Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
721130460
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Saint Martinville, LA, USA
Phone
9853974118
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$736,672
Expenses
$677,111
Assets
$392,238
Liabilities
$3,583

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JAKE DARDEN (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • SETH COURTNEY (DIRECTOR)
  • JAKE DARDEN (PRESIDENT)
  • PATRICK DEMPSEY (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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To foster, protect and promote the welfare and interest of all classified commissioned wildlife enforcement agents, active or retired; to encourage and promote the constant improvement of public service rendered by the office of enforcement of la dept. Of wildlife & fisheries; and to engage in any other lawful activity permitted by internal revenue code of 1986 section 501(c)(3).

What it reported doing in 2024

Financial assistance for special needs: financial assistance is given to various individuals for needs due to critical illness, death, or other catastrophe. Contributions to charitable organizations: charitable contributions were given to five charitable organizations. The most significant benefactor of the contributions was the tiffany thomas memorial foundation to whom 3,000 was donated. Funeral benefits: flower arrangements may be sent to funerals of members' family retirement gifts: due to the members' employer being unable to provide such a token, watches are given to members who retire upon reaching years of service or age of retirement with the Louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries enforcement division. Retirement parties: due to the members' employer being unable to provide such events, up to 300 per party is provided for a celebration to show appreciation to members who retire from the Louisiana department of wildlife and fisheries enforcement division. Jim matkin scholarship award: annual scholarships are awarded to children of members in good standing upon completing high school and showing proof of enrollment in college, junior college, or trade school. Applicants must complete the lwaa jim matkin scholarship award form. First prize is 1,500 and second prize is 1,000. The winners are chosen by vote of the board based on the award forms submitted. All applicants not chosen for the first and second prizes are awarded a lesser monetary award in the form of a one-time grant. In addition to the winners, two 500 scholarships were awarded. Support of other federal, state, and non-profit organizations by cooking and providing meals for events they are invited to attend. Other non-profit organizations organize hunting trips for wounded u.s. Military veterans, and the Louisiana wildlife agents association helps to defray the participants' cost of such trips by providing hunting licenses, drinks, and other supplies. Support of the law enforcement torch run: financial and public awareness support is provided to the special olympics of Louisiana law enforcement torch run by providing supplies and paying registration fees for Louisiana wildlife agents association members to participate in the run. The torch run is the largest fundraising event and the most highly successful public awareness campaign of the special olympics.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 86% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% 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 - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.1%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 96.5%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 59.8%; rating input score 60; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 8.1%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.1% of revenue deployed · 96.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $654K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.