New England Forestry Foundation Inc

Overview

Mission

Through the application of our core expertise in conserving forestland and advancing exemplary forestry, new england forestry foundation (neff) helps the people of new england to sustain their way of life, protect forest wildlife habitat and ecosystem services, and mitigate and adapt to climate change.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation's education and outreach work fosters the public policies and private actions needed to conserve and sustainably manage new england's forests. In the course of our education work, neff conducts public events including walks, training sessions, workshops, and talks; develops and distributes print and electronic publications; publishes articles in both consumer and professional publications; and participates in local, regional, and national conferences and events. Through all of these activities, neff aims to foster increased landowner and public appreciation of the many benefits that forests provide the citizens of new england, and the role of forest conservation and exemplary forestry management in fostering and enhancing those benefits.

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
042024022
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Littleton, MA, USA
Phone
9789526856
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Forest Conservation

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 76
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.4%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 85.2%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 27.8%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.72; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.1%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.4% of revenue deployed · 85.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $5.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $440K · 22 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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

22 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBERT PERSCHEL (FMR. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $439,700 total reported compensation
  • ANDREA COLNES (DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND CLIMAT): $217,846 total reported compensation
  • MARIA GARCIA (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMI): $151,234 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.