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KTK-BELT INC
MANHASSET HILLS, NY · EIN 472166334 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Medium ($1M-$10M) · belt-project.org
revenue
$1.6M
expenses
$1.5M
net assets
$75K
employees
0
volunteers
60
program ratio
95%
mission · from form 990

KTK-BELT'S MISSION IS TO CATALYZE NEW MODELS OF BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND ENVIORNMENTAL LEARNING IN EASTERN NEPAL. IT WORKS WITH TEACHERS, FARMERS, YOUTH, AND WOMEN TO CREATE A VERTICAL UNIVERSITY THAT WILL SPAN FROM KOSHITAPPU WILDLIFE SANCTUARY TO KANCHENJUNGA, THE THIRD TALLEST PEAK IN THE WORLD. THE IDEA IS TO GIVE A FRAMEWORK TOLOCAL FARMERS TO BECOME PROFESSORS OF THE VERTICAL UNIVERSITY, TO SHARE THEIR INDIGENOUS KNOWLDGE WHILE ALSO PHYSICALLY CONSERVING THREATENED SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES.

profile · synthesized from sources

KTK-BELT INC works to conserve biodiversity and promote environmental learning in eastern Nepal through its "Vertical University" initiative. The organization partners with local communities—particularly farmers, youth, teachers, and women—to integrate indigenous knowledge with conservation, creating a living educational landscape from Koshi Tappu Wildlife Sanctuary to Mount Kanchenjunga. Programs include environmental education, livelihood training, and biodiversity conservation across elevational gradients.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $70K
    Education programUnder Education program, Activities like awareness campaign for species; design,installation & maintenance of informational signage; implementationof environmental education in local schools are performed
  2. #2 $199K
    Livelihood programUnder livelihood program, activities like livelihood training to local communities, support local youth &community members through employment generation activities; bio-intensivefarming; permaculture & bio-intensive training are performed
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Biodiversity Conservation Program
Conducts wildlife and plant research, long-term vegetation monitoring, and conservation initiatives across elevational gradients, including in Sagarmatha and Shivapuri Nagarjun National Parks
Environmental Education Program
Implements environmental education in local schools, conducts species awareness campaigns, and designs and maintains informational signage in communities
Learning Grounds
Expands the Vertical University model through community partnerships and grassroots engagement, particularly in Karnali Province
Livelihood Program
Provides bio-intensive farming, permaculture, and employment generation training to local youth and community members to support sustainable livelihoods
Vertical University
A living educational landscape spanning from Koshi Tappu Wildlife Sanctuary to Mount Kanchenjunga that integrates indigenous knowledge with formal environmental education and conservation; engages local farmers as knowledge-holders and educators
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 2 activities
    • Conduct ecological and ethnographic research on biodiversity and indigenous systems
      Conducts community-based research to map pangolin habitats and documents population declines; deploys satellite monitoring stations to collect climate data; works on PhD-level ecological studies and authored 'The Springs of Namje', contributing to academic and public understanding of local ecosystems and cultural practices.
    • Create and maintain biodiversity databases and geotagged species records
      Creates an online, geotagged database of fauna and flora to highlight conservation priorities and support project planning, with plans to double the number of species recorded and make the BELT App downloadable; also implements in situ conservation and establishes arboretums for seed conservation across BELT campuses.
  • Indigenous-Led Ecosystem Stewardship 2 activities
    • Develop educational frameworks and models for landscape-scale learning
      Developed the concept of the 'Vertical University' to reduce ecosystem fragmentation and protect indigenous knowledge; co-founded Vertical University, a nonprofit studio transforming Nepal’s vertical gradient into a learning landscape.
    • Promote indigenous knowledge documentation and digital archiving
