Friends of Wirtanen Pioneer Farm

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
412002911
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Makinen, MN, USA
Phone
2186382859
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,465
Expenses
$10,324
Assets
$45,373

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DARLENE SAUMER (PRESIDENT)
  • RON PEKARAINEN (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • DARLENE SAUMER (PRESIDENT)
  • RON PEKARAINEN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • NATALIE BECK (SECRETARY)

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

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

Overview

Mission

To restore and preserve the pioneer farmstead, as an open-air, 365 day/year, self guided museum: and to use the farmstead as an educational tool to promote and carry on finnish immigrant culutre and history through a free-to-the public annual festival

What it reported doing in 2025

Improvements-mill feed (a granular by-product from local mines) was acquiredto improve the safety and mobility on existing walking trails and to provide a solid base to display antique machinery. Work was completed on the restroom approaches making them handicap accessible

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% 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 a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.5%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 82%; rating input score 82

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 40.9%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.39; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.6% per year; rating input score 0; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.6% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.5% of revenue deployed · 82% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 4 filed program accomplishments · $8K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.