Great Lakes Bay Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Sustainability the great lakes bay foundation works in a regional, collaborative manner to adopt more sustainability programs and to identify potential partners who will take up sustainability initiatives within their organization. The foundation works to build pilot programs in sustainability that can be replicated across the region. The foundation also works to identify opportunities regionwide where sustainability can be implemented in concert with other organizations in the great lakes bay region. Health & economic initiative - the great lakes bay health and economic initiative, collaboration between the great lakes bay regional alliance (glbra) and the Michigan health improvement alliance (mihia), has partnered to deliver improved health and sustained economic growth in great lakes bay. We've contracted with a consulting group that is helping us develop a strategic plan to identify a strategic portfolio of interventions to improve the region's health and economy. Art wave - artwave is a multi-year celebration of the high-quality art and entertainment choices found in the great lakes bay region. Each month, artwave spotlights events and activities in one of the counties in our region, promoting awareness and encouraging everyone that great arts and entertainment from music concerts and museum exhibits to sporting events and film festivals can be found right here. The artwave campaign focuses on one county at a time, on a predetermined schedule selected to coincide with already planned activities/exhibitions. Institute for leaders/ambassadors - the great lakes bay region includes bay, isabella, midland, and saginaw counties. These four counties are natural partners by geography. Increasingly, that partnership is enhanced through efforts focused on specific issues and goals. Combining this natural partnership with prepared leaders, we can accomplish great things. Our region can only be strengthened through the leadership of individuals who are knowledgeable, informed, and ready to advocate and bring resources to the table. Developing such leaders is accomplished through the great lakes bay regional alliance institute for leaders. The institute for leaders curriculum expands participants' knowledge of the great lakes bay region, and introduces powerful, successful scenarios and concepts from other regions or at the state level. The institute for leaders begins in january with a class and orientation dinner. The class meets eight times, january through june, taking july and august off, and will wrap up for the year in october. Each session focuses on a different topic such as economic sustainability, social issues, government, and offers a combination of top-notch presenters, tours, discussions and networking. Throughout the institute for leaders, participants are expected to apply their advanced leadership skills and knowledge to plan creative approaches to opportunities existing in the great lakes bay region; accordingly, our curriculum includes a trained facilitator to aid in this process. We now boast over 280 graduates of the institute for leaders. These ambassadors are our allies and are the key to the individual communities' effective collaboration on any issue or opportunity for the great lakes bay region. The great lakes bay regional alliance institute for leaders represents a long-term investment in providing the leadership essential to creating positive individual and collective futures of bay, isabella, midland and, saginaw counties. Attraction - the great lakes bay foundation works in a regional, collaborative manner to identify leads and prospects across the globe that would consider opening a facility or business in the great lakes bay region. This includes working with site selectrs, attending various global trade shows, hosting prospective companies in the region, and working with companies/parties to identify potential leads.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.3%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 80.6%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 27.6%; rating input score 28; 27th 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: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -14.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.15; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.32; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings