This is the fourth in a series of blogs that will look at the finances of the various environmental activist groups that are involved in lawsuits that have had and will have a profound effect on our islands.
We will look at Form 990, the form that non-profit, tax-exempt organizations must file with the Internal Revenue Service.
In these blogs, we will be all about the numbers only, such as income, expenses, salaries, and program expenses.
We will present the numbers without comment, though I?m sure many of you will find, as I have, that some of those numbers are attention getting. Others are just?.well, interesting.
The numbers is this blog don?t reflect everything on the tax return, but there will be a link to the entire Form 990 for each group if you are interested in digging further.
The first week, we looked at the Southern Environmental Law Center, which is the tie that binds the others. SELC is based in Charlottesville, Va., with an office in Chapel Hill, N.C., and is representing the other environmental groups in three major lawsuits in the federal courts that have or will affect our life and lifestyle and economy.
All three are in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. They are:
- A lawsuit Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society filed in 2011 against the National Park Service for its lack of an ORV management plan, which the groups claimed resulted in inadequate protections for nesting shorebirds and turtles. It was settled by a 2008 consent decree but is still being ?overseen? by federal Judge Terrence Boyle.
- A lawsuit that Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association filed against the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and others to stop the plan to replace the aging Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet. A federal judge ruled in favor or DOT on Sept. 16. The plaintiffs have 60 days to appeal the decision. In addition, SELC, on behalf of its clients, is challenging a state-issued Major CAMA Permit in the state judicial system.
- A lawsuit in which Defenders of Wildlife and the National Parks Conservation Association are defendant-intervenors on the side of the federal government. In this case, filed in February 2012, the Cape Hatteras Preservation Alliance sued the Department of Interior, the National Park Service, and others to overturn the Park Service?s ORV plan and final rule. This case is currently also before federal Judge Terrence Boyle.
The second in the series looked at the National Audubon Society, the richest of these groups in income and the amount of assets it is sitting on.
And our third group was Defenders of Wildlife, based in Washington, D.C., which is a party to all three suits.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION?S FORM 990
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is also based in Washington, D.C., and has partnered with Defenders of Wildlife to intervene on behalf of the National Park Service to defend its ORV plan and final rule.
Its stated mission is to protect and enhance America?s national parks for present and future generations.
In its latest Form 990 filing, NPCA had income of $27.4 million, roughly equivalent to Defenders? $24.8 million. But both bring in much less revenue than Audubon?s $96.2 million.
NPCA?s most recently available form 990 is for 2010 and the tax year beginning July 1, 2010 and ending on June 30, 2011.
Here are some of the details:
Total revenue for the tax year was $27.4 million, down from $38.9 million the previous year.
Total expenses for the tax year were $33.4 million, down from $33.6 million the previous year.
Revenue minus expenses (what we would call profit or loss) is -$6 million. So NCPA had a loss for the year.
However, the group had total assets of $59.7 million and liabilities of about $7.8 million, so total assets or fund balances are $51.9 million.
Endowment funds total $15.9 million.
NPCA has a board of directors of 24 people, all of which are independent and are not paid by the group.
Some revenue details:
Revenue includes federated campaigns ($1.1 million), fundraising events ($138,160), non-cash contributions ($478,291),and all other contributions, gifts, grants ($22.6 million). Membership dues brought in $1.4 million.
Expense detail:
Compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees: $1.5 million.
Other employee compensation: $11.6 million.
Pension plan contributions: $751,098.
All other employee benefits: $35,913.
Payroll taxes: $930,352.
Professional fundraising: $525,144.
Legal fees: $90,000.
Advertising and promotion: $202,662.
Office expenses: $7.6 million.
Travel: $1.2 million.
Total lobbying expenditures: $150,299.
A total of 29 independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation.
The top independent contractor was Production Solutions of Vienna, Va., which received $4.3 million for mail house and printing expenses.
Twenty-eight employees received more than $100,000 in compensation.
Most highly compensated employees listed in the 2010 Form 990:
Thomas Kiernan, president, $387,795.
Theresa Pierno, executive vice-president, $213,665.
Ronald Tipton, senior vice-president, 177,809
James Nations, vice-president, center for park research, $186,461.
Kevin Barnhurst, vice-president of finance and information technology, $170,885.
Raymond Foote, vice-president of development, $182,010
Craig Obey, senior vice-president for government affairs, $162,842.
Alexander Brash, senior director, $152,071.
Kenneth Tichelbaut, vice-president of center for park management, $171,479.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Click here to see all of the National Parks Conservation Association?s Form 990.
