Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
421293893
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2023
Location
Oakland, IA, USA
Phone
7124823029
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$783,865
Expenses
$1,011,542
Assets
$1,044,734
Liabilities
$116,828

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CARA MARKER-MORGAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ANGIE REMINGTON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • CARA MARKER-MORGAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $77,476 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To develop and promote sustainable cultural and conservation projects that enhance the quality of life and preserve the assets of rural western Iowa.

What it reported doing in 2024

To develop and promote sustainable and conservation projects that enhance the quality of life and preserve the assets of rursl western Iowa. Local foods and speciality crops - received funding from the builders initiative to support southwest iowans by driving efforts that continue to build a dynamic and resilient local food web, based on regenerative and sustainable practices, and equitable access to fresh and nutritious local food, in an effort to create lasting positive impacts to both the economy and the environment, ensuring thriving, healthy communities. Water resources - funding through the nrcs has supported many long-term projects in this program area. The purpose of the watershed protection and flood prevention (wfpo) project is to gather and update documents related to wfpo structures in Iowa, inventory wfpo structures in Iowa, and develop and provide trainings about operation and maintenance of wfpo structures in Iowa. The regional conservation partnership progra? (rcpp) is a usda natural resources conservation service (nrcs) grant where we are the lead partner and awardee working in partnership with nrcs to provide cost share and technical assistance for landowners to implement conservation practices. Such conservation practices eligble for the program are those that will improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and improve flood resiliency. Outdoor recreation & tourism - funding through the gilchrist foundation, fund for siouxland, loess hills audubon society, department of transportation, Iowa dnr conservation education program, and other various donors, we have been able to enhance the outdoor recreation and tourism scene in western Iowa. These funds were used for staff time printing interpretative panels, guidebooks, brochures, and events. Each year, we host a multi-day hiking & camping event called the lohi trek, located in the loess hills. The event has sold out each year and has a waitlist. Participants not only hike but get to learn about our unique loess hills landform, prairie and woodland ecosystems, and other conservation topics. Through several funding sources, we have also updated and reprinted the much requested siouxland birding guide. Other programs including outdoor recreational development, Iowa byways sustainability projects, outdoor recreation infrastructure.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 70% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 52
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 62.7%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 49.6%; rating input score 50
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -29%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.03; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.7%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 62.7% of revenue deployed · 49.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $502K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $77K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.