Northeast Wilderness Trust Corporation

Overview

Mission

Northeast wilderness trust is a regional land trust working to preserve and restore forever-wild landscapes for nature and people in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

What it reported doing in 2024

Created for the purposes of working with landowners, government agencies, conservation organzations, and other land trusts, to preserve and restore forever-wild landscapes through conservation easements, land acquisitions, donations and other preservation methods such as outreach and education. The organizaiton bases its land protection on the best available science to prioritize land based on ecological value, climate resilience, and other factors. Working in ny, vt, nh, me, ma, and ct, the organization is funded principally by grants and donations from the public. Land acquisition projects are funded by a variety of sources, including but not limited to private contributions, governmental grants, and landowner gifts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 82% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010729039
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone
8022241000
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 90
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 25.4%; rating input score 25
  • Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $98.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 74%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.49; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 22.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 25.4% of revenue deployed · 88.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $4.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $167K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $220K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • JONATHAN LEIBOWITZ (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $167,208 total reported compensation
  • EUNICE PANETTA (VP OF ADVANCEMENT): $116,875 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.