Metro Blooms

What it reported doing in 2024

Learning with Blue Thumb: Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water is Metro Blooms' education program and a statewide partnership of local governments and private companies promoting practices that protect pollinators and improve clean water, including planting natives, rain gardens, and shoreline stabilization. Sustainable Landcare Training - Growing a green workforce and environmental stewardship. This 30-hour training is offered primarily to young adults in communities impacted by environmental injustices. Participants gain job-ready skills in maintaining and inspecting rain gardens, native plantings, and other climate-resilient practices, as well as a greater understanding of our relationship to the environment. Metro Blooms had 55 participants in 2024 and later hired 7 trainees to work on Metro Booms Design+Build projects, including prepping and planting large sites in Minneapolis. 4 trainees worked inspecting city-installed rain gardens in Minneapolis. Workshops - Metro Blooms reached hundreds of DIYers with our free Blue Thumb's Online Learning Series, where people learn about Resilient Yards, Turf Alternatives, Resilient Shorelines, and Seed Saving. We also partnered with City of Lakes Community Land Trust to provide sustainable gardening and maintenance workshops to many first-time homeowners. In 2024, 19 workshops were offered with 367 participants. In addition, there were 3,673 online learning series registrants. Lawns to Legumes - Minnesotans received grants and support to plant native pollinator habitat at their home. Blue Thumb facilitated the program with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. In 2024, 5.2 million square feet of new pollinator habitat was created, 2,969 grantees completed projects, and 6,898 pollinator-friendly trees and shrubs were planted.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 67.9%; rating input score 68
• Program expense ratio: 74.4%; rating input score 74
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 14; 14th 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: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

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: 8.8%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.73; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.33; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 22.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings