Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundatio
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 382303728
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
- Location
- Bath, MI, USA
- Phone
- 5176417677
- Rating
- 64
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Natural Resources Conservation and Protection
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $467,646
- Expenses
- $284,620
- Assets
- $2,255,862
- Liabilities
- $5,305
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
7 people listed
People named in this filing
- DEAN BRODBERG (TREASURER)
- JAN DERKSEN (TRUSTEE)
- JEFF FULGHAM (CHAIRMAN)
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 restore and conserve fish, wildlife, and habitat throughout the state and teach members and the public to do the same.
What it reported doing in 2024
The conservancy has continued its involvement in several statewide projects and has been making inroads with collaborators to better serve wildlife. Our "institute for rare mammals studies" (irms) has been focusing on tracking pine martens and fishers in the lower peninsula, two weasel species that were previously eliminated through hunting and habitat loss but have been making a comeback. We are monitoring game cameras statewide, including at camp grayling, where we have detected multiple martens with the goal of better understanding their habitat needs. We have also been expanding our educational program: "becoming outdoor smart in summer" by offering multiple camp sessions per summer for young and upcoming wilderness experts. By hosting field trips, classes, demonstrations, and workshops covering topics including wetland conservation, vernal pools, frog diversity, mushroom and fungi identification, foraging, and invasive species management using fire, goats, and other tools at the bengel wildlife center, we have become an educational leader for children and adults in wildlife management. Recently, our director attended a multi-day workshop to gain the title of "certified prescribed burn manager- and will use these credentials to apply fires to improve plant diversity and habitat value not only at the bwc but statewide. We remain committed to restoring wildlife habitat and teaching others to do the same.
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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 39
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 70
- Sustainability: 81
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 36%; rating input score 36
- Program expense ratio: 41.5%; rating input score 42
- Fundraising efficiency: $13.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- 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: 39.1%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.93; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -7.2% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 36% of revenue deployed · 41.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $118K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
- Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- 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 36/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.