East Park Leadership and Conservation Center

What it reported doing in 2024

The east park leadership and conservation center ("eplacc") is a partnership project of the philadelphia outward bound school ("outward bound") and the national audubon society, inc. ("audubon"). Together, the two organizations raised funds and oversaw the construction of the discovery center in east fairmount park, a one-of-a-kind center for nature conservation and youth leadership development. Overlooking a 37-acre reservoir, the discovery center featurs indoor and outdoor classrooms, exhibitions, trails, high ropes course, climbing wall, and bird-watching look-outs. Outward bound and audubon developed the center with the intention of serving philadelphia's economically challenged communities through public programs and access to a new public amenity. Eplacc is governed by a board of directions consisting of three representatives from outward bound, three from audubon, and a representative jointly selected by the strawberry mansion community development corporation and strawberry mansion neighborhood action center of philadelphia. In addition, outward bound and audubon entered into a memorandum of understanding that governs use of the discovery center and its environs, cost sharing between outward bound and audubon, and other related matters. The primary purpose of eplacc is to further the missions of its two supporting organizations - national audubon society and philadelphia outward bound school - by developing the site in way that will protect birds and other wildlife, allow for managed public access, provide space and resources for public programming, and create adequate staff offices. It is the goal of eplacc, through the discovery center, to create an unparalled resources to connect communities across the philadelphia region with youth leadership development, nature, and habitat conservation. On july 3, 2014 ("the effective date"), eplacc entered into ground lease with the philadelphia authority for industrial development. At the end of the 30-year period starting on the commencement date. At the end of the 30 -year period, eplacc may renew the lease for an additional 10-year period. The commencement date was september 13, 2017, and is the date that eplacc met a series of conditions including written approval of the project budget and raising 100 percent of the total project budget in readily available funds or in binding, irrevocable donation pledges no later than the fifth anniversary of the effective date. In 2016, audubon completed work on an overflow valve to control water levels on the reservoir as required by the city of philadelphia, preserving the reservoir for the benefit of birds and other wildlife. This first phase of construction, which decommissioned the reservoir as a dam, was required prior to any additional construction activity at the site. Construction on the discovery center began in october 2017 and was completed in september 2018. The capital campaign undertaken by outward bound and audubon envisioned a project budget sufficient to fund all construction costs for the discovery center, a 5 million endowment to support building operations in perpetuity, and capital and operating reserves for building repairs and support for the programs of outward bound and audubon.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Limited
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -166.6%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 25.29; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

• Program expense growth: 27.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -20% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings