Us Working Group Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030355315
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone
6123534511
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Forest Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,935,122
Expenses
$2,347,694
Assets
$1,163,908
Liabilities
$451,404

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH BILLIG (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH BILLIG (PRESIDENT): $201,173 total reported compensation
  • AMY CLARK EAGLE (DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE & CERTIFICATION): $186,997 total reported compensation
  • ANNA GROTZKY (DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS): $180,179 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide pathways for people to support and recognize responsible forest management.

What it reported doing in 2024

Increase consumer demand: the forest stewardship council is a voluntary, market-based system that relies on companies and their customers to drive demand for fsc-certified products, which in turn supports growth in forest lands protected under fsc standards. To facilitate these efforts, fsc invests in consumer education and research, engages companies to develop progressive forest products procurement policies and communicate with their customers, and works with the public sector to promote sound policies supporting forest stewardship. Fsc focuses its industry engagement in green building, paper and printing, packaging, furniture, and bioenergy.(continued on schedule o)in 2024, fsc expanded its online presence to 22,500 followers across linkedin, facebook, and instagram helping to amplify key messages and reach broader audiences. The forest week campaign saw the highest engagement among global partners, demonstrating growing consumer interest and connection to the mission. Fsc also updated marketing materials and promoted the brand at major trade shows to increase visibility and interest, while partnering with leading companies to spotlight fsc certification in the marketplace.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 94% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.5%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 74.8%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 20%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.5; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.39; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.4%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.5% of revenue deployed · 74.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $201K · 14 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $266K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.