Beartooth Resource Conservation and Development Area Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363705448
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Joliet, MT, USA
Phone
4069623914
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$690,003
Expenses
$493,794
Assets
$3,057,443
Liabilities
$1,405,399

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOEL BERTOLINO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOEL BERTOLINO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $76,143 total reported compensation
  • NAN KNIGHT (FINANCE DIRECTOR): $68,095 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The beartooth resource conservation and development area, inc. (beartooth rc&d) is a citizen-driven nonprofit dedicated to building stronger communities. Sponsored and directed by local people, rc&d provides a regional framework to improve economic and social conditions by conserving, utilizing, and developing the natural and human resources of south-central Montana. By engaging individuals with diverse backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives, beartooth rc&d helps communities identify challenges, design solutions, and implement projects that improve quality of life. In its simplest form, the rc&d is citizens working together to build stronger, more resilient communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Beartooth rc&d promotes rural and economic development throughout big horn, carbon, stillwater, sweet grass, and yellowstone counties. As both a state-designated certified regional development corporation (crdc) and a federally designated economic development district (edd), beartooth plays a central role in supporting business growth and community vitality. Services include project development, business planning, and grant writing, as well as direct assistance to municipalities and counties on infrastructure, facilities, and public service improvements.as of december 2024, beartooth manages two usda rural community development initiative (rcdi) grants, one in big horn county and one in carbon county. In 2023, the organization expanded its services through the launch of an epa brownfields program, helping property owners complete phase i and phase ii environmental assessments to prepare underutilized sites for redevelopment. In 2024, beartooth was awarded a recharge our community's economy (roce) grant through the rural community assistance corporation (rcac) to partner with the city of columbus on economic revitalization initiatives.beartooth rc&d also operates a state-funded food and agriculture development center (fadc) that helps Montana producers innovate and grow businesses in food, agriculture, and renewable energy. This program provides technical assistance in product development, commercialization, and market expansion. Current funding includes a federal specialty crop block grant, as well as targeted programs such as a farm-to-school grant and a reap technical assistance grant.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 82% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 61.7%; rating input score 62
  • Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
  • 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: 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: 28.4%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.19; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.46; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 29.2%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -9.2% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 61.7% of revenue deployed · 85.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $423K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $76K · 26 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.