      Created the Indigenous Knowledge Portal to capture and conserve local farmer knowledge; trained youth to produce videos featuring traditional uses of local plants and supported scaling of this model in Karnali Province through partnerships with grassroots stakeholders.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 2 activities
    • Launch and expand the BELT Schools Program for outdoor education
      Implements the BELT Schools Program to assist schools in launching outdoor education initiatives, including teacher support, resource development, school ground design, eco-trips, and camping activities; engaged 9 schools and initiated the first cohort of teachers.
    • Organize inter-Learning Grounds exchange programs
      Organizes two-day inter-Learning Grounds visit programs connecting multiple sites across regions to share best practices in permaculture, biodiversity conservation, and community-led education.
  • Horticultural Education and Community Gardening 1 activity
    • Facilitate creation and management of Learning Grounds sites
      Facilitates the establishment of Learning Grounds through community land contributions, designs and establishes multi-acre Learning Grounds campuses (e.g., Tamur Learning Grounds), and supports construction of infrastructure such as ponds and resource centers at these sites.
  • Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
    • Install bilingual signage and conduct species awareness campaigns
      Conducts species awareness campaigns and installs bilingual informational signage to highlight special habitats and support experiential learning in the landscape, including tagging plant species and raising public awareness about local ecosystems.
  • Agricultural Training and Education Programs 1 activity
    • Support community-based permaculture and regenerative agriculture initiatives
      Provides livelihood training and supports local communities through bio-intensive farming and permaculture training; establishes fruit, nut, and spice nurseries with 100% survival rates, plants over 150 trees in collaboration with farmers, and develops temperate permaculture farms using organic compost and permaculture design principles.
  • Youth Workforce Development in Food & Environment 1 activity
    • Train youth and community members in conservation and technology use
      Trains Youth Fellows and BELT Farmers to manage Learning Grounds across an 8,000-meter vertical gradient; provides training in GIS, AutoCAD, Kobo Toolbox, and Android-based village knowledge systems to support research, mapping, and environmental education.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Advocate for community-based wildlife sanctuaries and conservation areas
      Facilitated the establishment of an 835-acre pangolin sanctuary in Yangshila through local advocacy; co-leads efforts since 2017 to create a 176,000-acre Community-Based Conservation Area in Lumbasumba to connect Kanchenjunga and Makalu-Barun protected areas, engaging rural municipalities in replication.
    • Host community exhibits and conferences on environmental and social issues
      Holds bi-annual conferences and public exhibits in Yangshila and other villages to raise awareness about poaching, deforestation, climate change, and gender discrimination; includes interactive photography exhibits and screenings like Planet Earth II that engage hundreds of students and farmers.
    • Implement biodiversity conservation and environmental education through a vertical forest corridor
      Establishes a 25,000-foot vertical forest corridor from Koshi Tappu to Mt. Kanchenjunga as a living classroom for biodiversity conservation and environmental education, implemented across five districts in eastern Nepal: Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Taplejung, and Sankhuwasabha.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.60M
Contributions & grants$1.59M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$1K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.55M
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$12K
Grants paid out$1.15M
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$280K
Cash$18K
Investments$14
Liabilities$205K
Net assets$75K
Liquid reserves0.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +37.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 5
  • HOM LAMSAL — TREASURER
  • JULES WHITE — DIRECTOR
  • RAJEEV GOYAL — CHAIRPERSON
  • STEPHANIE ODEGARD — DIRECTOR
  • VARUN SARAF — DIRECTOR
relationships · 34

