Bonobo Conservation Initiative

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522146443
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2023321014
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Protection of Endangered Species

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$414,584
Expenses
$412,328
Assets
$99,311
Liabilities
$12,757

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICK MEHLMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER MOUSTGAARD (PROGRAM MANAGER): $57,750 total reported compensation
  • SALLY J COXE (PRESIDENTCEO): $45,644 total reported compensation
  • PATRICK MEHLMAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $37,425 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Protect endangered bonobos, preserve the tropical rainforest habitat, empower communities in the congo basin. Working in partnership with indigenous communities, bci is safeguarding bonobos, preserving large tracts of rainforest, benefitting people through livelihood and education

What it reported doing in 2024

The Bonobo Peace Forest: a network of community-managed reserves, spanning a vast area of rainforest habitat. Includes two nationally gazetted nature reserves: Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve & Sankuru Nature Reserve, together encompasing 9 million acres, plus five additional community forests preparing for legal protection, where bonobos are protected. Working with The Nature Conservancy, Wild Forests & Fauna, and other partners to scale up conservation activities and achieve official protection for Lilungu, a strategic site that links a critical conservation corridor. Three additional community conservation areas have completed participatory mappinga key step in the process of obtaining legal protection of their lands. In-situ activities include reserve management, wildlife protection, sustainable livelihood initiatives, as well as ongoing education. Long-term bonobo research program at Kokolopori entered its ninth year, under the auspices of Harvard University.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 58
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.5%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 67.9%; rating input score 68
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.62 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.5%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.24; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 46.1%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -7.9% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.5% of revenue deployed · 67.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $280K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $58K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 13/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.