Nevada Northern Railway Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
880203211
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
ELY, NV, USA
Phone
7752892085
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,641,442
Expenses
$4,119,975
Assets
$11,225,440
Liabilities
$894,918

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARK BASSETT (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JIM ALWORTH (DIRECTOR)
  • JOHN GIANOLI (CHAIRMAN)
  • CARL MARSH (VICE CHAIRMAN)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The primary purpose is to increase public awareness and appreciation for the history of white pine county. This is accomplished through the use of historic steam train rides and a museum dedicated to maintaining and preserving an integral part of its illustrious past.

What it reported doing in 2024

The operation of historic sightseeing train, museum and restoration of yard buildings continues, ridership is increasing and more tours are stopping or are organized specifically to enjoy the train. The train and museum have a profound benefit to the local tourism economy of white pine county. The museum has received national historic landmark designation by the national park service, as the best preserved shortline railroad in the nation. The mcgill depot restoration continues. The building has been stabalized and enclosed preventing further deterioration. Track has been restored and many buildings in the yard have been reroofed and stabalized. The historic track through ely has been opened from the railyard to public museum, with planned rides between the two museums.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 44
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -13.1%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.72; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88% of revenue deployed · 77.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.