Rainforest Trust
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 133500609
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Warrenton, VA, USA
- Phone
- 8004564930
- Rating
- 89
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- International Development
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $42,467,687
- Expenses
- $44,468,923
- Assets
- $122,130,159
- Liabilities
- $522,295
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
23 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JAMES DEUTSCH (CEO)
- JODI HUBBLE UNTIL 020625 (VICE PRESIDENT, PHILANTHROPY)
- JAMES LEWIS (VICE PRESIDENT, CONSERVATION)
Highest reported compensation
- JAMES DEUTSCH (CEO): $280,528 total reported compensation
- MELISSA HOHIMER (CFO/COO): $189,889 total reported compensation
- JODI HUBBLE UNTIL 020625 (VICE PRESIDENT, PHILANTHROPY): $189,822 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Rainforest trust saves endangered wildlife and protects our planet by creating rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement, and donor support.
What it reported doing in 2024
World land and nature conservation: since 1988, rainforest trust has conserved areas in the tropics and subtropics through partnerships with local organizations which yield 1) government designation of new protected areas, 2) the purchase of land for private nature reserves, or 3) strengthening land-tenure and guardianship of indigenous people and local communities. By permanently protecting critical habitat this work saves species and vital ecosystems from extinction. Rainforest trust reserves currently provide critical habitat for 39% of all iucn red list threatened terrestrial mammal species and 46% of threatened terrestrial birds. We have permanently and legally protected more than 58 million acres of critical habitat. More than 95% of our projects succeed in protecting land, and 98.3% of the forests we have protected remain standing.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 92% of its reported program spending out as grants.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 92
- Transparency & Controls: 83
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 49
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 92.2%; rating input score 92
- Fundraising efficiency: $17.72 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
- Compensation committee: Pass
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
- Written employment contract: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Pass
- Board or committee approval: Pass
- Foreign activity oversight: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
- Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
- Requires narrative reports: Pass
- Conducts field audits: Fail
- May suspend future funding: Fail
- Requires financial reports: Pass
- Conducts site visits: Fail
- Requires grant agreements: Fail
- May require repayment: Fail
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 42nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -4.7%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.75; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.6%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 23.5% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $41M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $281K · 23 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $117K reported
- Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
- Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 19 filed money-flow records
- Related organizations: 12 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.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 5 of 8 not reported.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 17/100.