Corvallis Environmental Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
931140056
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Corvallis, OR, USA
Phone
5417539211
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$759,655
Expenses
$735,141
Assets
$78,572
Liabilities
$22,051

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MATT JOHNSTON (PRESIDENT)
  • CHRIS ANDERSON (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • KATE WOODS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DIANE CONVERSE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • DIANE CONVERSE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $72,586 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The corvallis environmental center (cec) is a community-based, educational non-profit that has prioritized partnerships to implement programs to address community needs since 1994. Cec's mission is to create a healthy, sustainable community. We do this through pre-k through 8th environmental education, farm to school programs, youth leadership development, teacher training, and food security. Cec's programs include after school programs, summer camps, natureplay preschool in avery park, classroom education and field trips in partnership with school districts in benton and linn counties, family programs and events including summer concerts and fall film festival, and a 1-acre demonstration and education garden in starker arts park known as sage. The food grown at sage is donated to those in need through our social service partner agencies.

What it reported doing in 2024

Food for families: the corvallis environmental center's food for families program helps alleviate hunger and food insecurity in corvallis by filling gaps in the local emergency food system. The goal of the food for families program is to improve the health of vulnerable populations in corvallis and increase their food self-sufficiency while simultaneously engaging and educating community members in sustainable agricultural production practices.the program provides fresh produce year round to partner emergency food distribution centers, shelters, and social service agencies in corvallis who distribute our fresh vegetables to individuals and families in need. In 2024, we donated over 5,000 pounds of fresh produce which was harvested from the garden and delivered fresh to the local food pantries and social service agencies we partner with for distribution to their clientele. Cooking demonstrations continued this year for the south corvallis food bank clients during the summer utilizing fresh produce and other items available at the food bank that day.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 64% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.5%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 76.8%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.34 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 58; 58th 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: Limited
  • 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.2%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.11; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.9%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -15.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.5% of revenue deployed · 76.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $565K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $73K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 45/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.