Minnesota Regional Railroads Association
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 901111029
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2019–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2018, Form 990-EZ 2025
- Location
- St Paul, MN, USA
- Phone
- 6127416647
- Rating
- 36
- Verdict
- REVIEW
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $159,914
- Expenses
- $161,601
- Assets
- $37,786
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
10 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- AMBER BACKHAUS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
- MARK WEGNER (PRESIDENT)
- LYDIA UNDERDAHL (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
- PETER GILBERTSON (2ND VICE PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- AMBER BACKHAUS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
- MARK WEGNER (PRESIDENT)
- LYDIA UNDERDAHL (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To promote the interests of the regional railroad industry; to promote an understanding of the common problems of the member roads and all other companies interested in regional transportation by rail; to improve business conditions of the regional railroads by an education program with the general public and personnel of the member roads; and to assist member roads by conducting research into the problems of transportation generally.
What it reported doing in 2025
The association hosted the annual midwest short line & regional railroads summer conference virtually in july. It held board meetings in-person and later via teleconference and participated in lobbying activities during the legislative session.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Membership-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
- Distribution model
- Transfer-based 990-EZ. The 990-EZ reports grants or member benefits, but it does not separate enough spending to show the nonprofit’s full delivery mix.
The verdict
REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 0
- Transparency & Controls: 82
- Sustainability: 35
- Growth: 20
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 0.4%; rating input score 0
- Program expense ratio: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Limited
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -1.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: -5.7% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 0.4% of revenue deployed
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
- Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
- Schedules: 2 filed schedules
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.