Science & Environmental Health Network

Overview

Mission

In service to communities, the earth and future generations, the science and environmental health network forges science, ethics, and law into tools for action.

What it reported doing in 2024

Energy Policy Program: Recognizing rapidly emerging developments in climate and energy policy, the Science and Environmental Health Network brings a deeply ethical and scientific perspective to local, state, national and international struggles over fossil fuels. We have two nationally renowned scientists on our team and they are very active in our campaign on carbon capture and storage (CCS) to evaluate and address new technologies proposed across the nation. We continue to moderate and participate in a major coalition on CCS that includes activists, scientists, lawyers and writers. This coalition is able to provide rapid-response research and analysis as well as provide experts for policy and media briefings. We continue to promote the findings of the 9th edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure, which is a renowned resource for activists and health professionals and more.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% 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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
450452872
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Ames, IA, USA
Phone
5152680600
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.2%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 80.5%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $21.76 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -4.2%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.84; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 23.8%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.2% of revenue deployed · 80.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $638K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $126K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Carolyn Raffensperger (Executive Direc): $125,812 total reported compensation
  • Peter Montague (Director): $62,768 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.