Preservation Foundation of the Lake County Forest Preserves

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
260285660
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Libertyville, IL, USA
Phone
8479683110
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nonmonetary Support N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,421,804
Expenses
$671,265
Assets
$16,127,750
Liabilities
$158,185

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELIZABETH HOUGH (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • MATTHEW COHN (DIRECTOR)
  • ANDREA DANKS (DIRECTOR)
  • CHRIS HEIER (DIRECTOR)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The preservation foundation of the lake county forest perservers, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, was foundted to provide meaningful ways for the community to partner in the mission of the lake county forest preserve district. The preservation foundation's purposes are charitable, literary, scientific, and educational within the meaning of the code section 501(c)(3). More specifically, the preservation foundation shall within these purposes receive and administer funds, raise funds, and make distributions to or for the benefit of the lake county forest preserve district. The preservation foundation provides funds that help the district accomplish its mission, helping to acquire and restore its lands for the 3.5 million visitors it serves.

What it reported doing in 2025

Among other initiatives, grants to the district help restore forest preserves to their natural state; improve public access to and enjoyment of preserves; support new exhibitions and programs at the bess bower dunn museum, ryerson woods welcome center, and independence grove; cataloging and care of the lake county history archives; and provide free or significantly reduce-cost education programs throughout lake county, such as the science explorers in nature programs for youth from low-income communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 94
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 16.3%; rating input score 16
  • Program expense ratio: 98.8%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: $612.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 96; 96th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 84.8%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 24.03; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.4% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 16.3% of revenue deployed · 98.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $663K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 16/100.