American Friends of Canadian Conservation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
204817049
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2009
Location
Bellingham, WA, USA
Phone
6048412252
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,723,171
Expenses
$1,501,717
Assets
$2,769,579
Liabilities
$14,379

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DOUGLAS DEANGELIS (PRESIDENT)
  • KEITH ROSS (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DOUGLAS DEANGELIS (PRESIDENT)
  • KEITH ROSS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • BARBARA HEIDENREICH (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

To protect and to promote the protection of the ecological integrity and other conservation values of the natural areas of canada through securement of fee title and less than fee interests in land and support of canadian conservation nonprofits and agencies.

What it reported doing in 2024

Cross border conservation land program: the organization accepts gifts of ecologically significant land (or partial interest in such land) in canada's most environmentally sensitive, scenic and unique landscapes. Canadian nonprofits that meet american friends' strict criteria, which are based on IRS definitions of qualified organizations, partner with the organization on all gift transactions. These partner organizations are carefully screened through a rigorous application process to ensure that they are capable of being permanent stewards of the donated lands. If approved, these entities become grantees of american friends. Written contracts between american friends and its grantee organizations - with annual reporting requriements - ensure that donated land and easements will be properly monitored and managed. The organization and its partners secure stewardship funds sufficient to cover the costs of caring for the donated properties. The level of sterwardship funding required is based on a thorough assessment of each property's natural, cultural and recreational characterisitics and the potential risks associated with its perpetual care.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 95% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 assets have declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.8%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 95%; rating input score 95
  • Fundraising efficiency: $249.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Pass
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.9%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.84; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.8% of revenue deployed · 95% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 25 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.