Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
874720256
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Atlantic, VA, USA
Phone
7578941209
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Physical Fitness and Community Recreational Facilities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$30,159
Expenses
$97,137
Assets
$49,659
Liabilities
$6,000

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Ronald S Wolff (Executor Director): $72,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation (ESRTF) is engaged in the development, improvement, financing, use, operation, promotion, marketing, maintenance, and good repair of the Eastern Shore Rail Trail running from Hallwood to Cape Charles Virginia.

What it reported doing in 2024

ESTRF program service accomplishments for the year included groundbreaking in Cape Charles, VA, the site of of the first segment of trail construction in May, with projected completion Fall 2026. The trailhead is completed and construction has progressed from Cape Charles, across Route 13, and into the town of Cheriton. The railbed has been filled and is smooth and ready for asphalt surfacing when weather permits. The second section of the trail, Cheriton to Birdsnest has been funded, engineering work completed and will go out for bid in the Spring of 2026. The third trail section, is 18 miles, running from Birdsnest to Melfa, VA, is awaiting approval by the Federal Highway Administration. The last funded segment, running from Melfa to Onley, VA is in the engineering phase. The ESTRF accomplishments account for 2/3 of the proposed 50 mile trail.

Operating model

Revenue model
Affiliate-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions from related organizations.
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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 13
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

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

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 18th 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; 64th 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -222.1%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.51; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 74.1%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 63.4% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 31.1% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -31.4% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $97K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $72K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Schedule R controlled transactions itemized did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 17/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.