Methow Conservancy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
911588861
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Winthrop, WA, USA
Phone
5099962870
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scouting

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,772,569
Expenses
$1,535,398
Assets
$19,492,043
Liabilities
$48,203

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BENJAMIN DRUMMOND (PRESIDENT)
  • KRISTEN KIRKBY (VICE-PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH BROOKS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH BROOKS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $109,180 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To inspire people to care for and conserve the land of the methow valley, ensuring it will remain a place where future generations can enjoy the rural character and natural beauty we cherish today.

What it reported doing in 2024

Continuing development of stewardship program. Monitoring and enforcing all easements, conservation planning for landowners, conservation mapping and restoration projects. Approximately 5,000 people benefited.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 73% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.7%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 70.1%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.4%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.7; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -10.7% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.7% of revenue deployed · 70.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $109K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 39 of 39 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.