Friends of the Monmouth County Park System Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
223163875
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Lincroft, NJ, USA
Phone
7328424000
Rating
92
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$281,808
Expenses
$283,011
Assets
$2,381,868
Liabilities
$13,828

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHAD SCHORR (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER BRETT (DIRECTOR)
  • EMILEE CARTON (DIRECTOR)
  • HEATHER COLELLA (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The friends of the monmouth county park system, inc. Is a non-profit, voluntary membership organization formed under the pertinent statues of the state of New Jersey. The primary purpose of this corporation is to assist the monmouth county board of recreation commissioners, the monmouth county board of chosen freeholders, the citizens of monmouth county and other interested groups in meeting the objectives and purposes of the monmouth county park system. This includes recreational, open space, historical preservation, conservation, cultural, horticultural, and educational facilities and programming, specifically - to increase the park system's value through donation of services, property, financial assistance, educational assistance, scholarships and coordination of volunteer activities; - to enhance existing resources through funding and management for beautification, restoration and limited capital improvement projects; - to operate, manage and maintain facilities and programs; - to

What it reported doing in 2025

Founded in 1991, the friends of the parks, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, facilitates sponsorship and hosts fundraising events and activities to raise money for special projects in the parks. In 2025, this included: funding for historic site improvements and enhancements are vital to keep history alive. The friends have hired a construction company to begin renovations at the carriage house at historic portland place. Additional funding was provided to historic longstreet farm for historic costumes. Plus, funding was provided to purchase artifacts and exhibit items for the park systems collection. 64,747 benches are significant not only to the aesthetics of a park and respite for a visitor, but also to commemorate the memory of a loved one. This has become the number one fundraiser for the friends. During this past year, the friends placed twenty-six memorial benches in the following park areas: deep cut gardens, dorbrook recreation area, fishermans cove conservation area, hartshorne woods park, hennry hudson trail, holmdel park, hominy hill golf course, huber woods park, swimming river park, thompson park and turkey swamp park. 50,989 the friends were thrilled to open the braille trail at the manasquan reservoir. This first of a kind endeavor was a partnership with the colts neck lions club. It features an interactive trail exhibit with cast bronze wayside exhibits, braille descriptions, and an auto component. New Jersey recreation and parks association (njrpa) has selected the braille trail for their 2025 excellence in design award. 14,395 in addition, the friends continued to provide recreation assistance funding for camp scholarships, after school programs and park excursions for the urban recreation division and community recreation division. Funding was also provided for outdoor recreation programs, volunteer programs, therapeutic recreation programs, as well as for advanced education and training seminars and courses for park system staff. 36,321 the friends of the parks are pleased to provide this support for the monmouth county park system.

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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 95
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.9%; rating input score 99
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $91.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 83; 83rd 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: Limited
  • 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: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.4%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.42; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.7% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.9% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $263K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.