South Hero Land Trust Inc

Overview

Mission

Land conservation and environmental education. The south hero land trust is dedicated to protecting farmland, woodland, natural and recreational areas and open spaces in south hero, Vermont.

What it reported doing in 2024

Land conservation - the organization continues to work on an ongoing basis to create partnerships with landowners interested in conserving their land. After completing work on a major conservation project in 2014, the land trust spent 2015, 2016 and 2017 working with several landowners on potential new conservation projects. In 2017, the south hero land trust completed the fundraising campaign for the tracy woods conservation project which closed in june 2018. The south hero land trust also builds and maintains public access trails in south hero. The land trust completed and opened the tracy woods trail in 2019 and worked to improve public access in 2020 and 2021. The land trust continues to reach out to the community with over 400 members.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
043391477
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
South Hero, VT, USA
Phone
8023723786
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.7%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 19.5%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.43; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.5%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -14.9% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -10.2% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.7% of revenue deployed · 69.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $206K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $57K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • EMILY ALGER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $57,401 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.