Greenspace - the Cambria Land Trust

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770219622
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Cambria, CA, USA
Phone
8059272866
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$592,896
Expenses
$232,948
Assets
$2,576,789
Liabilities
$3,408

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Scott Anderson (President)
  • Donelle Morgan (Vice President)

People named in this filing

  • Mary Webb (Director)
  • Wayne Attoe (Director)
  • Ellen Leigh (Director)

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

The north coast area of san luis obispo county is a national treasure. Greenspace protects and enhances its ecological systems and cultural resources through land acquisition and management, public education and advocacy.

What it reported doing in 2024

Land acquisition and management, public education and advocacy to protect and enhance ecological systems in the north coast area of San Luis Obispo County: For over 30 years Greenspace has worked to preserve and protect the environment of Cambria focusing on land acquisition and stewardship, forest protection and reforestation of the threatened Cambria Monterey Pines, education programs in partnership with our local schools and community partners and advocacy for environmental protection and building a sustainable future for all Cambria residents, businesses and visitors. Greenspace is a grassroots organization supported by local donors and grant makers, and hundreds of volunteers through the years, allowing us to fulfill our mission including acquisition and stewardship of over 20 protected properties, including the popular Creekside Reserve, Strawberry Canyon and the Native Demonstration Garden. Greenspace provides environmental education activities across the community, with native plant and geology walks, lectures featuring eminent environmental scholars, writers and artists, a newsletter, and activities with the local public schools and community colleges. For the past 5 years we have been able to create an Introduction to and a Research Experience in Cambria's unique native Monterey Pine forest for middle school students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 35
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 91
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 24.9%; rating input score 25
  • Program expense ratio: 55%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th 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: 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: 60.7%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 11.06; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 24.9% of revenue deployed · 55% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $128K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 25/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.