George Wright Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
382360876
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Hancock, MI, USA
Phone
9064879722
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$165,582
Expenses
$243,309
Assets
$521,647
Liabilities
$1,841

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • David W Reynolds (President)
  • Alan Spears (Vice President)
  • David Harmon (Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • Michael Walton (Director)
  • Akiebia Hicks (Director)
  • David W Reynolds (President)

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 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The GWS advances the natural and cultural heritage values of parks, protected/conserved areas, cultural sites, and other forms of place-based conservation. The GWS promotes professional research and resource stewardship across natural and and cultural disciplines, provides avenues of communication, and encourages public policies that embrace these values.

What it reported doing in 2023

Workshops and Exchange Programs. With the US National Park Service and other partners, continued planning the International Capacity Development Workshop (formerly International Visitation Workshop; scheduled for May 2024); began planning the West by Northwest Natural Resource Stewardship Training Workshop (scheduled for April 2024). Binational Exchange Program with Argentina National Parks to Enhance Visitor Services. Co-learning exchange between the Argentine Rep. (Argentina) and the United States of America (USA) to develop mutually beneficial ways to deliver high-quality visitor experiences in Argentina's national parks. (Activity accounts for 45% of salaries/benefits and other expenses attributable to Program Services.)

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.
  • 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. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 87%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $33.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -46.9%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.14; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -32.2% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 87% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $212K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.