Olmsted Network Inc

Overview

Mission

The olmsted network is a unique organization dedicated to championing olmsted parks and landscapes, through education, advocacy and stewardship. We are devoted to ensuring that olmsted's vision of livable spaces survives and thrives. In 2025, we championed the preservation and vitality of olmsted-designed landscapes by advocating for 150 partner sites nationwide. The network hosted tours, a national conference, and six webinars addressing critical issues such as tree canopy loss and the protection of democratic public spaces. Additionally, we advanced the olmsted trail projectan interactive map showcasing thousands of olmsted places. The network also launched the betsy shure gross impact fund, providing rapid-response "flash grants" to landscapes in urgent need, honoring betsy's enduring legacy of preservation and stewardship.

What it reported doing in 2025

Partnerships / stewardship / advocacysince 2019, on's network has more than tripled in size. Hundreds of olmsted parks and landscapes, park conservancies and preservationists are coming together to champion olmsted work and principles. We are proud to partner with these organizations who are on the front lines of caring for and protecting olmsted parks across the globe.in 2025, we continued to add new partners to our network. We also continued our advocacy work through signing onto our partner's applications to be added to the national register of historic places and signing onto amicus briefs for partners facing legal battles.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133052765
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2026800396
Rating
59
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$539,273
Expenses
$602,102
Assets
$1,476,115
Liabilities
$10,700

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

MIXED - 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 24
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 30.6%; rating input score 31
  • Program expense ratio: 21.3%; rating input score 21
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.7%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.45; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.2% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.5% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 30.6% of revenue deployed · 21.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $128K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 31/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

People named in this filing

  • SPENCER TUNNELL (ADVOCACY CHAIR)
  • PHIL SCHULTZ (CO-CHAIR)
  • WILLIAM BELL (CO-CHAIR/TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025.