Big Blackfoot Chapter of Montana Trout Unlimited

Legal name: Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521765527
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Ovando, MT, US
Phone
(406) 240-4824
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fisheries Resources

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,972,142
Expenses
$1,924,667
Assets
$374,325
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JAMES W STUTZMAN (President)
  • RANDY GAZDA (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • JAMES W STUTZMAN (President)
  • RANDY GAZDA (Vice President)
  • DANIEL HORGAN (Director)

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

Restore and conserve the cold water fishery of the Blackfoot River and its tributaries.

What it reported doing in 2024

During the fiscal year ended 03.31.24, as the mission statement implies, bbctu was involved in planning, implementing or monitoring a number of specific habitat improvement projects as well as participating with valley residents in a wide range of general watershed issues. Bbctu members and partners participated in both watershed-wide initiatives as well as specific restoration projects. The chapter initiated and/or completed instream restoration project designs on another reach of Nevada creek and grazing management projects were developed on Nevada creek. Fish passage projects designs were implemented on benedict creek, poorman creek and clearwater river. Bbctu continued its support of the research of Montana fish, wildlife and parks on the native fishery of the blackfoot. Bbctu also sponsored and participated in a number of events in the blackfoot valley and wrote several grant applications to support projects. Bbctu led several tours, presented on restoration topics and organized volunteer days to plant riparian vegetation.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 87% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 98
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.9%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 99.3%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19,648.95 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.4%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.3% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.6% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 9 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 96.9% of revenue deployed · 99.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.5M reported
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 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.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.