Berks Nature

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231966295
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Reading, PA, USA
Phone
6103724992
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,146,479
Expenses
$3,295,205
Assets
$47,248,301
Liabilities
$246,089

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KIMBERLY J MURPHY (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 11/2025))
  • TAMI JO SHIMP (PRESIDENT (AS OF 11/2025))

Highest reported compensation

  • KIMBERLY J MURPHY (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 11/2025)): $238,661 total reported compensation
  • TAMI JO SHIMP (PRESIDENT (AS OF 11/2025)): $142,194 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our vision is to be a cornerstone of excellence in the stewardship of the environment. Clearly identified with our specific mission, we strive to meet the ever-changing needs of the county and to conserve its heritage and essential character. We provide environmental leadership, direct action, expertise, land use planning, advocacy, research and education.

What it reported doing in 2025

To preserve farmlands, open spaces, wooded highlands and historical areas, as well as to educate the general public as to the importance of conservation and environmental issues. In 2025 we protected 91.45 acres by easement bringing our total acres protected to over 11,455.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 82% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 55.7%; rating input score 56
  • Program expense ratio: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $56.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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; 63rd 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: 36%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.34; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.5% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 55.7% of revenue deployed · 81.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $239K · 18 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.