Buzzards Bay Coalition

Overview

Mission

The organization is dedicated to the protection, restoration, sustainable use and enjoyment of buzzards bay and its watershed. The organization works to improve the health of the buzzards bay and vineyard sound ecosystems in Massachusetts for all through education, conservation,

What it reported doing in 2024

Watershed protection - activities in our watershed protection program include land conservation efforts aimed at collaborations and accelerating the rate of permanent land protection in the buzzards bay watershed. Our bay lands revolving fund helps local land conservation initiatives compete in the real estate market by providing short-term financing including bridge loans, down payments, and transactional costs necessary to further the organizations land conservation in the buzzards bay watershed.

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
042971978
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
New Bedford, MA, USA
Phone
5089896363
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

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 reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 97
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.7%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 84.3%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.79 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: 95%; rating input score 95; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 10.8%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.7; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.7% of revenue deployed · 84.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $11.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $327K · 24 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 annual filings from 2009 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

24 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • MARK RASMUSSEN (PRESIDENT & CEO): $327,043 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL KELLY (VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS): $217,448 total reported compensation
  • BETH MCDERMOTT (VICE PRESIDENT ADVANCEMENT): $211,357 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.