Great Salt Lake Audubon

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237102723
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017
Location
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Phone
3853130608
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$61,351
Expenses
$72,506
Assets
$411,286
Liabilities
$15,630

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GEORGIE CORKERY (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • NATALIA BELL (BOARD MEMBER)
  • GEORGIE CORKERY (PRESIDENT)
  • HEATHER DOVE (BOARD MEMBER)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Great salt lake audubon, a chapter of the national audubon society, was founded in 1912 and is the oldest conservation organization in Utah. This volunteer organization strives to meet its mission through volunteer opportunities, seminars, educational field trips, habitat restoration and informative general meetings with guest presenters. We also support state and local conservation efforts. Great salt lake audubon is dedicated to protecting and enhancing habitat for wild birds, animals and plants, and to maintaining healthy and diverse environments for wildlife and people throughout the state.

What it reported doing in 2024

- birds 'n bites monthly meetings are still being conducted virtually, but we plan to add in-person meetings in the coming year. - education programs including monthly general meetings for members and the public, some specifically designed for children and families. Online offerings were extended to keep people engaged and we have expanded our indoor education programs. - special presentations in collaboration with the great salt lake institute at westminster college, including the annual fall forum education seminar. - bi-monthly distribution of the gsla newsletter, the pelican, highlighting conservation issues, field trip offerings, recent accomplishments of gsla, and notices of general interest. We are now issuing in digital format only to reduce environmental impacts. - sponsored approximately 95 birding field trips open to audubon members and the general public. Also provided over 30 different educational presentations/events to various public groups in addition to the birds 'n bites programs - sponsored the doyle w. Stephens research program, the great salt lake bird festival, international coastal cleanup and the great salt lake issues forum in partnership with friends of great salt lake and other organizations. - conducted local participation in the annual christmas bird count (national activity), the jordan river bird count (local activity) and the brighton bird count (local activity). - management and repair of the bluebird box trail at strawberry reservoir. - partnered with other local environmental and community organizations such as tracy aviary, great salt lake alliance, friends of great salt lake, Utah physicians for a healthy environment, and stop the polluting port coalition, in order to insure that impacts from port development to birds and habitat of the great salt lake ecosystem are minimized. - maintained the presence of a legislative advocate to lobby the Utah legislature on issues regarding habitat conservation and especially those related to the drying of the great salt lake. - submission of comments and position statements to decision-making agencies regarding local environmental issues that impact birds, wildlife and habitat. - continued to expand both our dark skies and bird window collision programs which inform members, the general public and public/private large building owners how to mitigate the harmful effects of light pollution and window collisions on birds. Began installing window mitigation materials on private residences in order to reduce bird-window collisions. - awarded 25,000 in small grants to thirteen different non-profit or educational organizations for projects that further the mission and goals of great salt lake audubon.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 55% for direct work, and 45% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $41.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 24th 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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -18.2%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.67; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.8% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4.1% per year; rating input score 0; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 90.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $65K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 23/100.