The Fountain for the Natural Order of Our Existence

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
863577404
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Eugene, OR, USA
Phone
5412245080
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$585,933
Expenses
$498,542
Assets
$306,526
Liabilities
$95

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RYAN BRANDENBERG (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KRISTIN INDIGO RONLOV (EXECUTIVE DI): $16,800 total reported compensation
  • RYAN BRANDENBERG (PRESIDENT): $14,300 total reported compensation
  • ANTONIA LORETTA COOK (DIRECTOR): $12,300 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 fountains purpose is to promote international understanding of original nations people and their territories, which enable people to develop an appreciation for other societies, their traditions and culture. With the recognition that indigenous lands are at the greatest risk of exploitation and development, the fountain is dedicated to helping to protect these lands which contain approximately 80% of the world's biocultural diversity through contributions to indigenous land trusts and/or other stewardship models that are activated to preserve these territories.

What it reported doing in 2024

Fiscal sponsorship: the fountain regards fiscal sponsorship as an act of practicing the original principles of relations. The fountain, throughout its history, has been a place of incubation, a place where germinating organizations and movements can come to be held as they grow and develop so they can follow the instructions to give a foundation for their work to grow in a consistent and strong way for mother earth and all her creation. Agreements are signed with the sponsored organization so as they grow and develop we all stay consistent with our legal and ethical obligations and meet the core principles that are the foundation of the fountain. The agreements outline the level of services, reciprocity, and requirements for compliance between the fountain and the organization entering into the fiscal sponsorship agreement.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 52
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 70.5%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 95.5%; rating input score 96; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 57.1%; rating input score 57; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 14.9%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.61; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.9%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 104.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 58.1% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.6% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60% of revenue deployed · 70.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 7 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $352K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $17K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 11 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Independent voting board scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 28/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.