Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
416081794
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
West St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6514554531
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,384,108
Expenses
$3,913,720
Assets
$35,478,198
Liabilities
$222,483

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AMY BLOOMQUIST (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • CAROL BOUW (PRESIDENT)
  • CHAD DAYTON (INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • SARA BECKSTRAND (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JASON SANDERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JASON SANDERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $168,769 total reported compensation
  • SHERI ZIGAN (FINANCE DIRECTOR): $99,698 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dodge nature center and preschool mission is providing exceptional experiences in nature through environmental education. We envision a future where everyone inspired by dodge intentionally cares for nature.

What it reported doing in 2024

Dodge nature center provides more than 65,000 accessible and affordable nature experiences annually, welcoming individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Our high-quality environmental education programs include standards-based school field trips, affordable school break camps, and after-school programs for k-8 students. Additional offerings include a naturalist fellowship program, engaging family activities, adult enrichment opportunities, and free or low-cost community events. To ensure broad participation, dodge offers low-cost programs and scholarships to support schools and families in financial need.(continued on scheduled o:)(continued from part iii)dodge's shepard farm site in cottage grove experienced increased participation from southeast metro schools and community members this year. The site offers school field trips, seasonal camps, and hands-on programs for families and adults. Farm-to-table, blacksmithing, and backyard chicken and beekeeping classes distinguish dodge as a community resource for lifelong environmental learning. Local schools have also requested programs such as girls explore science to support student engagement and strengthen science achievement.in addition to education programs, dodge provides free public access to more than 460 acres of restored and native habitats, including woods, prairies, wetlands, and oak savanna. These natural areas offer wildlife habitat and peaceful outdoor spaces open to everyone in the community, with trails accessible year-round at no cost. Conservation efforts continue across dodge's four properties in collaboration with partners such as the Minnesota land trust, Washington county watershed, and the Minnesota department of natural resources. Dodge offered these services with the support of 26 board members, 34 full-time staff, 13 part-time staff, and 270 volunteers.

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 98% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 76.1%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 9 of 9 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: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -15.6%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.07; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.9%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.2% of revenue deployed · 76.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 24 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $169K · 31 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 42/100.