs → Executive Vice President & Chief Program Officer, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$243K (2020) → $317K (2025)
Margaret Madden
Vice President & Associate General Counsel
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$183K (2020) → $218K (2025)
Anthony A. Traverso
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$159K (2021) → $193K (2025)
Denise Mullane
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$160K (2021) → $188K (2025)
Gilman Miller
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$147K (2021) → $176K (2025)
Jane Kim
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$122K (2021) → $141K (2025)
Luis Benitez
Chief Impact Officer
Director → Chief Impact Officer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$261K (2025)
Mimi Faller Helvie
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$84K (2021) → $142K (2025)
Patricia Watson
Senior Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$223K (2021) → $441K (2025)
Peggy Chiu
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$136K (2021) → $186K (2025)
Peter Fodor
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$165K (2021) → $24K (2025)
Stacy Gayhart
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$84K (2021) → $101K (2025)
Thomas Tyner
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$175K (2021) → $202K (2025)
Tily Shue
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$185K (2021) → $215K (2025)
William Lee
Senior Vice President, Policy, Advocacy & Gov't Relations
Senior Vice President, Policy, Advocacy & Gov't Relations → Senior Vice President, Policy, Advocacy & Gov't Relat, 2024
Senior Vice President, Policy, Advocacy & Gov't Relat → Senior Vice President, Policy, Advocacy & Gov't Relations, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$236K (2021) → $255K (2025)
Howard Frumkin
Senior Vice President, Land & People Lab
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$278K (2023) → $297K (2025)
Jennifer Kolto
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$106K (2023) → $99K (2025)
Justin Yost
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$121K (2023) → $117K (2025)
Alex Ghio
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$155K (2024) → $160K (2025)
Catherine Brown
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$122K (2024) → $125K (2025)
Elizabeth Fee
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$70K (2024) → $73K (2025)
Gordon Okawa
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$142K (2024) → $147K (2025)
Joy Legget-Murphy
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$117K (2024) → $127K (2025)
Polly Powell
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$87K (2024) → $90K (2025)
Joe Lipscomb
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Poppe
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Florence Williams
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (32)
- Former: Caroline P. Niemczyk (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jody S. Gill (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Whitney Hatch (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Ben Jealous (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Carter Strickland (2021–2024) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: I. Ling Thompson (2022–2024) — Senior Vice President & Ccmo
- Former: Christopher Knight (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Theodore Roosevelt V (2024) — Director
- Former: Chris Lea (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: George Bell (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jerry Tone (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Lex Sant (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: J. Alex Ghio (2021–2023) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Susan Schmidt (2021–2023) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Steve Baird (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Happy Haynes (2023) — Director
- Former: Jeff Resnick (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Page Knudsen Cowles (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Tom Reeve (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: David Emery Peck (2022) — Principal Gift Officer
- Former: Adrian Benepe (2020–2021) — Senior Vice President & National Prgrms
- Former: Michael Patterson (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Stephen Baird (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Cecilia Blake (2021) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Jeffrey Resnick (2021) — Director
- Former: Ling I. Thompson (2021) — Senior Vice President, Chief Committee & Marketing Officer
- Former: William Cronin (2021) — Director
- Former: Benita D. Hussain (2020) — Minute Walk Campaign Director
- Former: Bill Cronon (2020) — Director
- Former: Marjorie K. Bermeo (2020) — Senior Vice President & Chief Phil Offcr
- Former: Matthew J. Shaffer (2020) — Marketing Director
- Former: Page Knudsen-Cowles (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $525K, to Diane C Regas (President (Thru 9/30/24)). 29 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Trust for Public Land
How much does The Trust for Public Land give each year?
The Trust for Public Land gave $151.4M across 125 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $62.4M across 83 grants.
What is The Trust for Public Land's typical grant size?
The Trust for Public Land's median grant in 2025 was $54,895, and its average grant was $1,211,072, across 125 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Trust for Public Land that year got $1.1M on average.
Where does The Trust for Public Land give grants?
The Trust for Public Land's top state is California, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Minnesota (15%) and Washington (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sacramento, CA (4 grants), Newark, NJ (4 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Tallahassee, FL (4 grants).
Does The Trust for Public Land give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 125 grants with a stated purpose on The Trust for Public Land's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grants" (58 grants), "Land Conservation" (30 grants) and "Contributions" (24 grants).
Who are The Trust for Public Land's largest grantees?
The Trust for Public Land's largest 2025 grantees include MN Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife ($21,372,152), Idaho Department of Lands ($18,618,750) and Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Attn Land & Water Unit ($17,705,105), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Trust for Public Land?
The Trust for Public Land reported $432.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $301.2M.
What does The Trust for Public Land fund?
TPL’s stated mission is to “create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Trust for Public Land?
The Trust for Public Land has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check tpl.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Trust for Public Land's EIN?
The Trust for Public Land's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7222333. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Trust for Public Land's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Trust for Public Land funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-trust-for-public-land-morg_57bdbd9b7d704b00835c83c9a6f8f322
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237222333_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Trust for Public Land funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-trust-for-public-land-morg_57bdbd9b7d704b00835c83c9a6f8f322},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Trust for Public Land's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
The Trust for Public Land down — hundreds of funders to go?