Colibri Catalyst Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
920740048
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2029877700
Rating
36
Verdict
REVIEW
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$250,000
Expenses
$23,812
Assets
$35,879
Liabilities
$65,250

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREW STERN (BOARD CHAIR, CEO - GDI)
  • BELINDA MORRIS (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANDREW STERN (BOARD CHAIR, CEO - GDI): $255,877 total reported compensation
  • ELIZABETH VANDERWOUDE (CFO/TREASURER): $218,600 total reported compensation
  • STEVEN BERGEN (BOARD SECRETARY, ASSOCIATE DIR. - GDI): $188,777 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Colibri catalyst will accelerate and increase the flow of capital to regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, sustainable forestry, conservation and restoration in the global south.

What it reported doing in 2024

Sdg impact: the sdg impact program is focused on the design of a $10 million pilot fund to operate over the course of three years. The pilot will demonstrate the potential for a full-scale $100 million fund with a minimum lifetime of 10 years to catalyze private investment in natural climate solutions. The goal of the program is to: (i) expand, aggregate and direct catalytic capital to high-impact projects, enterprises and intermediary vehicles investing in ncs in the global south; (ii) support investees in the development and implementation of robust financial, impact and esg management systems, all critical to achieve the financial, economic, environmental and social outcomes needed; (iii) advise private investors on the opportunities to invest in ncs; (iv) and build strategic partnerships for the development of key segments of the ncs market ecosystem, including conservation, organizations, impact measurement providers, public and private investors and corporates.the $10 million pilot fund will be deployed as technical assistance and capacity building and early-stage growth capital to ncs businesses or anchor or first-loss capital to ncs intermediary vehicles. The pilot fund aims to leverage at least $40 million in additional private sector financing to natural climate solutions investments. The pilot fund is expected to help sequester or avoid 8,000,000 tonnes of co2, put 200,000 hectares of land under long-term sustainable management and improve livelihoods for 60,000 people (50% of them women).

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

REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. 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: 3
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 47
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 0.6%; rating input score 1
  • Program expense ratio: 6.8%; rating input score 7
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 25%; rating input score 25; 15th 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: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 90.5%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.51; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.82; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 331.6%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -198.8% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 40.8% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 118.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 0.6% of revenue deployed · 6.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 4 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $256K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 4 filed related-organization links
  • 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 1/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 25/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.