Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 510204049
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Round Mountain, TX, USA
- Phone
- 8308253442
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Standard
- Sector
- Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $931,323
- Expenses
- $772,915
- Assets
- $1,813,530
- Liabilities
- $39,432
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Jenny McMillan (Executive Director)
People named in this filing
- Troy Meyer (Chair)
- Lisa Rhoden (Vice Chair)
- Michelle Earley (Secretary)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Land Preservation and Education
What it reported doing in 2024
Conservation: Our staff provides ongoing land management and trail maintenance to ensure that Westcave remains a prime example of effective land and water conservation. Westcave's stewardship of its grotto, rainwater ponds, and riparian areas supports local water cycles and mitigates the impact of droughta significant climate vulnerability in Central Texas. Healthy green spaces like Westcave's preserve help manage stormwater, reduce erosion, and maintain groundwater recharge, providing natural climate adaptation benefits for the region. Westcave protects the quality and quantity of natural springs and other water sources, including the Heinz Creek branch of the Pedernales River and the Middle Trinity Aquifer. We are also part of the Motus Tracking system, identifying the migratory patterns of birds and insects, as well as Dark Sky initiatives to help limit light pollution so we can see more of our immense galaxy.
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.
The verdict
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 63
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 71
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 62.1%; rating input score 62
- Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
- Fundraising efficiency: $8.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: 17%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.35; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 62.1% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $572K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
- Consistency: 25 of 26 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 10 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 31/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Fund balance restriction sum did not reconcile in the filed values.