Association to Preserve Cape Cod Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042462788
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Dennis, MA, USA
Phone
5086193185
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,287,887
Expenses
$5,903,038
Assets
$3,801,577
Liabilities
$733,057

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

24 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELYSSE MAGNOTTO-CLEARY (PRESIDENT)
  • MEREDITH HARRIS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ANDREW GOTTLIEB (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANDREW GOTTLIEB (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $180,865 total reported compensation
  • WILLIAM RILEY (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $106,546 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To promote policies and programs that foster the preservation of the natural resources of cape cod.

What it reported doing in 2025

Since its inception, apcc has been a science-driven organization for environmental protection and advocacy by applying our scientific knowledge to solving the cape's environmental issues. Scientifically trained and experienced staff use well-vetted scientific information to evaluate issues, provide recommendations, and plan and implement projects. Our decisions are informed by input from scientists, technical experts and other professionals outside the organization. Partnerships are key for sharing of information to achieve goals. Results of projects are used to evaluate progress in addressing problems. Monitoring programs utilize rigorous quality assurance procedures and are designed to be transparent in order to promote public understanding of the issues. Science-based projects are designed to address major environmental problems by informing actions such as policies, outreach, or additional scientific activities to achieve results. Our science programs include: state of the waters: cape cod, herring monitoring, cyanobacteria monitoring, ecosystem restoration program, critical habitat protection, climate change, and cape cod pond monitoring program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 63% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $38.57 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • 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: 9 of 9 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.1%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.6% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 23.6% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.2% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $5.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $181K · 24 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $701K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.