Archbold Expeditions Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 236400408
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Venus, FL, USA
- Phone
- 8634652571
- Rating
- 85
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $14,897,956
- Expenses
- $8,528,043
- Assets
- $105,063,108
- Liabilities
- $1,876,113
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
25 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- HILARY SWAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- HILARY SWAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $223,320 total reported compensation
- ELIZABETH BOUGHTON (DIRECTOR OF AGROECOLOGY): $138,994 total reported compensation
- GENE LOLLIS (RANCH MANAGER): $136,249 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Archbold expeditions, inc.'s mission is to build and share the scientific knowledge needed to protect the life, lands, and waters of the heart of Florida and beyond.
What it reported doing in 2024
Archbold expeditions, inc. Conducts scientific research, education and, conservation programs across the lands and waters of the headwaters of the everglades watershed in south central Florida. Within this landscape archbold expeditions, inc. Manages nearly 20,000 acres, serving as a natural labratory for programmatic activities, including (1) archbold biological station, a 5,200-acre pristine Florida scrub ecosystem located on the ancient lake wales ridge; (2) the 10,500-acre buck island ranch, a working cattle ranch landscape formerly managed by archbold expeditions, inc. As the macarthur agro-ecology research center maerc; and (3) the wetland and upland ecosystem restoration landscape of the 3,600-acre archbold reserve. Scientific research: staff and visiting scientists study ecological patterns and processes on pristine Florida scrub ecosystems, working ranchlands, and wetland and upland restoration lands in the headwaters of the everglades. Fields of research include but are not limited topopulation biology, animal behavior, biogeography, restoration ecology, community ecology, conservation biology, agro-ecology, limnology, entomology, evolution and landscape ecology. Contributions to fundamental science have resulted to date in more than 2,750 research publications. Many archbold expeditions, inc. Research activities are coordinated with national and international research networks such as the us department of agriculture long-term agroecosystem research ltar network, the global lakes ecological research gleon network, and idigbio, the national network for biological museum collections research. Research at buck island ranch is linked to life cycle analyses (greenhouse gases, water quality and quantity) of agricultural products. In addition to contributions to scientific understanding, archbold expeditions, inc. Research informs conservation and land management decision-making on archbold property, across the watershed, and internationally. Studies of rare species, the cycling of fire, water, nutrients and carbon, and the relationship between agriculture production and sustaining essential ecosystem processes, are all represented on archbold's property. These studies guide land management and land and water conservation by public agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners.education: this description of education programs at archbold is for a typical year. Archbold expeditions, inc. Links its scientific research to education through programs that provide education and outreachactivities at archbold biological station, buck island ranch, and thearchbold reserve. The education program is multifaceted. Itencompasses environmental education and science curriculum developmentfor grades 3 - 5 and schoolchildren summer camps with more than onethousand k-12 schoolchildren participating annually. Undergraduate andgraduate students conduct independent research advised by archboldstaff; more than 100 masters and doctoral theses have stemmed fromstudent research. Visiting classes from colleges and universitiesaround the country use archbold expeditions, inc. Lands for teaching and field biology. Archbold expeditions, inc. Hosts many public agency, conservation organization, and other events including seminars and talks, meetings, workshops, tours and demonstration days at archbold biological station and at buck island ranch. Archbold expeditions, inc.offers talks and tours, guided nature trails, and other events open to the public.conservation: archbold expeditions, inc. Property includes management of lands and waters of national conservation significance and its research informs conservation management across the ridges, ranches and rivers of the nationally important headwaters of the everglades watershed. Archbold biological station is a globally significant preserve, which supports the threatened Florida scrub habitat and 19 federally threatened and endangered species. Buck island ranch lies within an important
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
STRONG - 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 reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 83
- Transparency & Controls: 74
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 86
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 93.3%; rating input score 93
- Program expense ratio: 77.7%; rating input score 78
- Fundraising efficiency: $13.76 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- 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; 66th 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: 42.8%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.32; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 93.3% of revenue deployed · 77.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $6.6M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $223K · 25 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $549K reported
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 3 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.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.