Forest Home Historic Preservation Association Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391477238
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2016
Location
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Phone
4146452632
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs

Reported finances

Revenue
$483,947
Expenses
$456,137
Assets
$1,177,961
Liabilities
$755

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUZY BRENNAN (PRESIDENT)
  • BARBIE BRENNAN-NELSON (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SARA TOMILIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARA TOMILIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $87,723 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 fhhpa exists to support the environmental, educational, and historic preservation efforts of milwaukee's oldest operating cemetery, forest home cemetery & arboretum. We believe in sharing our abundant natural resources with our community while educating residents about their city's rich, diverse history. As a national histroic site with an internationally accredited arboretum, we seek to preserve this special place to benefit the living and surrounding community. Through public engagement, we foster support to preserve and enhance the monuments, buildings and grounds for future generations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Forest home historic preservation association provided support and preservation of forest home cemetery through tree management, chapel repairs, monument preservation, monument cleaning, new signage fabrication and installation, and road repairs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 66% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 62% for direct work, and 38% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 50
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.2%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.7%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.58; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 32% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.5% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.2% of revenue deployed · 93.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $428K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $88K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.