Scenic Hudson Inc

Overview

Mission

Scenic Hudson was founded in 1963 when six community members came together to stop a massive power plant from defacing the iconic Storm King Mountain. (Please see Schedule O explaination for further context of Organization's mission statement.)

What it reported doing in 2024

Innovating to create inspiring spaces and lasting solutions for generations to come - While much of our work is focused on preserving the natural treasures of the Hudson Valley, what sets us apart is our ability to see untapped potential and to back ideas with action. We've cleaned up more than a dozen industrial sites on both sides of the Hudson, from Yonkers to Albany including our new offices and community space at the Northside Hub in Poughkeepsie. Community powers our solutions, from community-led observation to bridge the data gap in urban ecosystems, to our 40-year campaign urging the Environmental Protection Agency to require General Electric to fully clean up PCBs in the Hudson River.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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
132898799
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Phone
8454734440
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 75
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.4%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 71.9%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 95%; rating input score 95; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

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: 27.2%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.67; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22.6%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.4% of revenue deployed · 71.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 33 of 33 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $636K · 46 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $290K reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 10 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 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.

Leadership & pay

46 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Edward O Sullivan (President): $635,834 total reported compensation
  • Erin Riley (Senior Vice President): $444,312 total reported compensation
  • Jason Camporese (Chief Finance & Operations): $402,020 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.