Mission: McKee Botanical Garden is a cultural organization located at the southern gateway to Vero Beach, Florida, with the mission of "nurturing and enhancing a historic gar ... (More)
McKee Botanical Garden is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 2003, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
350 U.S. Highway One
Vero Beach FL 32962
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Good
This charity's score is 86.69, earning it a 3-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 81.62 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 96.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2020, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
67.7%
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. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
10.4%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
21.7%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
0.7%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.23
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
9.11 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
9.07%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
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| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
No Data Available
Revenue and expense data is not available for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. 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
Christine Hobart, Executive Director
$127,103 (7.18% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990.
Business Master File Data
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
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
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)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
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 view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
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. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
McKee Botanical Garden reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
In March 2020, McKee was forced to close temporarily. The main Garden was closed for seven weeks, while the Children's Garden remained closed for nearly four months and the Garden Café for eight (months). The closures negatively impacted multiple revenue streams, including daily admissions, memberships (new, lapsed, and the need to offer extensions), facility rentals, class registrations, and retail sales, both in the café and gift shop. Additionally, McKee incurred unbudgeted expenses in equipment and ongoing services to adapt to Covid-19's impact and adhere to CDC requirements. During this time of uncertainty, the Garden continued to require ongoing maintenance and care; therefore, McKee's essential horticulture staff was onsite daily while respecting physical distancing. Administrative staff alternated days to be onsite. Despite the Garden being closed and the subsequent loss of revenue, McKee did not lay off any of its employees and continued to pay them a full salary.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
As a result of being temporarily closed and later, the need for social distancing, McKee was forced to cancel its calendar of special events, along with several classes and workshops. Although select classes, workshops, and camp sessions resumed upon reopening, the number of attendees was limited. The Garden identified several programs and activities that could be done outdoors during select times of the day and in designated shaded areas. Additionally, McKee offered to its members at no cost presentations from out-of-state artists.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
McKee implemented online admission ticket purchasing, which was a requirement for visitors when the Garden reopened. Protective screens were installed at our admissions window, gift shop, and café, and social distancing and one-way directional signage were installed throughout the Garden's 18-acres. A professional company was hired to disinfect the Educational Building and library, and a UV Light system was installed in the gift shop, café, and public restrooms. Thermometers were also purchased to check staff temperatures daily and visitors upon entering any indoor facilities.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
McKee’s Board of Directors will continue to monitor and adhere to CDC guidelines. The Garden will continue to offer virtual presentations of select events for members who are unable to attend in person. The Garden will also continue to identify and host classes, workshops, and activities that can be offered outdoors.
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
McKee Botanical Garden cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating 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.
Do you work at McKee Botanical Garden? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score 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.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by McKee Botanical Garden is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
The mission of McKee Botanical Garden is to nurture and enhance a historic garden in a unique tropical setting for the education, enjoyment, and enrichment of all. The mission of the Children's Garden at McKee is to create a fun and whimsical outdoor destination that inspires imagination and curiosity in children through interaction, education, and exploration. The garden will nurture a powerful bond between children and nature.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
