Massachusetts Audubon Society Inc

Overview

Mission

To protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and for wildlife through education, land conservation, advocacy, scientific research, and habitat stewardship/restoration.

What it reported doing in 2024

Key mass audubon advocacy accomplishments in fy 2025 include: 1. Massachusetts governor maura healey signed a sweeping climate and energy bill into law for which mass audubon had lobbied. This act promotes a clean energy grid, advances equity, and protects ratepayers and will provide much-needed reform to the state's approach to siting and permitting clean energy infrastructure. This is a big step forward for clean energy in Massachusetts.2. Mass audubon launched the nature for Massachusetts coalition, fighting for an increase in state investments for nature. The campaign kicked off with a state house launch event in support of the legislation, an act providing nature for all.3. Mass audubon also participated in state energy siting reform processes, with the goal of shifting incentives to put more solar projects on buildings and developed areas, and fewer large-scale projects in forests and on farms. This included mass audubon's appointment to the state's commission on energy infrastructure siting and permitting.4. Mass audubon's rescue raptors campaign to curb harmful rodent poisons continues to grow, with over 90 communities now organizing around the issue across the state. 36 towns and cities have reduced the use of these poisons (sgars) on municipal property, and 18 have filed (or will soon file) home rule petitions to request authority to restrict sgars on private property. In a virtual forum attended by over 300 people, mass audubon also brought together new england's leading poison-free pest control professionals to discuss how to safely manage rodent problems.5. Mass audubon has also launched a campaign with partners to accelerate restoration of wetlands across Massachusetts. Massachusetts salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, and rivers need help to reverse damage from past land uses and provide resilience to the impacts of climate change, and we're focused on advocating for both legislative and regulatory tactics to make those changes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 64% of the money available for current operations came from contributions.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The nonprofit carried out 97% of its reported program work directly.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042104702
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Lincoln, MA, USA
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environment and Animals

Request a diligence report

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.9%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 82.5%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Public monitoring controls: Limited
  • Public policy transparency: Limited
  • Public financial transparency: Limited
  • Impact reporting controls: Limited
  • Public relationship transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Public governance controls: Limited
  • Zakat policy transparency: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Operating reserve ratio: 7.45; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.9% of revenue deployed · 82.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $44.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $535K · 43 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 49 of 49 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 15 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links