Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
931157157
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Lincoln City, OR, USA
Phone
5419946338
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Botanical Gardens, Arboreta and Botanical Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$42,746
Expenses
$44,195
Assets
$639,471
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kathie Arehart (Director, President)
  • Jenny Dahrens (Director, Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • Kathie Arehart (Director, President)
  • Jenny Dahrens (Director, Vice President)
  • Cheri Rice (Director, Secretary)

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

To preserve and maintain a significant horticultural site as a demonstration botanical garden; propagate and promote appropriate native and ornamental plants; maintain an interpretive center; nuture related arts, compatible non profit operations and community education.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Garden: The Garden is about 1.25 acres in a residential neighborhood, with a parking area, and is open to visitors during all daylight hours, free of charge. It is unattended a good deal of the time, much like a park. The 2022 discovery of a pathogen of federal regulatory concern, Phytophthora ramorum, in the garden, continues to have detrimental effects. Additional plant removal was conducted in the fall of 2024, followed by ground cleanup and application of cedar chips to cover potentially contaminated soil. The irrigation project was finally completed but still requires some adjustment and fine tuning. Dissatisfaction with the irrigation project resulted in a decision not to use the same contractor for the drainage project, so that it is delayed indefinitely. Replacement planting began with the installation of 3 specimen trees in the northwest corner to provide some windbreak for other parts of the garden. The new tree procurement and installation and corrective pruning on some existing large trees was done by a licensed arborist. With permission from the City, an excavation contractor rebuilt some street right of way with rock and additional soil to provide additional parking and improve a planting area. Numerous annual and perennial plants were produced to provide filler and color where large plants had been removed. A group of volunteers donated about 2900 hours toward garden maintenance.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 96.6%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: -3.4%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.47; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5.4% per year; rating input score 0; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 96.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $43K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.