Fly Fishers International

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237037444
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Livingston, MT, USA
Phone
4062229369
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fishing, Hunting

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$708,697
Expenses
$894,239
Assets
$1,095,724
Liabilities
$460,327

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RHONDA SELLERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RHONDA SELLERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $100,856 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of fly fishers international is to foster the legacy of fly fishing for all fish in all waters through conservation, education, and inspiring a growing community of fly fishers.

What it reported doing in 2024

Fly fishers international accomplishes its goals by teaching people about the sport of fly fishing through many educational activities. The educational opportunities provided include how to fly cast, how to tie flies, and how to fly fish in general. The organization funds grants that are used by their clubs, councils, and other organizations for local conservation and education projects. The organization also provides an educational magazine (twice a year) to their members and distributes it through the many fishing fairs and expos that the organization attends. Additionally, members and interested parties received at least 24 electronic news publications each year. In 2024 approximately 25,000 people were impacted by the organization's educational activities. Also 5-10 conservation and education grants and scholarships are given out each year.

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 90% 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. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.3%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 77%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 56.7%; rating input score 57; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.3%; rating input score 91; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.2%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.23; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.3%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.3% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.3% of revenue deployed · 77% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 23 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $688K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $101K · 23 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 34/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.