Fairmount Park Conservancy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
232977645
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone
2159889334
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,244,994
Expenses
$1,104,543
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN GATTUSO (PRESIDENT)
  • KATHRYN OTT LOVELL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • KATHRYN OTT LOVELL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $139,527 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The fairmount park conservancy works as a collaborative partner to lead and support efforts which preserve and improve the fairmount park system in order to enhance the quality of life and stimulate economic development of the greater philadelphia region.

What it reported doing in 2014

Through sustained leadership, significant investment, and strategic efforts, the fairmount park conservancy is positioning the fairmount park system to become a world-class, preeminent park system, and a national model for urban revitalization, sustainability and civic engagement. The conservancy is a leader and steward of signature capital projects and innovative programs in support of the fairmount park system, including: the $4 million revitalization of hunting park in north philadelphia, treephilly - the city-wide tree planting initiative that directly engages citizens in improving their communities, love your park - a year-round program that empowers residents to improve their local parks with physical improvements and popular events, while at the same time celebrating our park system, and grow up green - a tot recreation program that brings reduced-cost environmental education programming to over 175 youth annually.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 41
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 13.6%; rating input score 14
  • Program expense ratio: 72.6%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $39.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 82.3%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.6%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -61.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 30.1% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 13.6% of revenue deployed · 72.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 23 of 23 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $802K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $140K · 23 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2009 to 2014
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 14/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.