Wildlife Heritage Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943352965
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Lincoln, CA, USA
Phone
9164342759
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Land Resources Conservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,931,115
Expenses
$4,278,616
Assets
$124,186,495
Liabilities
$3,609,018

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KURT WORLEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AS OF 7/1/24))
  • DARLA GUENZLER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU 5/15/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • DARLA GUENZLER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THRU 5/15/24)): $184,391 total reported compensation
  • KURT WORLEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (AS OF 7/1/24)): $169,278 total reported compensation
  • KELLY VELASCO (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR): $119,358 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 protect, enhance, and restore wildlife habitat on lands conserved for the benefit of future generations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Wildlife heritage foundation has a program to provide outdoor educational and recreational events for all ages, but with a particular focus on youth, to increase understanding and appreciation for the natural world. In a typical year, we provide educational workshops on our protected properties on the subjects of wildlife, wetlands, pollinators, wildflowers, water cycle, and other natural resources and habitats found in California for hundreds of students in the western placer unified school district, a week-long outdoor experience for 6th graders. Whf also provides educational nature walks for adults. In 2024, whf provided outreach and education to community members who live in areas adjacent to conserved lands.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 66% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
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 most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91.4%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 79%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $114.93 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 88; 88th 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: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 46.1%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 29.02; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.3% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91.4% of revenue deployed · 79% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $3.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $184K · 8 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $789K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.