Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
465002476
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2014
Location
Honolulu, HI, USA
Phone
8085958847
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,528,585
Expenses
$1,678,024
Assets
$4,265,038
Liabilities
$2,153,026

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JEFFREY A DUNSTER (PRESIDENT/DI)

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA MILLER (CFO): $115,183 total reported compensation
  • JEFFREY A DUNSTER (PRESIDENT/DI): $101,647 total reported compensation
  • SUSANNE KURISU (EXECUTIVE DI): $80,092 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Hawaiian legacy reforestation initiative (hlri) is dedicated to creating innovative native/endemic reforestation models that are scientifically, economically, and ecologically self-sustaining. These forests produce green jobs in forestry and other forest related occupations as well as recharge our watershed, sequester carbon from our atmosphere, enhance biodiversity, support the hawaiian culture, and involve the local business community and the public, inspiring active participation in being part of the solution.

What it reported doing in 2024

Hawaiian legacy reforestation initiative (hlri) has participated in taking 1,000 acres of denuded pastureland and reestablished an entire intact endemic ecosystem (the world's first hawaiian legacy forest). As of 2024, hlri manages three native forest locations on the islands of Hawaii and oahu for a combined total of over 1,500 acres. Hlri has commitments for nearly 2,000,000 more over the coming years - well on its way to surpassing its original goal of planting 1.3 million trees (one for each man, woman, and child in Hawaii). During 2024, hlri has planted approximately 24,449 trees. Hlri has been recognized globally for groundbreaking innovations. Through state-of-the-art technologies and proprietary forest management practices, hlri is promoting long-term forest health, carbon sequestration, ecosystem diversity, and unparalleled data collection for research and development, all while creating green jobs for Hawaii families. We are not just planting a tree and walking away. We care about survival rates - that's why we geo-tag every single tree. Hlri is the only reforestation project in Hawaii that can account for every single tree planted. Our success comes from the cumulative approach - it's not just about planting trees. From the native forests exists Hawaii's rich culture, arts, and history. Our approach of combining community, cultural engagement, keiki education, ecotourism and ecosystem integration takes what are traditionally separate enterprises and integrates them into a synergistic model. During 2024, hlri has made grants of 3,660 to other charitable organizations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 33
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 72.4%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $33.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st 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: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 33.6%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.5; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.5% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48% of revenue deployed · 72.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 3 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $115K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.