Green Blue Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010706799
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone
4348171424
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,698,025
Expenses
$10,040,768
Assets
$8,576,494
Liabilities
$3,734,201

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAUL NOWAK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • PAUL NOWAK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $374,374 total reported compensation
  • BARBARA FOWLER (DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMM): $236,419 total reported compensation
  • MIKE TANNENBAUM (DIRECTOR, NAVIGATE): $193,274 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Foster the creation of a resilient system of commerce based on the principles of sustainable materials management

What it reported doing in 2024

Sustainable packaging coalition: greenblue has convened a coalition of major stakeholders in the packaging industry whose mission is to: 1) advocate and communicate a positive, robust environmental vision for packaging, and 2) leverage innovative, functional packaging materials and systems that supporteconomic and environmental health. This activity is executed in the forms of research, education, communications, and events. Membership is comprised of over 550 companies, academic institutions, local governments, and government agencies.research: we conduct in-house research, commission external research studies, as well as evaluate research by respected third parties on a myriad of topics including such examples as: consumer recycling collection access, compostable packaging, responsible sourcing of fiberfor packaging, etc. This research becomes the foundation for our educational offerings, live event seminars, trainings, and workshops, as well as communications content to inform a large audience interested and concerned about packaging sustainability.education: greenblue's spc produces and educational program called the essentials of sustainable packaging (esp) that explores the critical areas of packaging sustainability. Topics include e-commerce, chemical recycling, reusable packaging, and more. The esp's are updatedregularly and delivered live as well as asynchronously via a learning management system to broaden our reach. Communications: the communications team manages active email, social media, and websites. (https://sustainablepackaging.org/)events: the spc produces multiple events on topics associated with packaging sustainability where seminars, trainings, and workshops are conducted to further the educational mission of the organization.(https://dashboard.sustainablepackaging.org/events)

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 95% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 47
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 42
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.2%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.1%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.85; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.44; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.2% of revenue deployed · 90.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $374K · 14 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.6M reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.