Baron Critical Weather Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
824719040
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Huntsville, AL, USA
Phone
2565351100
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Physical & Earth Sciences,

Reported finances

Revenue
$631,892
Expenses
$130,563
Assets
$2,494,981
Liabilities
$765,129

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT O BARON SR (PRESIDENT/CE)

People named in this filing

  • CHARLIE BLASS (BOARD MEMBER)
  • DAVID DRISCOLL (BOARD MEMBER)
  • JEFF IRONS (BOARD MEMBER)

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

Class weather instrumentation in support of public safety, educational outreach, and economic development. The area of the Tennessee valley and state of Alabama has all the natural opportunities for substantial study into transportation weather and research and development but does not currently have access to world class instrumentation. The institute is dedicated to organizing currently available instrumentation in real time as well as developing real time weather networks on land, navigable waterways and other. The institute is dedicated to educational outreach and will be responsible for a hands-on exhibit which allows citizens and scientists to understand how instrumentation assists in "knowing the weather". The institute will contribute data and research into the ongoing statewide effort to enhance public safety.

What it reported doing in 2024

Develop, coordinate and support world class instrumentation across the state.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 20
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 86
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 11.1%; rating input score 11
  • Program expense ratio: 42.4%; rating input score 42
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • 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: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 79.3%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 19.11; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.1% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 27% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 46.1% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 11.1% of revenue deployed · 42.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $55K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.