Vineyard Conservation Society Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042439882
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Vineyard Haven, MA, USA
Phone
5086939588
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$829,652
Expenses
$644,763
Assets
$8,905,060
Liabilities
$96,598

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SAMANTHA LOOK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • EWELL HOPKINS (PRESIDENT)
  • CAROLYN O'BRIEN (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • SAMANTHA LOOK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $139,942 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The vineyard conservation society, inc. (vcs) is a conservation organization whose mission includes advocacy and public education, as well as resource and enironmental protection information.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization (vcs) has initiatives which includes advocacy, public education, and resource protection; partnering with other conservation agencies to promote community action in defense of a viable environment and the future of martha's vineyard, Massachusetts. Vcs continues to implement a wide range of public outreach and educational programs, as it has for more than 50 years. Vcs sponsors a range of educational, informational, and awareness-raising events that benefit the public at-large. Vcs works in collaboration with the teachers in island schools to bring this ciurriculum to island students. Vcs outreach also includes a monthly free electronic informational almanac.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 67% 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.
  • 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.4%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $54.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 79; 79th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 22.3%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 13.81; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.7%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.4% of revenue deployed · 85.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $553K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $140K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.