Sycamore Land Trust Incorporated

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
351830637
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bloomington, IN, USA
Phone
8123365382
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,033,507
Expenses
$1,293,052
Assets
$27,879,364
Liabilities
$13,432

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN LAWRENCE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN LAWRENCE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $104,907 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To preserve the beauty, health, and diversity of southern Indiana's natural landscape through strategic land conservation and environmental education.

What it reported doing in 2024

Land protection: sycamore permanently protects the beautiful natural heritage of southern Indiana by owning land and holding permanent conservation easements on private properties. We have completed over 100 projects to protect a total of over 11,000 acres. We own, manage and restore more than 6,000 acres of forests, wetlands and grasslands, including formerly mined or farmed land. We have built and maintain trails for free public use at 13 nature preserves to enable environmentally friendly recreation and education. Sycamore holds conservation easements on over 4,000 acres of privately owned properties to protect their conservation values. We have also invested resources to protect an additional 10,000 acres owned by other organizations.

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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 88
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 42.4%; rating input score 42
  • Program expense ratio: 70.2%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 57.4%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 21.56; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 42.4% of revenue deployed · 70.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $907K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $105K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 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 42/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 37/100.