American Horticultural Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530226408
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Phone
7037685700
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Garden Club, Horticultural Program

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,389,584
Expenses
$3,646,043
Assets
$13,933,053
Liabilities
$1,745,431

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUZANNE B LAPORTE (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • SUZANNE B LAPORTE (PRESIDENT/CEO): $251,826 total reported compensation
  • PETER TAJAT (MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROPERTY OPERATIONS): $140,351 total reported compensation
  • COURTNEY ALSUA (DIRECTOR NATIONAL PROGRAMS): $136,904 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To inspire a culture of gardening and horticultural practices that creates and sustains healthy, beautiful communities and a livable planet.

What it reported doing in 2024

Educational programs during fy25, ahs shared the art and science of horticulture with people at all levels of gardening expertise through the following educational programs: 1,718 gardeners attended 45 lifelong learning sessions. 23 new gardens joined the ahs garden network, bringing the total to 394 public gardens and arboreta nationwide that offer members free or reduced admission with additional opportunities for experiential, garden-based learning and appreciation. 230 learners registered for self-paced online courses. 147 youth educators attended the 32nd annual national children and youth garden symposium. 104 travelers joined two domestic and five international ahs travel study programs. Ahs awarded seven national great american gardeners awards to encourage excellence and honor the achievements of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to horticulture in america. Two college students received valuable hands-on experience through paid internships at ahs helping to shape the horticultural leaders of tomorrow.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.2%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 73.2%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: -7.6%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.82; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 24.1%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.2% of revenue deployed · 73.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $252K · 19 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $225K reported
  • Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.