Independence Conservancyinc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 251840358
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2016–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Industry, PA, USA
- Phone
- 7248883303
- Rating
- 91
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Standard
- Sector
- Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $394,362
- Expenses
- $353,826
- Assets
- $778,192
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- VICTORIA E MICHAELS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- DOUGLAS E FRANCE (LAND STEWARD): $4,762 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Preserving open space by acquisition, easement or deed restriction to protect wildlife habitat, natural and cultural resources, scenic views and quality of life; providing stewardship of watersheds in southwestern Pennsylvania through environmental education, site restoration and community partnerships.
What it reported doing in 2025
Land Stewardship: Independence Conservancy is one of PAs 90 land trusts working to preserve open space and natural places for future generations. We have protected 52 acres by conservation easement and 47 acres by fee ownership. These lands help to preserve the rural character and environmental well-being of the Raccoon Creek watershed. Preserved lands include the JB2 Abandoned Mine Discharge Treatment System near Burgettstown, PA which removes 62 tons of iron and aluminum yearly from Raccoon Creek; the Solar Mine and Treatment System near Bald Knob in Allegheny County which removes 96 tons of iron from St. Patricks Run; Red Oak Farm in Raccoon Twp., Beaver County which contains 44 acres of mature hardwood forest, open meadows and active crop land; Little Blue Wetland in Greene Twp., Beaver County which provides wildlife habitat and water quality values to the Little Blue Run Watershed; Rocky Bend Nature Preserve which contains 27 acres of riparian forest with 3/4 mile of frontage on Raccoon Creek, managed by the Independence Conservancy for low impact non-motorized public recreation. Independence Conservancy belongs to the Land Trust Alliance, a national network of nonprofit organizations
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 88% 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.
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 expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 88
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 58
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 83.8%; rating input score 84
- Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
- Fundraising efficiency: $997.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- 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: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 10.3%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.2; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 1.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 83.8% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $328K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $5K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.