Prairie Pines Partners

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
272523178
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2015
Location
Lincoln, NE, USA
Phone
4025257653
Rating
52
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$136,424
Expenses
$59,812
Assets
$1,118,618
Liabilities
$1,566

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Naomi Kohles (President/Secretary)
  • Ned Stringham (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Sue Kohles (PPP Manager): $21,306 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Provide leadership to develop Prairie Pines as a site of natural resource conservation for education, research and recreation for all.

What it reported doing in 2025

Prairie Pines Partners continues to focus on their mission, that of Prairie Pines Nature Preserve (PPNP) and the donors wishes. These encompass wildlife habitat, natural resource conservation, environmental education, contact with nature and public access. PPNP has been jointly managed by Prairie Pines Partners and Wachiska Audubon (owners) since 2024. Management by two like-minded nonprofits brings new potential and responsibility. We continue to collaborate with other educational institutions and organizations including Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln Public Schools, Nebraska Game & Parks, Conservation Nebraska Community Crops and Wachiska Audubon.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Member-benefit provider. The nonprofit used 97% of its reported program spending for member benefits.

The verdict

MIXED - 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: 7
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 78
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 6.3%; rating input score 6
  • Program expense ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 11
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 56.2%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 18.7; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 35.6%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -14.9% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 6.3% of revenue deployed · 11.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $7K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $21K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 6/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 11/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.