Sustainable Sandhills
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 421654651
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2018
- Location
- Fayetteville, NC, USA
- Phone
- 9104849098
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Natural Resources Conservation and Protection
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $216,491
- Expenses
- $212,169
- Assets
- $146,523
- Liabilities
- $2,734
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- WAYNE RIDER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
People named in this filing
- JUAN MA (BOARD MEMBER)
- RODNEY MEDLEY (BOARD MEMBER)
- STEPHEN ZIMMERMAN (BOARD MEMBER)
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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Works as a change agent to empower youth, combat climate change, document and demand stronger protection for our environment though four core programs: clean air, clean water, green schools and green business.
What it reported doing in 2024
Sustainable sandhills also continued its role as manager of the regional air quality program for the fayetteville area metropolitan planning organization (fampo). One of the programs highlights in fy24 was the fifth annual sandhills drive electric car show. Over 25 electric vehicle owners, between 150-200 event attendees and several community agencies including local utility providers and fampo participated.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 64% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- 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
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 67
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 43
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 74.9%; rating input score 75
- Program expense ratio: 76.4%; rating input score 76
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- 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: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 2%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.69; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 22.7% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 74.9% of revenue deployed · 76.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $162K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
- Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
- Schedules: 2 filed schedules
- Filing history: 9 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 44/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.