Vermont Public Interest Research & Education Fund Inc

Overview

Mission

In 1975, the Vermont public interest research and education fund (vpiref) was established as vpirg's 501(c)3 outreach and education arm. Vpiref conducts independent research on the top challenges facing our state, crafts commonsense solutions, and mobilizes the public through innovative educational outreach campaigns that amplify the voice of everyday vermonters over well-moneyed special interests that too often corrupt our democratic processes. Vpiref's mission is to promote and protect the health of Vermont's people, environment, and locally-based economy by informing and mobilizing individuals and communities across the state.

What it reported doing in 2024

Climate and energy: vermonters know that we have a moral responsibility to protect our kids and grandkids from the environmental, economic, and social havoc that fossil fuels are wreaking. Vpiref agrees with the majority of vermonters who want to cut our dependence on fossil fuels and take control of our energy future using clean, renewable power. Vpiref conducts independent research, public education, and grassroots outreach aimed at reducing our continued reliance on fossil fuels and other dirty energy, and instead dramatically increase the use of clean, local, renewable energy that can power Vermont's future. Continued on schedule oin 2024, vpiref continued our make big oil pay campaign to raise awareness of major fossil companies' contributions to climate change, the local costs of that change, and the fact that those companies have avoided financial accountability so far. Vpiref also worked to educate vermonters on the need to transition more quickly to 100% renewable electricity, and to get more renewable energy generation built in Vermont.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% 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
510163801
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Montpelier, VT, USA
Phone
8022623742
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 62.7%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $24.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 64; 64th 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 29.8%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.79; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.07; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.2% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 62.7% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $939K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $131K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 annual filings from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • PAUL BURNS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $130,537 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.