The National Loon Center Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
821717690
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019, Form 990-N 2017
Location
Crosslake, MN, USA
Phone
2186925666
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural Resources Conservation and Protection

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$466,947
Expenses
$521,786
Assets
$2,442,126
Liabilities
$967,466

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JON MOBECK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JOHN FORNEY (PRESIDENT)
  • ROBERT LONG (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JON MOBECK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $149,043 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 national loon center inspires the public to reduce human-caused impacts to loon habitats throughout north america. Our forthcoming world class facility will provide an immersive and interactive exhibit experience that equips people to protect loons and their habitats as the center becomes an international leader in loon research and education.

What it reported doing in 2024

The national loon center substantially expanded its impact in 2024 by educating 5,637 visitors at the nest on the crosslake town square our temporary visitor and welcome center. Another 6,138 people were reached through outreach events and presentations across the state, and many thousands were reached via our communications channels. These individuals were engaged directly in the conservation of loons and freshwater ecosystems. The national loon center continued to fund necropsies to quantify loon mortality causes, collecting and delivering 8 specimens to the university of Minnesota's diagnostic laboratory. Our floating pontoon classroom, used for loon and freshwater education, provided 111 total trips that enabled 1,363 people to enjoy a free on-water education. Share our shoreline, a public education campaign to promote stewardship of the whitefish area lakes and pine river watershed, engaged hundreds of residents in partnership with the whitefish area property owner's association. The national loon center also conducted several Minnesota loons & freshwater ecosystems workshops in collaboration with northern waters land trust and the department of natural resources' Minnesota loon restoration project.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.3%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 62.8%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 20; 20th 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: 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.68; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.6%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 37.2% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.3% of revenue deployed · 62.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $328K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $149K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 13/100.