McKee Botanical Garden's rich history has laid the foundation for this historic landmark to evolve into a haven for biodiversity where over ten thousand tropical plants thrive, internationally renowned exhibits excite, the Children's Garden captivates, the Garden Café nourishes, and educational programs for adults and children abound, year-round. We will build upon this legacy by cultivating the next generation of leadership, optimizing community partnerships, growing income streams, and inspiring and motivating all generations to become stewards of our environment. McKee Botanical Garden is committed to attracting, educating, and delighting visitors of all ages, for generations to come. The Garden's lush 18-acres serves as a place of respite and discovery, connecting people to the wonders of nature. Our strategy from now to 2025 focuses on the role McKee will play as an environmental, cultural, and educational leader within the community.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: To grow and support a viable board, McKee will continue to recruit members who are passionate about its mission and committed to upholding the Garden's legacy as a cultural destination for all.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Two: McKee will expand its capacity to attract the next generation of leadership, Avant Gardeners, by hosting an array of new and unique events and activities in the Garden exclusively for this audience.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Three: To help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Garden, McKee will develop and implement a customized fundraising strategy that yields $1 million in new money for its endowment by 2025.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
McKee's horticultural staff is responsible for maintaining the excellence and integrity of McKee's horticultural collections, expanding plant biodiversity within the Garden, and ensuring that environmental sustainability remains at the forefront of our work. McKee provides ongoing professional development opportunities to staff to further advance their knowledge of botanical species and public gardening and implement new best practices and innovative techniques. Classes and certifications* include International Society of Arborist-Biology and identification of Fungi, Retaining Trees for Wildlife; University of Florida-Master Gardener Program*, Green Industry Best Management Practices, Palm Nutrition, Hurricane Resilient Trees; International Water Garden Society-Victoria Lily Biology and Culture Conference; Wildlife Training Institute-certified Wildlife Protector*; Pesticide Use and Safety Class; FL Certified landscape Irrigation Technician Class; Accessioning and Record-Keeping.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Raising Awareness
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
McKee is committed to playing a vital role in contributing to a healthy community by being a cultural and educational destination. The Garden recognizes that outreach bolsters its mission and boosts visibility and environmental awareness. McKee is committed to sharing ideas, resources, and best practices locally and nationally to ensure that we educate and influence environmental stewardship effectively and efficiently. The board and staff are active in introducing new audiences to McKee and cultivating future stakeholders. Collaborations are optimized by hosting private events and being a venue for select professional workshops and meetings. Garden happenings are promoted through an integrated multi-channel marketing program, including print, digital, traditional media, and in-person outreach. An annual marketing plan is developed and overseen by a committee comprised of staff and board members who meet monthly to review, evaluate, and implement strategies to improve efforts.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
During 2020’s unprecedented challenges, McKee adapted in a multitude of ways for the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and community, On March 17, 2020, McKee Botanical Garden temporarily closed its gates for seven weeks. The Children's Garden remained closed for nearly four months, and the Garden Café reopened in November. Because the garden grounds require ongoing maintenance and care, the horticulture staff was onsite daily while respecting physical distancing. Administrative staff alternated days onsite. During this time, McKee did not lay off any of its employees and continued to pay them a full salary. To adapt to Covid-19's impact and adhere to CDC requirements, McKee evaluated and changed how it operates and connects with its members, board of directors, and the community. Upon reopening, several modifications were implemented, including the development and requirement of online admission ticket purchasing for visitors. Touch-less credit card payment terminals and protective screens were installed at our admissions window, Gift Shop, and Café, and face coverings were required by staff and guests in all indoor locations. Social distancing and one-way directional signage were installed throughout the Garden's 18-aces. A professional company was hired and scheduled to disinfect all indoor areas, and UV Sterilizer Systems were installed. Staff temperatures were checked daily, as were visitors upon entering any indoor facilities. Special events and programming were canceled and then slowly introduced and modified in the latter part of the year. The pandemic reminded us how essential connecting with the natural world is for our physical and mental well-being. As primarily an outdoor venue surrounded by nature's beauty, McKee Botanical Garden has proven to be a place to find respite, solace, and peace, especially during challenging times.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Organization leadership data is not available for this organization.
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
92
out of 100
McKee Botanical Garden has earned a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating. The organization provided data about how it listens to constituents (Constituent Feedback) and its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) practices (see report below).
The Culture & Community Beacon is comprised of the following metrics:
Constituent Feedback: 100/100 (30% of beacon score)
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: 88/100 (70% of beacon score)
Culture & Community Report
92
of 100 points
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
88/100 points
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 88 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 6 diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
View this organization's DEI Strategies
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
100/100 points
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. 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.
View this organization's Constituent Feedback Practices
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
