Dairy Science Institute Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
271756847
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Rosemont, IL, USA
Phone
8478032000
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,587,185
Expenses
$11,397,962
Assets
$17,035,512
Liabilities
$3,528,365

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Barbara O'Brien (President, Chair)

Highest reported compensation

  • Barbara O'Brien (President, Chair): $717,658 total reported compensation
  • Quinton Baily (CFO and Director): $530,861 total reported compensation
  • Marilyn Hershey (Director): $48,250 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dairy research institute (dri) engages in dairy science research, study and analysis, sharing findings and best practices with dairy stakeholders and consumers.

What it reported doing in 2024

The dri sustainability program is committed to supporting scientific research aimed at understanding, measuring and improving the environmental impact of dairy operations. Sustainability research focuses on greenhouse gases emission reduction opportunities, life cycle assessments, water use efficiency and water quality, sustainability measurement and reporting, and technology transfer and knowledge sharing to improve farm advisor access to science based technical resources. In 2021, we launched the "dairy soil and water regeneration" project, a research collaboration with dairy management inc (dmi) and external organizations that seeks to quantify how certain practices improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve water quality. Another initiative, "dairy scale for good", also working with dmi and external research organizations, establishes pilot farms across the united states to test and implement sustainable technologies and practices within the dairy industry. "dairy scale for good" emphasizes education, providing the dairy industry with practical and efficient solutions to achieve their ambitious goal of net zero emissions by 2050. These initiatives serve the public interest by promoting environmental sustainability and combating climate change and protecting water resources.

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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 47
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99.6%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -148.5%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.49; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.21; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.2%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -17.8% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.5% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 6 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $11.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $718K · 6 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $5.8M reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 4 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.