Southeastern Assoc of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
570542609
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Aiken, SC, USA
Phone
5122025433
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,092,784
Expenses
$1,975,316
Assets
$1,409,243
Liabilities
$94,736

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RYAN BROWN (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • TED WILL (VICE-PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • ROSS MELINCHUK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • PAUL JOHANSEN (PAST PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROSS MELINCHUK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $70,000 total reported compensation
  • ANGELYN R MEWBORN (FINANCE MANAGER): $60,833 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 organization's mission is to provide a forum for state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to share ideas and information, pool resources, and initiate actions to benefit the management and conservation of fish and wildlife resources in the southeast. To achieve these objectives, the organization sponsors fish, wildlife, law enforcement and public education programs and projects which benefit fish and wildlife resources in the southeast; reviews state and federal legislation and regulations affecting fish and wildlife resources and offers support or opposition to legislative proposals or federal regulations in accordance with the best interests of such resources; consults with and makes recommendations to the federal wildlife and public land agencies in order that federal management programs and programs involving federal aid to member states shall be so conducted as to being in the best interests of the resources of member states.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization works to encourage involvement and interest in careers with state fish and wildlife agencies by sponsoring the cost of students attending the seafwa annual conference. Additionally, the organization supports a study and outreach program to encourage students to consider a career in a fish and wildlife agency.the organization maintains seafwa.org website to inform and educate employees of state fish and wildlife agencies and others working in the natural resource field about fish and wildlife. The website provides a forum for seafwa committees to communicate. Information regarding the annual seafwa conference is communicated via the website. In addition, the website provides access to scientific information contained in the seafwa proceedings and the seafwa journal.the organization produced a 2025 edition of the seafwa journal to allow government agencies, nonprofit organizations and members of the public to access the scientific data presented at the seafwa conference at no cost.the organization provides awards to recognize exceptional service in state fish and wildlife agencies and special awards for the family of fish and wildlife agents killed in the line of duty.seafwa supports the bearwise project which is designed to educate the public on how to live with bears and to promote conservation of bears and their habitats.seafwa also supports the gatorwise project via the gatorwise website which provides important safety information and guidance for the public on how to safely coexist with alligators and minimize human-wildlife conflict.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 61% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 52% for direct work, and 48% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 88
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.1%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 91%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $87.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.6%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.71; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.1% of revenue deployed · 91% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 43/100.