Conservation Force Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
721364493
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Metairie, LA, USA
Phone
5048371233
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,028,055
Expenses
$1,969,923
Assets
$2,904,136
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN J JACKSON III (CHAIRMAN & PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN J JACKSON III (CHAIRMAN & PRESIDENT): $42,734 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTIAN B JACKSON (SECRETARY & TREASURER): $30,500 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to establish and further the conservation of wildlife, wild places and our outdoor way of life. Conservation force stands for three forces. One, hunters and anglers are an indispensable force for wildlife conservation. Two, conservation force is a collaborative effort combining forces from a consortium of organizations. Three, conservation force is a proactive force due to its record of conservation successes. Conservation activities are divided into three areas: (1) habitat and biodiversity integrity, (2) species, (3) maritime. Habitat includes (a) easements, (b) communal based natural resources management (cbnrm), (c) the endangered species act (esa), and (d) convention in trade of endangered species. Species includes a variety of animals ranging from the african lion to the markhor. Maritime includes cbnrm with indigenous coastal world-wide communities and all conservation projects funded by recreational anglers.

What it reported doing in 2024

The conservation and survival of elephant in southern and eastern africa is a primary concern of conservation force. We are leaders in developing management action plans and the implementation of key aspects of those plans. This includes securing essential landscape, control of poaching, stimulating tolerance of local rural people through cbnrm strategies, and much more. The focus is the support and perpetuation of the most successful elephant conservation programs in the world- the undisputed strongholds of the largest remaining elephant populations.projects in zimbabwe, tanzania & namibia; the clean water project; the dna tagging project; the doorway to waterways projects; just to list a few.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 46% for direct work, and 54% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.5%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 97%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 97.4%; rating input score 97; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 9th 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: 2.9%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.47; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.7%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -10.9% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.5% of revenue deployed · 97% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $43K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.