Who they work with

  • Asia Society Partner — Sanjeev M. Sherchan serves as Director for Global Leadership Initiatives at the Asia Society.
  • Bora Studio Partner — Collaborates on sustainable fashion initiatives and product design, including pangolin-themed merchandise to support conservation funding.
  • Department of Plant Resources in Nepal Partner — Collaborates on a comprehensive biological audit to support the biodiversity database.
  • Everything Organic nursery Partner — Collaborated with KTK-BELT to establish fruit, nut, and spice nurseries in Maharaje Learning Grounds.
  • Habeli outdoor learning centre Partner — Partner in the BELT Schools Program, supporting outdoor learning initiatives.
  • Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) Partner — Pramod Lingden holds leadership roles at ICAN and serves as a resource person for law.
  • International Trade Center Partner — Rajeev K Goyal worked as a consultant to help design their Youth and Trade program and support environmental strategies.
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature Government — Referenced for IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix I classification guiding species prioritization.
  • Kanchenjunga Partner — Geographic anchor site for the vertical university biodiversity conservation and environmental learning initiative
  • Koshitappu Wildlife Sanctuary Partner — Geographic anchor site for the vertical university biodiversity conservation and environmental learning initiative
  • Learning Grounds Partner — Collaborating partner in the creation of the Indigenous Knowledge Portal.
  • Living Earth Institute Funder — Funding partner for the Awareness and Education Program.
  • Living Earth Institute Funder — Funding partner for the Springs Research and Revival project.
  • Marco Cestarroli Partner — Team member involved in the design and development of BELT campuses.
  • McGraw-Hill Education Partner — Shirine Habash worked with McGraw-Hill Education in science education.
  • NTNC Partner — Nitesh Singh previously worked and volunteered with NTNC on wildlife studies.
  • Namuna Permaculture Learning Grounds Partner — Local partner organization collaborating on World Pangolin Day events and permaculture initiatives.
  • Nepal Picture Library Partner — NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati co-founded the Nepal Picture Library, a digital archive documenting Nepali social history.
  • Peace Corps Government — Rajeev K Goyal led a campaign that increased the Peace Corps budget; Scott Skinner served as a volunteer in Nepal.
  • Phul Maya Foundation Partner — Collaborated on building primary schools, libraries, and water infrastructure projects in Bhedetar, Nepal.
  • Priyanka Bista Partner — Team member involved in the design and development of BELT campuses.
  • Rainforest Trust Funder — Provided a five-year grant (2017–2022) supporting the creation of a 176,000-acre Community-Based Conservation Area in Lumbasumba.
  • Rajeev Goyal Partner — Team member involved in the design and development of BELT campuses.
  • Robotics Association of Nepal Partner — Partnered to incorporate virtual reality and motion sensors into KTK-BELT's community exhibits.
  • Social Welfare Council Government — Government body that monitors Learning Grounds and with which KTK-BELT entered into an agreement to implement its five-year biodiversity corridor project.
  • Tamor Permaculture Learning Grounds Partner — Local partner organization in Kurule-Tenupa leading permaculture farming and biodiversity conservation efforts with KTK-BELT support.
  • United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Programme Government — Rajeev K Goyal served as a UN Volunteer with the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kathmandu.
  • Vertical Biodiversity Fund Partner — Core partner organization registered under the Nepal Company Act and supported by KTK-BELT.
  • Vertical Biodiversity Fund Partner — Local partner organization involved in World Pangolin Day celebrations and sustainable livelihood development.
  • WWF Partner — Nitesh Singh previously worked and volunteered with WWF on wildlife studies.
+ 4 more
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community Science with Technology-Enhanced Monitoring
    methodology: community_science
    By equipping community members with GIS, mobile tools, and accessible bio-stations, we improve biodiversity and climate monitoring because integrating technology into local stewardship strengthens data ownership and enables real-time, place-responsive ecological action.
  • Community-Led Knowledge and Conservation
    methodology: community_led_conservation
    By positioning local farmers as educators and decision-makers in conservation and knowledge preservation, we produce more resilient, place-based systems because recognizing indigenous expertise fosters ownership, engagement, and intergenerational transmission of ecological practices.
  • Vertical University Model
    methodology: vertical_university
    By structuring educational and conservation activities along an elevational gradient, we integrate indigenous knowledge with ecological research and experiential learning because place-based, vertically distributed learning hubs strengthen local ownership and deepen ecosystem understanding across altitudinal zones.