Conservation Corps

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411881102
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6512099905
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$12,250,281
Expenses
$12,328,891
Assets
$10,468,407
Liabilities
$2,496,199

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NALANI MCCUTCHEON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • NALANI MCCUTCHEON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $176,573 total reported compensation
  • CAROLYN LLORENS (HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR): $148,667 total reported compensation
  • BINRONG ZHU (DIRECTOR OF FINANCE): $138,099 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of conservation corps of Minnesota & Iowa (ccmi) is to engage youth and young adults in meaningful service, leadership development, and environmental stewardship. The organization's vision is a world where everyone has equitable access to nature, is equipped to succeed in career and life, and is empowered to make a difference in conserving natural resources.

What it reported doing in 2025

Field crews: program for young adults, ages 18 to 30, including nonresidential crews in northern, central, and southern Minnesota and central Iowa that engage members in natural resource management and disaster response work from february to december. Seasonal trail crews spike camp for week-long stretches while they improve the trails in northern forests and state and national parks. Americorps members receive a monthly stipend, health insurance, and an education award for college expenses. Beside career and work-skills training, members receive certifications in wildfire suppression, defensive driving, chainsaw safety and first aid.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 63% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.5%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 73.6%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.37 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.6%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.85; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.5% of revenue deployed · 73.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $9.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $177K · 21 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.3M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.