Delta Waterfowl

Legal name: Delta Waterfowl Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
530259796
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Bismarck, ND, USA
Phone
1-888-987-3695
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Wildlife Preservation, Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$23,616,795
Expenses
$25,217,504
Assets
$38,127,265
Liabilities
$5,180,858

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

Leadership & pay

34 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Scott Petrie (CEO until Feb)
  • Jason Tharpe -Chief Development (Officer until Feb/CEO as of March)
  • Frank Rohwer (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Scott Petrie (CEO until Feb): $419,300 total reported compensation
  • Jason Tharpe -Chief Development (Officer until Feb/CEO as of March): $284,144 total reported compensation
  • Frank Rohwer (President): $271,520 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Delta uses science-based solutions to produce ducks, conserve prairie wetlands, and ensure the future of waterfowl hunting.

What it reported doing in 2024

Waterfowl Conservation Programs- Includes unique conservation program initiatives in the US and Canada such as the Working Wetlands Program. Programs are achieved through the use of various tools including Communications, Research, Demonstration and Outreach. Intensive Management includes initiatives such as Predator Management, Habitat Initiatives and Henhouses. Intensive Management Programs are also achieved through a variety of tools such as Communications, Research, Demonstration and Outreach. The outcome of both traditional conservation programs and intensive management program are to increase waterfowl and conservation of the resource in the US and Canada. Waterfowl Conservation Programs also include the Waterfowl Heritage Funds Program Initiative or Local Chapter Programs. A portion of funds generated at the chapter level are returned to the chapter to do local projects within their region. Projects include youth hunts, henhouses, scholarships and a variety of programs which help local communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 85.6%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.95 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Pass
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.8%; rating input score 96; 29th 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: 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: -6.8%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.51; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.9%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 6 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 3 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 90.1% of revenue deployed · 85.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 23 of 24 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $21.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $419K · 34 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $126K reported
  • Consistency: 44 of 44 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 72 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.
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.