Emerald Necklace Conservancy Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
043414988
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Phone
6175222700
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,322,413
Expenses
$5,071,404
Assets
$11,670,722
Liabilities
$174,795

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MAUNEY-BRODEK KAREN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MAUNEY-BRODEK KAREN (PRESIDENT): $207,658 total reported compensation
  • TRUFANOVA VERONIKA (DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT): $141,446 total reported compensation
  • SINGMASTER CARLEN (DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS): $126,456 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To restore and improve the emerald necklace for all.

What it reported doing in 2024

Community programs - the conservancy continues to partner with organizations hosting events in the parks to offer more opportunities for inclusive programming elements like american sign-language ("asl") interpretation, bipoc-led musical performances, and signage in multiple languages. Youth programs - the conservancy's green team is a summer youth environmental career exploration program which provides environmental education, leadership training and real work experience in the parks during an intensive six weeks through a partnership with the boston office of youth employment and opportunity. Participants regularly worked in various emerald necklace parks maintaining the landscape; took field trips and educational tours within the necklace and beyond; participated in an anti-bullying and inclusion workshop; explored career pathways in environmental fields with the usda forest service and arnold arboretum professional staff; participated in team building, and career soft-skills development activities. Canopy classroom is a place-based, environmental education program that is consistent with boston public school curriculum and state standards. The field-trip program held in emerald necklace parks connects boston public schools third graders with the importance of science in the real world and their daily lives.volunteer program - the conservancy's corporate volunteer days, "days in the dirt", and our free public volunteer opportunities, "tuesdays with roses and "second saturdays", continue to be popular offering for individuals and groups. Volunteers help maintain and restore the emerald necklace by raking leaves, picking up garbage, removing invasive plants, or planting new trees and shrubs. Volunteers spent 2,829 hours caring for the emerald necklace-work that is critical to the conservancy's mission.visitor services - the conservancy's free public shattuck visitor center is located in the back bay fens at 125 the fenway, across the street from the museum of fine arts. The visitor center is an information and educational resource about the parks and a gathering place for the community and includes a public restroom. A hub of activity, you'll find a variety of free things to do in boston parks at the shattuck visitor center from walking tours to talks and exhibits.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 80% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 89% 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: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.9%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 4.7%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.3; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.4%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.9% of revenue deployed · 70.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $208K · 30 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 38 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.