Minnesota Environmental Partnership

What it reported doing in 2024

Minnesota environmental partnership (mep) works in a unique way to bring together the energies and passions of environmental and conservation nonprofits and allies into a single powerful voice. We work in synchrony with our members at the state and federal level, and we educate and mobilize the public on pressing environmental laws, investments, and intitatives.mep's programs are focused on protecting and restoring Minnesota's natural resources and protecting human health, with a clear commitment to environmental justice. Mep's ongoing initiatives are outlined below with highlights from fiscal year 2025.program one: achievements in clean water work in fy 2025investing in clean water and living landscapesa longstanding priority issue for mep has been educating decision-makers and the public about the detriments of agricultural pollution to streams, rivers, lakes, and drinking water. We've advocated for solutions like the forever green initiative, which is an innovative program of the university of Minnesota that's developing and implementing new perennial and winter annual marketable cover crops to prevent farm runoff, increase productivity, and improve habitat and climate resiliency. Mep is actively engaged on the forever green partnership core organizing committee. Protecting our water from sulfide miningproposed sulfide mines in northeast Minnesota, including the polymet northmet project, the talon mine, and the twin metals Minnesota project, threaten our lakes and rivers with significant ongoing water pollution. Mep has leveraged our position to convene the mep mining cluster, which helps groups convene, communicate and collaborate on their strategies. Cluster member groups have led successful legal campaigns that have halted most of polymet's permits so the project is reconsidering its mining proposal. Additionally, we've been publicly highlighting the danger, especially from mercury, to downstream communities within the st. Louis river watershed and lake superior. Program two: achievements in protecting the great lakes in fy 2025minnesota is the headwaters state for the great lakes, with 190 miles of rugged lake superior shoreline among its natural assets. Federal advocacymep's coalition continues to support the great lakes restoration initiative (glri), a long-term regional plan to restore the lakes and stimulate the region's economy. The mep coalition has educated decision makers in dc about the benefits of full funding for glri, as well as leveraging state dollars through the legacy amendment and the bonding bill. Mep actively participates in the healing our waters coalition, and with that coalition we are growing our efforts to address environmental justice issues. Mep led two educational visits with congressional staff on great lakes issues, in october 2024 and march 2025, where citizens were able to talk directly with their congressional offices. In addition to the work of other staff, mep employed a northeast Minnesota organizer in our duluth office for this work.program 3: achievements in climate and environmental justice in fy 2025organizing in the climate justice communitymep staff continued to make substantial connections with statewide and twin cities-based frontline community organizations, especially groups that deal with environmental justice and climate issues. Some of the major policy issues mep staff have addressed include new cumulative impacts rulemaking and innovative funding for conservation work in the environmental justice community following the rededication of the state lottery program. This year mep facilitated the start-up of a new environmental justice task force in duluth.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.8%; rating input score 84
• Program expense ratio: 77%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• 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: 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: -8.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 28.7%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -5% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -0.3% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings