Aurora Lights Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
541942427
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Morgantown, WV, USA
Phone
3042905917
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Botanical Gardens, Arboreta and Botanical Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$101,507
Expenses
$83,119
Assets
$71,596
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER OSHA BUYSSE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • JENNIFER OSHA BUYSSE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • PAULA TAYLOR (TREASURER)
  • LAUREN MARTIN (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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The purpose is to reconnect individuals to their human and natural environment through educational outreach, environmental activism and the creation of sustainable community processes.

What it reported doing in 2024

Aurora lights, inc. Provides educational programs (during, afterschool and summer) and stewardship/leadership programs throughout the year. These programs focus on many outdoor activities of various kinds to promote native wv animals, biodiversity for the mountains and promote a healthy appalachia region.

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.

The verdict

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.7%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 88

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 18.1%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.86; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 40.3%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.2% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.7% of revenue deployed · 87.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $73K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 54/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.