Rockford Park District Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363083192
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Rockford, IL, USA
Phone
8159871695
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,409,135
Expenses
$4,959,816
Assets
$12,678,328
Liabilities
$396,348

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MINDY LUCCHESI (PRESIDENT)
  • PAULETTE GILBERT (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • MINDY LUCCHESI (PRESIDENT)
  • PAULETTE GILBERT (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ERIK ANDERSON (TREASURER)

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

To assist the rockford park district by securing philanthropic support on its behalf and enhancing awareness of the district's benefits to the community.

What it reported doing in 2025

Community in 2025, the rockford park district foundation supported a broad range of community-based projects and programs that enhanced recreation, accessibility, beautification, and quality of life throughout the rockford region. Major investments included support for the perks family equine center and related programming; nicholas conservatory & gardens initiatives; riverview ice support; perryville path; music in the park; therapeutic recreation programs; and other park, trail, and cultural experiences. The foundation also continued support for inclusive and outdoor opportunities such as buddy sports, canine corners, Washington park community center programming, and other community-based efforts. Notably, the aldeen golf course bunker renovation and project home base represented the most significant project expenses in 2025, reflecting the foundation's commitment to investing in both recreational infrastructure and inclusive programming that serves individuals of all abilities. Project home base is a capital initiative to develop a fully accessible recreational facility at darryl f. Lindberg park, serving as the permanent home for the rockford park district's buddy sports programs, including buddy baseball and all stars, for individuals with disabilities.these expenditures reflect the foundation's commitment to strengthening community spaces and experiences where individuals and families can gather, heal, recreate, and connect. Through capital support, program funding, and targeted donor investment, the foundation helps expand access to meaningful recreational and cultural opportunities for people of all ages and abilities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 82% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 97% 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. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 99
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 97.8%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: $219.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: -45.5%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.56; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 97.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $4.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 28 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.