Saluda Shoals Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
571027247
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2022
Location
Columbia, SC, USA
Phone
8032132035
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Physical Fitness and Community Recreational Facilities

Reported finances

Revenue
$270,121
Expenses
$167,986
Assets
$888,432
Liabilities
$256,794

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Christina Bickley (Foundation Dir): $80,738 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 Saluda Shoals Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which serves as an advocate for the preservation and sustainability of Saluda Shoals Park through financial support, fostering partnerships, supporting programs and creating community awareness of the park's exceptional outdoor recreational activities, environmental education and cultural opportunities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 80% 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 and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.4%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 82.4%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 37.8%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.29; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.4% of revenue deployed · 82.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $138K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $81K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 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: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Independent members within voting members did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 16/100.