Como Friends

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411943928
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6514878229
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,414,890
Expenses
$6,993,104
Assets
$19,733,646
Liabilities
$1,442,242

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

Leadership & pay

32 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KATHERINE HILL BEGAN 725 (PRESIDENT/BO)
  • JACQUELINE STICHA THRU 725 (PRESIDENT/BO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CAROLINE MEHLHOP (DIRECTOR OF): $149,794 total reported compensation
  • JEFFERY MUNDINGER (DIRECTOR OF): $149,782 total reported compensation
  • LAUREL LUNDBERG (DIRECTOR OF): $143,331 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We inspire community generosity in support of como park zoo & conservatory so it thrives for generations to come.

What it reported doing in 2025

Como friends secures donations and generates retail revenues to invest in como park zoo & conservatory. Investments support new capital projects such as como harbor and the ordway gardens, annual improvements to animal exhibits and gardens, conservation partnerships around the world, progressive education programs and free and equitable access for all visitors. The past decade of transformative improvements championed by como friends have made it possible for como to meet and exceed best practice standards for animal care, grow and curate world-class horticultural collections, and to provide free admission for all.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 85% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 79% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 74.8%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: -29.1%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.82; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.4%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 74.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $150K · 32 people listed
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.