Mountain Goat Trail Alliance Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
205363669
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017
Location
Monteagle, TN, USA
Phone
9319245353
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Reported finances

Revenue
$765,132
Expenses
$301,147
Assets
$13,216,835
Liabilities
$9,325,185

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • WILLIAM N WILSON (PRESIDENT)
  • JESSICA FAVALORO (VICE-PRESIDENT)
  • JEANNINE CLEMENTS (VICE-PRESIDENT/TREASURER)
  • PATRICK DEAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • PATRICK DEAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $61,050 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

MGTA is committed to building a multiuse, multimodal walking and cycling trail connecting the communities along the path of the historic Mountain Goat Railroad.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Organization serves as a facilitor in developing the Mountain Goat Trail: a rails-to-trials project to create a multi-use recreational corridor. A total of 12 miles has been completed with an additional 20 miles that have been acquired by community partners or government agencies. With over 75,000 visits annually, the trial promotes economic development and tourism. Since its inception, the trail has provided over $5 million in economic benefit.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 71% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 69% for direct work, and 31% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 77
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 27.6%; rating input score 28
  • Program expense ratio: 54.5%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 96.9%; rating input score 97; 44th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 60.6%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 43.89; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.71; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.3%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -24.9% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 29% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 27.6% of revenue deployed · 54.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $164K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $61K · 11 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $132K reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 26 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 28/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 46/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.