Fairmount Park Conservancy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
232703821
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Philadelphia, PA, US
Phone
215-988-9334
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Beautification and Aesthetics

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,856,170
Expenses
$17,548,161
Assets
$25,550,729
Liabilities
$9,452,123

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

33 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CAROL S EICHER (CHAIR AND PRESIDENT)
  • CAROL HORNE PENN (VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR)
  • HESHAN WANIGASEKERA (VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR)
  • TONY SORRENTINO (CEO (EFF 10/25))
  • TIM CLAIR (INTERIM CFO (INTERIM CEO THRU 10/25))

Highest reported compensation

  • TIM CLAIR (INTERIM CFO (INTERIM CEO THRU 10/25)): $229,634 total reported compensation
  • ALLISON SCHAPKER (CHIEF PROJECTS OFFICER): $214,578 total reported compensation
  • MARGARET HOLSCHER (CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $173,571 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We help to restore and maintain Philadelphia's parks. We engage the public in supporting our common spaces. And we activate these spaces with innovative programs and amenities that bring people from all walks of life together.

What it reported doing in 2025

The fairmount park conservancy leads large-scale capital improvements to philadelphia parklands, from planning through construction. In 2025, projects included advancing the comprehensive long-range fdr park plan, continuing the renovation of a recreation center in cobbs creek park, finishing designs to enhance the centennial district of west fairmount park, and ongoing land care in key geographies across philadelphia. Fdr park: the conservancy, in partnership with philadelphia parks & recreation, continues to deliver tangible progress towards implementing the fdr park plan. In 2025, the conservancy completed construction of the $6 million gateway plaza, which includes 81 new native trees, storm gardens featuring native plants and flowering understory canopy to absorb stormwater, and plazas formed in the shapes of the park's iconic lakes.in 2025 the conservancy also completed construction of the fdr park welcome center. Initiated in 2022, this $12 million project is an adaptive reuse of the former park guardhouse and horse stables, made possible through a public-private partnership between the city of philadelphia and the conservancy.the new welcome center is leed gold certified and features public restrooms, an open-air courtyard for refreshments and events, community meeting spaces, park offices, and an information center.cobbs creek park: fairmount park conservancy continued its oversight of the johnny sample (cobbs creek) rec center renovation supported by the city of philadelphia's rebuild program. This $15 million project brings new life to a beloved cornerstone of the cobbs creek community through improved accessibility features, new roofing and hvac, a boxing gym and multipurpose rooms, and a completely refinished basketball gym. The renovation extends into the rec center's landscape as well, creating accessible pathways and adding native plants and trees along the park trail leading to the site.west fairmount park: the conservancy released new designs for the historic john welsh memorial fountain in west fairmount park's centennial district, envisioning a restored fountain surrounded by welcoming spaces for play, learning, art, and relaxation. Informed by extensive community input, the plans for the welsh fountain garden also improve pedestrian access, highlight parkside's cultural history, and strengthen the landscape with resilient native plantings.

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 most voting board members are independent. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 62
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 73.8%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: 1.7%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.46; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.9%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 7 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 73.4% of revenue deployed · 73.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 23 of 23 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $12.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $230K · 33 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $8.7M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 36 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • 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: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 50/100.