International Forest of Friendship
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 452675231
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2015–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2014
- Location
- Atchison, KS, USA
- Phone
- 9133671419
- Rating
- 71
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $134,019
- Expenses
- $71,553
- Assets
- $893,878
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
11 people listed
People named in this filing
- LINTON WELLS (CO-CHAIR)
- KRISTEN CARRIGAN (Director)
- CYNTHIA PUTNAM (Secretary)
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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
A living, growing arboretum serving as a memorial dedicated to the world history of aviation and space. It is a unique tribute to aviators from across the globe as they promote the motto of the ninety-nines "world friendship through flight." trees in the forest represent all 50 us states as well as the 35 countries where members of the ninety-nines reside. Several times each year. The flags of thses states and countries are displayed throughout the forest, filling it with vibrant color. Each year, new honorees are inducted into the forest, and plaques bearing their names are embedded along the walkways that wind among the trees. The forest is open to the public throughout the year.
What it reported doing in 2025
Each year there is a weekend event that includes a celebration ceremony at the forest and the induction of honorees. Honorees include men and women who have dedicated service, leadership, friendship and support to others to achieve aviation goals. Winding through the forest is memory lane honoring those who have, or still are, contributing to all facets of aviation and aerospace. It is a five-foot walk and embedded in the concrete walk are granite plaques engraved with the names of over 1,200 honorees.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- 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 - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 54
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 64
- Sustainability: 86
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 47.2%; rating input score 47
- Program expense ratio: 65.7%; rating input score 66
- Fundraising efficiency: $19.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th 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: 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
- 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: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 46.6%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.49; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 47.2% of revenue deployed · 65.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $47K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
- Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2025
- 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.