American Chestnut Land Trust Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 521489614
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2023
- Forms available
- Form 990 2023
- Location
- Prince Frederick, MD, USA
- Phone
- 4104143400
- Rating
- 86
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Land Resources Conservation
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $981,870
- Expenses
- $670,893
- Assets
- $8,175,033
- Liabilities
- $62,006
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
21 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DR DAVID F FARR (PRESIDENT)
- DAWN BALINSKI (VICE PRESIDENT)
- GREG BOWEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- GREG BOWEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $88,062 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
We promote land conservation and preservation throughout southern Maryland. We preserve and conserve the natural and cultural resources of the parkers creek and governors run watersheds for the benefit of this and future generations. We provide environmentally sustainable public access to managed properties for educational, scientific, recreational and cultural purposes
What it reported doing in 2023
Land management program: protected and managed the 3,449 acre parkers creek preserve's natural resources by: implementing forestry management plans, controlling nonnative invasive plant species; collecting quarterly surface water quality samples; instituting an agriculture supporting the community program; and conducting a white-tailed deer herd management program. Protected cultural resources by: stabilizing historic structures and maintaining a historic cemetery; maintained 26 miles of hiking trails to encourage public access to preserved lands for educational, scientific, recreational and cultural purposes; conducted guided canoe trips to provide environmental education to the public about the parkers creek watershed; managed the limited access warrior's rest sanctuary for environmental education and scientific research. Actively and regularly monitored 1,639 acres owned in fee simple by the american chestnut land trust; actively and regularly monitored 1,810 acres of land owned in fee simple by the state of Maryland and leased by the american chestnut land trust; actively and regularly monitored 5 conservation easements totaling 374 acres.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 75% 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.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 74
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 80
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 62.6%; rating input score 63
- Program expense ratio: 85.4%; rating input score 85
- Fundraising efficiency: $5,471.83 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th 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: 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: 31.7%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.19; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 13.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 62.6% of revenue deployed · 85.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $573K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $88K · 21 people listed
- Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2023
- 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.