Western Regional Environmental Education Council Dba Council for Environmental Ed

What it reported doing in 2016

For more than 45 years, CEE has provided environmental education programs and services that promote stewardship of the environment and further the capacity of learners to make informed decisions. Each year, CEE's benchmark programs provide materials and training for more than 35,000 educators, who reach millions of young people with essential information about conservation and the environment. See below for a description of each of CEE's educational programs.Project WILD is a supplementary, interdisciplinary, instructional program for educators of students in kindergarten through high school that is balanced and fair, neither pro nor con on value-sensitive issues. Project WILD's mission is to provide wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources. The goal of Project WILD is to assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment upon which all life depends.The Flying WILD program engages middle schools in bird education efforts with the intent of encouraging increased environmental stewardship among youth. Special emphasis is placed on creating an approach that is readily adaptable for urban schools, often with underserved students who traditionally receive few opportunities to participate in environmental education initiatives.Growing Up WILD is an early childhood education program that builds on childrens sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic skills.WET in the City engages K-12 youth in hands-on activities that creatively explore the science of water, its cultural context, and complex issues surrounding its management and stewardship. The program is delivered at the local level and targets urban educators with relevant, localized water education.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 83.4%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -79.2%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
• Officer compensation ratio: 18.3%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -12.4% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -9.4% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings