Science Moab Engagement Initiative

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834369761
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Moab, UT, USA
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$157,042
Expenses
$88,221
Assets
$214,686
Liabilities
$3,808

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Carrie Schwartz (Executive Director)

People named in this filing

  • Kristina Young (Board Chair)
  • Brett Sutteer (Board Secretary)
  • Sophia Fisher (Board 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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the Science Moab Engagement Initiative Science Moab is to make place-based science accessible to all. We envision communities across the Colorado Plateau thriving from a deeper engagement with science and place-based knowledge. To achieve this goal we are incubating science-based economic opportunities that cherish intact healthy ecosystems while sustaining the local community through three key programs: Outreach science podcast and live event series School to Science science mentorship for underserved high school students and Science Certified innovative science communication training for outdoor recreation guides.

What it reported doing in 2024

Science Certified is-to our knowledge-the only program of its kind in the western US or elsewhere.With some three million visitors recreating on public lands around Moab Utah each year this unique fragile desert environment is under constant and increasing duress from intense use and harmful behavior stemming from lack of knowledge. By providing science communication training to outdoor guides who can in turn educate tens of thousands of visitors each year our Science Certified program increases visitors environmental awareness understanding and responsible behavior while recreating on public lands. Since the program launched in November 2021 weve trained over 425 guides from over 25 organizations businesses. Program participants report an average 2-point increase in scientific knowledge on a 7-point scale and 95% report feeling more comfortable more confident and more likely to communicate science with their clients after completing our training.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 34.5%; rating input score 34
  • Program expense ratio: 58.9%; rating input score 59

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 43.8%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.43; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 33.7%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -15.2% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.8% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 34.5% of revenue deployed · 58.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 3 filed program accomplishments · $52K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 34/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.