Landscape Plant Development Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411790582
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2012–2012
Forms available
Form 990 2011, Form 990-EZ 2012
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone
6128222677
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis

Reported finances

Revenue
$39,410
Expenses
$174,743
Assets
$487,299

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2012. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2012. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The primary purpose of the organization is to conduct research which includes breeding of landscape plants with emphasis on developing plants more tolerant of environmental and biological stresses and awarding research grants.

What it reported doing in 2012

Aside from continuing grant support commitments for research by a professor at Oregon state university at the organization's Oregon land station (noted below), managing the organization's intellectual and program property (patents, other intangible rights and plant materials), and collecting royalties, the organization was effectively in a wind-down mode the first half of 2012 (investigation of possible shut-down had been initiated second half of 2011 under board member robert schutzki, who served as the organization's unpaid executive director the first half of 2012, and shepherded the board forward on these fronts until july 2, 2012.) as of the board adopting a resolution in favor of "intent to dissolve" on 7/2/2012, inventory and wind-up in favor of dissolution were the only activities being conducted aside from maintaining the Oregon land station. Accordingly, the primary "program service" expense recorded for the year aside from the grant expense was 50% of the Oregon land station manager's time. Minimal programming was undertaken other than planning for the close-out and shut-down of operations all of which (aside from continuing obligations under Oregon department of agriculture (oda) grant) had moved to "hold" mode mid-2012. The 13,500 in grant expense reflects support from oda (in amount of 15,000) toward landscape plant development center's sponsored grant research of dr. Ryan contreras.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 77% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 70% for direct work, and 30% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 23
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.4%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 25.9%; rating input score 26

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -343.4%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.79; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -62.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -20.7% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.4% of revenue deployed · 25.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $45K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $20K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Program expense ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.