Understory Initiative

What it reported doing in 2024

Partnership Building and Applied Restoration: In 2024, RNPP (Rogue Native Plant Partnership) completed follow-up monitoring on 16 post-fire huckleberry plots in partnership with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. We also hosted five farm tours highlighting local seed growers and their techniques, and partnered with seven local and regional organizations to host seed collecting and cleaning events that brought together partners, volunteers, and community members. UNPP (Umpqua Native Plant Partnership) made significant progress in strengthening native plant supply efforts across the region. To focus efforts and resources, we narrowed our species priorities from over 200 to fewer than 50, emphasizing plants with the highest ecological and cultural value. We also launched the native plant reservation system to streamline plant access for restoration practitioners. Community engagement remained a core part of our work, with hands-on restoration events alongside local producers, landowners, and volunteers, and participation in events like Earth Day, the Glide Wildflower Show, and a successful community seed swap. In collaboration with the Oregon Native Seed Collective, we published the Oregon Native Seed Strategy, a comprehensive guide to native seed procurement, preservation, and production for restoration and conservation efforts across the state. We also produced and distributed 30 pounds of Open Meadow Pollinator Mix and 28 pounds of Shade Tolerant Pollinator Mix to private landowners, supporting pollinator habitat on working lands. A new population of sand dune phacelia (Phacelia argentea), a federally threatened plant native to the southern Oregon coast, was successfully established. Lastly in partnership with Tualatin SWCD, seeds from 3 regions were collected in support of the Climate-Adapted Plant Materials (CAPM) project. This source seed will provide valuable insights on drought resilience and climate adaptation for native plants in the future.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.3%; rating input score 92
• Program expense ratio: 92.5%; rating input score 93
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0.8%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.24; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.6; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 47.9% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 37.2% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 47.1% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings