Amazon Conservation Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522211305
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2022342356
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,751,861
Expenses
$3,880,074
Assets
$4,143,223
Liabilities
$243,177

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN P BEAVERS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN P BEAVERS (PRESIDENT): $224,592 total reported compensation
  • MARIA I VILLAMAR (DIR. OF FINANCE): $185,135 total reported compensation
  • ANA FOLHADELLA (PHILANTHROPY & COMMS DIRECTOR): $141,860 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Amazon conservation unites science, people, and innovation to protect the amazon - the greatest wild forest on earth. As guardians of the most iconic forest on the planet, we bring together the power of the latest science and technology and our close partnerships with local communities and governments to create innovative conservation solutions that balance the needs of people and nature.to protect some of the world's most diverse landscapes we: protect wild places by supporting governments and communities in the creation and long-term management of key protected areas and the wider landscape; empower people by partnering with communities to support them to strengthen their forest based livelihoods and protect their lands and resources; and put science and technology to work by carrying out scientific research and training the next generation of amazonian conservationists rooted in our biological stations and field programs in the andes-amazon.

What it reported doing in 2024

Empowering people - amazon conservation empowers local communities and indigenous peoples through our collective efforts to build a sustainable forest-based economy that fuels sustainable development and climate resilience for the region. Along with these local economic development efforts, we work closely with communities and civil society organizations to provide the tools needed to stop deforestation, especially illegal deforestation, to ensure the long-term protection of their natural resources. With support from several institutions and individuals since our inception 25 years ago, amazon conservation and our alliance sister organizations in peru and bolivia have made significant progress toward establishing a sustainable, climate-resilient, forest-based economy across 37 million acres in the amazon. By supporting dozens of producer associations in scaling up the sustainable production, processing, marketing, and sales of major forest products like aa berries and brazil nuts, we create economically viable alternatives to destructive practices like slash-and-burn agriculture and mining. We continue to deepen this work through diversifying production with other forest-based products, creating new market connections, and expanding to other regions, including the neighboring state of acre in brazil.presently in five countries across the amazon, we work directly with communities, fellow conservation organizations, indigenous groups, and government agencies to protect their lands and natural resources. With a focus on halting illegal activities, we provide indigenous peoples, civil society, and governments with real-time information on deforestation caused by illegal gold mining, logging, and other drivers. In order to enable rapid and effective responses, we are building the capacity across a coalition of local organizations and communities to take action, engage government, and advocate for improved policies and protection of the region's forests and waters.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 45% for direct work, and 55% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.5%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 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: 18.3%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.07; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.1%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.5% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $225K · 19 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.