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Berlin MD | IRS ruling year: 1982 | EIN: 52-1250849
Organization Mission
Working with diverse community partners, we protect and defend the health of Delmarva's waters through advocacy, education, science and enforcement of clean water la ... (More)
Working with diverse community partners, we protect and defend the health of Delmarva's waters through advocacy, education, science and enforcement of clean water laws. (Less)
Good
This charity's score is 75%, earning it a Three-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. has earned a 70% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2019, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 10/11 - 35/35 ptsBoard Composition - 10/11 - 35/35 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - N/A - 0/0 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - N/A - 0/0 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Missing - 0/5 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Missing - 0/5 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 5/5 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 5/5 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 5/5 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 5/5 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Missing - 0/5 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Missing - 0/5 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Missing - 0/5 ptsWebsite - Missing - 0/5 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 67.70% - 0/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 67.70% - 0/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 73.62% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 73.62% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc.) or EIN (521250849) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Donations to our organization declined by 30%. We also applied and received the PPP loan and thus were able to employ a full staff.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
We had to pivot from in-person community outreach and in-person youth education programs to virtual platforms. Our Coast Kids summer camp programs had to be cancelled. We did run an outdoor 1 week program for high school students following current state and federal Covid-19 protocols. Our younger Coast Kids activities were turned in to "Coast Kits" which were delivered to the families so they could experience the planned activities with the immediate family. Our water quality monitoring program was curtailed for several months due to state restrictions on boating activities. We worked with the state Dept. of Natural Resources to become certified as a 'necessary activity' and resumed our data collection but lost several months of data. Our Community Outreach programs suffered from the use of virtual platforms. Certain communities had poor, or no, internet services and were unable to participate in virtual public hearings or our outreach webinars.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
As stated above, we relied on virtual classrooms, virtual community meetings, met with state agencies to obtain special certifications to continue our water quality data collection, and created a youth environmental education series with boxed kits of activity materials and web based experiences on our Coast Kids website. Staff worked from home until vaccinated and then resumed staggered office hours following proper COVID-19 protocols mandated at the time. Work from home required the organization to invest in equipment and software platforms to allow for virtual meetings and communication among staff.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Our innovative "Coast Kits' for our Coast Kids Program activities will continue to be used for Coast Kid members who are unable to attend an activity in person. To a very small extent virtual experiences will continue, however our organization's mission of environmental education, public outreach, and state level interaction needs in-person opportunities to continue.
Not Currently Scored
Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
COASTKEEPER - TO PRESERVE ASSATEAGUE ISLAND
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
COAST KIDS - TO PRESERVE ASSATEAGUE ISLAND
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
OUTREACH PROGRAM - TO PROMOTE THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION
Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. has earned a 93% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - No Data Available - UnscoredConstituent Feedback - No Data Available - Unscored
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 pts
100% of beacon score
This organization's score of 93 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 8 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (3/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (5/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Assateague Coastal Trust, Inc. has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Working arm in arm with diverse community partners, we protect and defend the health of Delmarva’s coastal waters through advocacy, education, science and the enforcement of just and equitable clean water laws.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Our coastal waters and natural areas are clean, valued and protected by the people who live, work and play in the coastal watershed.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Swimmable, fishable, drinkable waters across a thriving coastal watershed
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: Tens of thousands of people across the coastal watershed actively engaged in protecting their water
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: Fewer public health and safety impacts
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
One of the oldest and most effective environmental organizations on Delmarva, Assateague Coastal Trust has inspired and engaged scores of individuals and organizations to fight to protect the Atlantic Coastal Bays watershed and the surrounding Lower Shore region. The retirement of ACT’s ED in 2022 coupled with the urgent threats on the region’s environmental and public health, rural character, and quality of life, create an opportune time to envision the long- term impact of ACT and create a set of clear strategic priorities to guide the organization's decision- making and work. ACT hired Due East Partners to help in supporting this significant leadership transition and positioning ACT for its next phase of growth. ACT completed visioning and priority-setting to inform the search process and clarify the essential skills and attributes needed in the next executive leader. With a new Exec Dir. on-board, development of a broadly-owned and actionable 3-year strategic plan is in progress.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
The social and environmental challenges which society faces in the 21st century necessitate the need for our communities to come together and address these issues through many lenses. Understanding diversity, knowing the land and its sensitive environments, and building resilience to challenges, this is the essence of community. Throughout the year, ACT organizes many community events in an effort to bring the community together. For 10 years, ACT has hosted the nationally acclaimed Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Ocean City. Day paddles, kayak tours, a New Year’s Day beach walk on Assateague Island, and public outreach events are just a few ways we are trying to bring the community together. Many of these events uphold our dependence on the fragile coastal ecosystem and natural resources that characterize Delmarva.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
As the pandemic continued through 2021, with state mandated COVID-19 protocols still in place, ACT adapted with continued virtual events for community outreach and youth education, for example offering the annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival in a virtual format; encouraging healthy landscapes through our annual Native Plant Sale with online pre-orders and scheduled contactless pick up times so volunteers could safely load orders into vehicles; and continued our clean water advocacy efforts by adapting to online, virtual public hearings and legislative policy meetings in order to continue our work in accordance with our mission.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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