Washington Parks & People

What it reported doing in 2024

DC Green Corps- the DC Green Corps, based at the New Marvin Gaye Community Greening Center in the watts branch sub- watershed of the Anacostia River, provides a city- wide gateway to 50 different green career tracks in urban and community forestry and forest- based ecosystem and watershed restoration helping under- served sub- watershed communities across the city. The Green Corps job program focuses on environmental justice, sustainable native reforestation, riparian buffer planting, invasive removal, urban agriculture and arboriculture, and green controls of urban systems, such as storm and sewer flows. The Green Corps and Center have a referral system to help participants connect to jobs through a wide range of agencies, professional and trade associations, trades and professions and industries. Education and Outreach- Washington Parks and People offers programs that inform the public about the various uses and the history of public parks located in the Washington DC metro area. Community Harvest- The Community Harvest program reconnects underserved people with land, food, jobs and justice. The centerpiece of the program is community partnership awards of mini- grants, land reclamation, planning and design, trees, seeds, tools, technical assistance, job training, volunteer support, fiscal sponsorship and advocacy for community greening efforts. The organization continues to partner with the local and federal governments and diverse communities to reclaim parklands across the District of Columbia, with current focus on Marvin Gaye Park in Far Northeast DC and Meridian Hill/ Malcolm X Park in Columbia Heights. The organization also owns and operates four community impact hubs: its headquarters at the Josephine Butler Parks Center facing Meridian Hill/ Malcolm X Park, its program base at the RIverside Healthy Living Center in Far Northeast DC, the Columbia Heights Green, and the Piney Spring Green in Petworth. Each of these has a range of community health, youth, recreation, education, arts, agriculture, and environmental reclamation and training impacts that radiate out across the city.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 65.3%; rating input score 65
• Program expense ratio: 83.5%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 21.4%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.36; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -3.7% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings