The Valleys Planning Council Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
526081610
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Towson, MD, USA
Phone
4103376877
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$643,157
Expenses
$427,782
Assets
$2,969,642
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

42 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER BENNETT (PRESIDENT)
  • KATHLEEN PONTONE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • RENEE HAMIDI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RENEE HAMIDI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $111,550 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Conserving open spaces; protecting baltimore county's agricultural, natural, historic and scenic resources; and working to promote a balanced and rational use of land for the benefit of present and future generations.

What it reported doing in 2025

Land use planning: this program encourages monitoring development plans submitted to the county by private developers; attending development plan review meetings and hearings; participating in government sponsored meetings for various projects and policy initiatives; informing members and affected landowners of pertinent proposals and issues; and analysis of overall activities and trends affecting land use in baltimore county.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% 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

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 77
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60.2%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 83.8%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $40.21 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st 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; 64th 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: 33.5%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.94; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.1%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60.2% of revenue deployed · 83.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 36 of 36 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $359K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 42 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.