Native Plant Trust Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Conservation - native plant trust's work with rare and endangered plants in 2024 included rare plant monitoring and demographic study, seed banking and germination research, invasive species removal, field work, and in situ restoration. Work on the 3rd edition of "flora conservanda", a comprehensive report on plant conservation priorities in new england, continued. Delays in building the large dataset and coordinating feedback across the region have meant pushing back the expected publication date to late 2025. This report is created in partnership with the organization's new england plant conservation program partners including the six state natural heritage programs. In 2024, 110 trained plant conservation volunteers spent 5,550 hours conducting 376 surveys for rare plants. Surveys were conducted in all new england states and 70% of surveys located the target rare species. In 2024 the seed bank received 41 new accessions from 35 rare species locations within the six states of new england. The species added included rare violets, sedges, thistles, grasses, asters, milkweeds, and rhododendrons. Additionally, a new seed freezer at nasami farm and satellite freezers at garden in the woods were put into service to expand long-term seed storage capacity. A remote temperature monitoring system was installed to ensure timely detection of temperature fluctuations and a backup generator was installed at nasami farm to protect against power outages.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 85%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 66.7%; rating input score 67
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • 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: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 0.7%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.85; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.7%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings