Ruby Habitat Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
450487621
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Sheridan, MT, USA
Phone
4068425010
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,165,835
Expenses
$526,611
Assets
$20,411,033
Liabilities
$21,800

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DANIEL DURHAM (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • KENDALL VAN DYK (VICE CHAIRMAN): $147,203 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The ruby habitat foundation is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the natural resources and the social and economic makeup of the ruby valley and southwest Montana. This is accomplished through the preservation of open space, continuation of agricultural operations and associated demonstrations, and eduction and outreach efforts.

What it reported doing in 2024

Research and demonstration in line with our conservation demonstration goals, we implemented the cattail creek restoration project. Monitoring and maintenance continued on existing projects including the restoration of clear creek, the heritage apple orchard, pollinator plantings, wetland developments and soil health trials. Multiple groups visited the ranch to view one or more of the existing research and demonstration projects. Staff toured the projects and gave presentations on these efforts and results to-date. Planning efforts were completed for future research projects that will be implemented in 2025 including several soil amendments and crop fertility experiments.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 78
  • Sustainability: 88
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.8%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 76.7%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th 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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 70%; rating input score 70; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 54.8%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 38.76; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.3% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.8% of revenue deployed · 76.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 10 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $404K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $147K · 11 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $219K reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Whistleblower policy not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.