Earthplace Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 060740523
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Westport, CT, USA
- Phone
- 2035574400
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Standard
- Sector
- Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $4,054,582
- Expenses
- $3,850,674
- Assets
- $7,767,846
- Liabilities
- $1,083,907
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- ANTHONY MCDOWELL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- ANTHONY MCDOWELL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $181,990 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Dedicated to nature discovery and environmental learning through education, conservation and science.
What it reported doing in 2024
The harbor watch water quality monitoring program was founded in 1986. Since then, it has grown to include a state certified water quality laboratory, three research vehicles, and an award winning reputation. Its field and lab work follows epa approved quality assurance project plans. The goal of harbor watch is to: provide the people of Connecticut with the data, knowledge, and field expertise necessary to safeguard our waterways, educate our communities about watershed issues, and train volunteers and student interns through hands-on research. Harbor watch has steadily expanded its geography from long island sound to ridgefield, and greenwich to stratford, working with town public works departments to help pinpoint the source of sewage leaks. Funding for the harbor watch program consists mostly of grants, corporate foundations and donations.
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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 73
- Transparency & Controls: 74
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 55
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 80.1%; rating input score 80
- Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
- Fundraising efficiency: $4.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- Written employment contract: Missing
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 5%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.02; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 4.7%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 6.3% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 80.1% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 8 filed program accomplishments · $3.1M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $182K · 14 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $497K reported
- Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 13/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 55/100.