Minnesota Soybean Growers Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510178016
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Jul 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Mankato, MN, USA
Phone
5073881635
Rating confidence
Limited

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,350,568
Expenses
$1,365,696
Assets
$1,046,618
Liabilities
$446,617

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

50 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TOM SLUNECKA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • JOE SMENTEK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ERIC WENBERG (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SSGA)
  • DARIN JOHNSON (PRESIDENT)
  • RYAN MACKENTHUN (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TOM SLUNECKA (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $545,879 total reported compensation
  • JOE SMENTEK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $257,156 total reported compensation
  • SCOTT MILLER (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $216,449 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide Minnesota soybean farmers with the voice they deserve and stay at the forefront of innovation.

What it reported doing in 2024

Ag expo/soybean business magazine/young and emerging farmer program: msga is deeply involved in educating and communicating its messages to not only soybean producers but the entire agriculture industry. In order to complete this task the msga, in conjunction with the mn corn growers association, holds an annual tradeshow and educational conference which attracts over 1,000 attendees and provides the agriculture industry with the opportunity to learn from exhibitors and speakers about how to be a more profitable farmer. Msga also publishes a bi-monthly magazine that outlines many of the projects managed on behalf of the Minnesota soybean research and promotion council, but educates soybean producers and the actions msga has taken at the capital on behalf of all soybean farmers. The magazine is distributed free of charge to over 23,000 individuals in Minnesota and the surrounding states. The organization also operates educational/leadership programs for the industry with a track specifically for young and emerging farmers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 82% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 88
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

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

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.1%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.77; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.43; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -13% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -4.7% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 45 of 47 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $546K · 50 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $487K reported
  • Consistency: 12 of 12 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.