Minnesota Public Interest Research

What it reported doing in 2012

Campus organizing local initiatives - mpirg campus chapters mpirg's chapters work on both statewide as well as local campaigns. Each chapter chooses their issue priorities on an annual basis, with a focus on statewide priorities. In total, mpirg has over 300 active student members with over 600 that are engaged at some point over the course of the year. University of Minnesota - twin cities 45 events, 9,301 reached, and 951 volunteer hours. Democracy - vote november 6 to prepare students for the 2012 elections, mpirgstudents at the university of Minnesota - twin citieslaunched a nonpartisan voter engagement effort that registered or pledged to vote 7,624 students on campus, educated 915 through direct communication and election issues related programming, and made 18,110 direct contacts reminding students of their polling places and to go vote on election day. While doing this work, mpirgersengaged their peers in opposition to the two proposed constitutional amendments: 1) the anti-marriage amendment and 2) the voter restriction amendment. Affordable higher education mpirgers at university of Minnesota - twin cities engaged their peers and legislators at the state capitol in support of an affordable higher education. Two students from the chapter became legislative interns with mpirg and then worked with the Minnesota senate and house to introduce higher education debt relief legislation. In addition, mpirg students worked with an applied economist to release a report, and testify, on the positive economic benefits that would accrue to Minnesota under the proposed legislation. This report was released along with a debt yearbook in which the faces of students across the state and their higher education debt burden were shown to highlight the real, personal impact this debt is having. They also advocated in support of increasing state investments in public higher education and the state grant program, which ultimately led to budget allocations that froze tuition for the first time in over a decade. Environomics mpirg students were engaged and active in support of the clean energy and jobs campaign, a coalition of over 30 nonprofit organizations that pushed for a solar electricity standard of 10% by 2030. The coalition was successful in getting a start on this objective by establishing a 1.5% solar electricity standard, while also advancing energy efficiency goals, and other policies that create the right incentives and begin the transition to a clean energy economy. Several students at the university of Minnesota - twin cities campus were directly involved in the minneapolis energy options campaign to bring clean, local, efficient, affordable, and reliable energy to the city. They assisted in direct advocacy, communications, and community outreach efforts. Corporate accountability mpirgers continued to push for greater corporate accountability on campus by raising awareness and taking action to move away from predatory banks to more responsible banking options. The also began work to examine the size and nature of the investments in the endowment at the university of Minnesota - twin cities. The ultimate goal is identify those investments which run counter to the values of students, and the university as a whole, and to transition to more socially responsible investments. University of Minnesota - duluth 44 events, 7,378 reached, and 432 volunteer hours. Democracy - vote november 6 to prepare students for the 2012 elections, mpirg students at the university of Minnesota - duluth launched a nonpartisan voter engagement effort that registered or pledged to vote 2,514 students on campus, educated 100s through direct communication and election issues related programming, and made 1000s of direct contacts reminding students of their polling places and to go vote on election day. While doing this work, mpirgers engaged their peers in opposition to the two proposed constitutional amendments: 1) the anti-marriage amendment and 2) the vo

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: Limited
• Program expense ratio: Limited
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 60th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -7%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.05; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.55; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.9%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings