The Nature Conservancy 401(k) Review & Grade
Nature Conservancy Savings & Retirement Plan
Arlington, VAOther Services4,344 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,698Employer $ per active participant
$10,773Employee $ saved per active participant
$0 reportedDirect admin cost, % of plan assets
$1.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$193,074Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity48.8 / 5098th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost12.5 / 25No direct expenses reported, scored neutral
- Employee saving13.9 / 1593th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
Total score78 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Other Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (42 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 98th |
| Lower admin cost | neutral |
| Employee saving | 93th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 45% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Nature Conservancy put in about $6,698 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,132). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- The plan reported no administrative expenses paid from plan assets. The employer may pay them, or the costs may be built into fund fees. Check your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure for each fund's expense ratio.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $29,098,412 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $46,804,636 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $8,792,263 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $0 |
| Benefits paid out | $85,156,924 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $1.1B / $1.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 4,207 / 4,482 |
| Participants with account balances | 6,514 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Calibre CPA Group |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Strategic Advisors, Inc. | $214,470 reported compensation |
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | −$100,471 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250722144657NAL0007332386001, received 2025-07-22, EIN 53-0242652, plan #003, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.