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Friends of Buttonhook Forest Inc
Chappaqua, NY · EIN 882830417 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE C30 · Environment · Micro (<$100K) · preservebuttonhook.org
revenue
$4K
expenses
$25K
net assets
$3K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

To build a community coalition to protect and preserve a 20 acre local forest and indigenous cultural site.

profile · synthesized from sources

Friends of Buttonhook Forest Inc is a New York-based nonprofit working to permanently protect a 20.3-acre forest in Chappaqua, NY, from development. The organization partners with the Brothertown Indian Nation and environmental groups to preserve the land for its ecological value and significance as a Native American sacred site. Their efforts include fundraising for land acquisition, public education, and advocacy.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Earth Day Celebration and Festival
Annual public event featuring educational programming, cultural speakers, and musical performances to raise awareness and funds for forest preservation
Land Acquisition Campaign
Effort to raise $1.3 million to acquire Buttonhook Forest from the Chappaqua Central School District, including purchase price, closing costs, environmental remediation, and stewardship endowment
Native American Stone Prayers Presentation
Educational webinar series highlighting the cultural and spiritual significance of the stone structures in Buttonhook Forest, led by Native researchers and elders
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Local Land Conservation Advocacy 1 activity
    • Advocacy for institutional support of forest protection
      Engaged organizations and decision-makers through letters and endorsements to support the joint bid with the Brothertown Indian Nation to protect Buttonhook Forest, including advocacy directed at the Chappaqua Central School Board.
  • Environmental Conservation Grantmaking 1 activity
    • Community fundraising for forest preservation
      Conducted ongoing fundraising campaigns, raising over $250,000 in three years and more than $51,960 by December 31, 2025, to support the acquisition and protection of Buttonhook Forest.
  • Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 1 activity
    • Environmental and cultural education programming
      Hosted educational events, presentations, and festivals—including on bats, Native American cultural significance, and forest ecology—to raise public awareness about the ecological and cultural value of Buttonhook Forest.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Acquire and preserve Buttonhook Forest property
      Submitted a $1.25 million bid and paid a $125,000 downpayment to purchase and permanently protect the 20.3-acre Buttonhook Forest from the Chappaqua Central School District, in partnership with the Brothertown Indian Nation.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4K
Contributions & grants$4K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$25K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$3K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$3K
3 years on record · 2022–2024 · YoY revenue -89.0%
relationships · 9

Who they work with

  • Brothertown Indian Nation Partner — Partnered with Friends of Buttonhook Forest to purchase and preserve Buttonhook Forest through rematriation and Indigenous stewardship.
  • Brothertown Indian Nation Partner — Partnered with the Brothertown Indian Nation to protect Buttonhook Forest as a sacred site of cultural and ancestral significance.
  • Buttonhook Endorsers Partner — Organizations that support the Friends of Buttonhook and its efforts to protect Buttonhook Forest.
  • Chappaqua Central School District Government — Landowner with which Friends of Buttonhook Forest has a purchase contract for Buttonhook Forest.
  • New Castle Healthy Yards Partner — Co-sponsored a presentation on bats in Buttonhook Forest.
  • New Castle Pollinator Pathways Partner — Co-sponsored a presentation on bats in Buttonhook Forest.
  • Pace Law School Environmental Litigation Clinic Partner — Provided legal support to Friends of Buttonhook Forest in achieving a clear path to purchase the land.
  • Saw Mill River Audubon Partner — Received public support and advocacy from Saw Mill River Audubon in efforts to protect Buttonhook Forest.
  • The Nature of Westchester Partner — Co-sponsored a presentation on bats in Buttonhook Forest.
strategies · 4

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.

  • Cultural Heritage as Conservation Rationale
    methodology: cultural-heritage-preservation
    By preserving land with ancestral and ceremonial significance, we protect both Indigenous cultural heritage and ecologically sensitive areas, because recognizing cultural value strengthens legal and moral claims to stewardship.
  • Ecological Education for Public Advocacy
    methodology: ecological-education
    By educating the public about local wildlife and endangered species in Buttonhook Forest, we build broad-based public support for forest protection, because awareness of ecological value increases civic engagement and political will.
  • Endorsement-Based Advocacy Network
    methodology: endorsement-based advocacy
    By securing organizational endorsements, we amplify the political credibility and reach of forest protection efforts, because institutional backing strengthens public legitimacy and policy influence.
  • Rematriation as Integrated Conservation
    methodology: rematriation
    By returning land to Indigenous stewardship, we achieve ecological protection, cultural healing, and tribal sovereignty, because Indigenous land management is inherently aligned with long-term ecological sustainability and cultural continuity.