The Foundation for Wildlife Conservation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811046185
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2017, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
Phone
2065270333
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Wildlife Sanctuary, Refuge

Reported finances

Revenue
$222,121
Expenses
$201,209
Assets
$1,060,139
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CYNTHIA LAW (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • CYNTHIA LAW (PRESIDENT)
  • LILLIAN BOESE (DIRECTOR)
  • KEVIN LAW (DIRECTOR)

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

The mission and purpose of the foundation is to be an active participant in the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered species and the natural habitat and ecosystems vital to their existence.

What it reported doing in 2024

Support for runaway creek nature reserve in belize has expanded. Researchers continue to study birds, caves, crocodiles, bats and archaeology. Educational outreach taught by our staff continues locally and with students from abroad. The successful release of more rehabilitated endangered howler monkeys onto the property was a major accomplishment furthering our conservation goals. Participating in international bird tracking (motus).we are networking with other conservation organizations opening up new future opportunities.operation and protections of 6,000 acre nature reserve in belize, through educational courses, community involvment, and research.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 55
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $31.27 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9.4%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.27; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -13.7% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 85.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $173K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.