Trees Atlanta Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
581584758
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone
4045224097
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Environmental Beautification and Aesthetics

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,633,248
Expenses
$10,849,585
Assets
$26,408,977
Liabilities
$2,409,022

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GREG LEVINE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • TAYLOR BAIRD (PRESIDENT)
  • AMELIA DELUCA (CO-VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN MCFARLAND (CO-VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DAVID HICKS (FORMER CO-VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • GREG LEVINE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $186,717 total reported compensation
  • SUZIE SLOAN (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $108,052 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Trees atlanta protects and improves atlanta's urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating the public about the benefits of trees and their importance for the health and well-being of our community. We empower community-based forestry and depend on volunteers and the engagement of residents and municipalities from across the region. Since our founding in 1985, trees atlanta has planted over 180,000 trees throughout metro atlanta. Our aim is to build a community where residents and the natural world coexist in a thriving urban ecosystem that addresses environmental threats, increases air quality, fosters better health outcomes, facilitates more job opportunities, invites more social engagement and creates safer and healthier neighborhoods.

What it reported doing in 2024

Trees atlanta helps community members protect and care for trees and educates young people and adults about the value of our urban forest. In the 2024/2025 planting season, trees atlanta planted and distributed 9,355 trees in metro atlanta with the help of volunteers and contractors. During fy25, trees atlanta volunteers planted 6,184 trees (6-8 ft. Tall) as part of our community forestry program. Trees atlanta's urban trees program planted 447 15-foot tall trees in metro atlanta sidewalks, public spaces and on private commercial property. An additional 2,724 trees were planted by our forest restoration and beltline arboretum teams. These trees are maintained, cared for, and/or managed by trees atlanta staff, volunteers, or contractors. Finally, 1,033 trees were distributed through tree sales and giveaways. Trees atlanta's forest restoration program transforms overgrown greenspaces into healthy forests through invasive plant removal. In fy25, trees atlanta treated and managed 683 acres of invasive species throughout the metro atlanta area. Trees atlanta educates the public, both children and adults, about the extraordinary benefits of trees and the need to protect and expand the city's tree canopy. Youth education initiatives include an in-school education program (urban treetrackers) and day camps (junior treekeepers). In addition, 70 high school students from diverse backgrounds participated in youth tree team, a 7-week job and leadership training program. Job training is also available for young adults through urban forestry career pathways (ufor), a workforce development program delivered in partnership with greening youth foundation, on the rise community development center, and atlanta beltline, inc. Adult education offerings include treekeepers, tree walks, atlanta beltline arboretum walking tours, speaker series and our annual native plant and tree sales. An educated public will lead to improved environmental stewardship and healthier communities across metro atlanta. In fy25, through a mix of in-person events and synchronous and asynchronous online learning opportunities, trees atlanta delivered 21,710 educational interactions reaching audiences from youth to adults and novices to experts.

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 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and the available information about grant readiness federal audit leaves an important question unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.5%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 88.4%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th 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: -2%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.43; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.7%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.5% of revenue deployed · 88.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $9.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $187K · 31 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $317K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Federal audit findings: this organization reported findings in its latest federal Single Audit.