Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Expenses incurred are for supporting a community resource as a place for nature-inspired displays, plant and tree collections and natural areas; and sustaining a cultural attraction as a destination to explore the wonders of nature and the outdoors. These include development and ongoing care of public garden displays, and plant collections; preventative maintenance, repair and renovation of buildings and grounds, development of visitor experience programs and nature-inspired exhibits; life-long learning and children's education programs; community outreach and a nature-based therapy program that offers education and demonstrations of the healing power of nature. In addition, the arboretum and university of Minnesota are engaged in horticultural science and cold-hardy plant research, (cont. On pg. 40) plant conservation. The arboretum consists of nearly 1,200 acres including 50 display areas and specialty gardens, 39 collections, and more than 6,600 taxa. Special features are a pine collection, an ornamental grass collection, a sphagnum bog, maple basswood big woods, a tall grass prairie, and a restored sedge meadow. The arboretum is an accredited museum through the american alliance of museums.the arboretum continued to be a top visitor attraction in the minneapolis-st. Paul metro area. Visitorship was at 652,829 in fiscal year 2025. Membership sales were $4.49 million and 34,101 households and groups memberships. Visitor shuttles offer step-on, step-off access into the heart of the arboretum. Grounds include over 21 miles of paved and unpaved walkways and trails. Winter trails feature 8 miles of cross-country ski trails and 7.5 miles of snowshoe trails.approximately 65,365 students from preschool through high school along with teachers and parents, and visitors of all ages participated in horticultural science education programs and events. Online remote learning and web-based education programming for youth and adults continue to be very popular bringing what has historically been on-site programming to new audiences. Most education programs are available for a reduced fee for those needing financial assistance.the arboretum is planning for the future with several key initiatives including planning a new entry experience and new betty's apple house facility. The redesigned entry will make it easier than ever for visitors to access the balm of nature across the arboretum's 1,200 acres with safe stoplight access and beautiful new views. This project breaks ground in 2025. The new betty's apple house will offer expanded offerings while providing education on the university's cold hardy plant breeding research. This project will also break ground in 2025. In addition, arboretum leadership worked on a new strategic plan, for release in 2025, to guide our organization's priorities, collaboration and impact measurement over the next five years.the university of Minnesota's horticultural research center continues its internationally renowned cold-hardy plant research and discovery, with 164 introductions of cold-hardy fruit and landscape plants benefiting the scientific community, horticultural industry and the community at large and world to enjoy.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 68.1%; rating input score 68
• Program expense ratio: 88.3%; rating input score 88
• Fundraising efficiency: $13.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 42nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • 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: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 37.5%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.51; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 11.5% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.8% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings