Mission: The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) cultivates ecological literacy and builds the capacity of civic and social movement leaders and organizations to guide their own communities to an ecologically regenerative, economically viable, and socially just future.
Inspired by Nature, where diversity is a key indicator of the health of an ecosystem, we assist place-based communities in reorienting human economy and governance towards the restoration and stewardship of biological and cultural diversity. To realize our mission, we invest in projects and partnerships that address the root causes of the ecological, economic, and social crises of our time.
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1997, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for Occidental Arts & Ecology Center is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
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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.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 96.30, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 94.78 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 100.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
75.5%
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
16.3%
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
8.1%
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
7.7%
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
$0.09
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
2.13 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
21.00%
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: | |
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| 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
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
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
Dave Henson, Executive Director
$838,446 (30.75% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2018
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:
Preservation of natural resources (conservation) (BMF activity code: 350)
Other instruction and training (BMF activity code: 149)
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
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.
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
Revenue
Staffing
Administrative Capacity
Grants Received
Grants Sent
Balance Sheet
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
We lost $500k in revenue in each of 2020 and 2021 (about 1/3 of our annual core operating revenue) - as we had to cancel nearly all the strategy retreats and trainings we normally run at our land-based center. We did receive a forgivable PPP loan and some Employee Retention Tax Credits that helped us retain all of our core staff and provide generous severance to our hourly staff (who serve our now-cancelled workshops and retreats). We have been able to continue and expand all of our non-site-based programs. By consensus agreement of our core staff collective, all core (not hourly) staff took pay cuts so that no core staff were laid off. We have continued our 'equitable pay' commitment, where the highest paid senior staff are compensated less than 2x the entry hourly positions at OAEC.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Since March 2020, we have been unable to offer trainings, workshops or host movement retreats - a core program we offer at OAEC's 80 acre organic farm and training center. This has had enormous effect on the dozens of US and international racial, economic, social and environmental justice organizations and alliances whom we have collaborated with on retreats and trainings throughout our 27 years. We moved some of our core courses (Permaculture and Resilient Community Design) to an online platform for now, and that was highly successful, and we have increased our online movement strategy facilitation services as well as farm and movement center design consulting services to help make up lost program and revenue.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
OAEC has a resident community/staff of about 25 people, and another 15-20 part and full-time staff who come to work to the OAEC site. As a staff collective, we took great care to insure the physical and emotional health of our staff and the resident community during rapidly shifting COVID protocols, closures and information. As a residential retreat center (part of OAEC's program work), we have tried to model sensible and justice-centered workplace COVID policies to protect our staff, community and guests while prioritizing practices that support the safety of the most vulnerable communities and those activists who are not able to be vaccinated due to health conditions. We have been very successful in that, as far as we know, none of our guests, staff or residents have suffered COVID exposure over these past 18 months, yet we have remained open for most of our program work.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Re-tooling our flagship Permaculture and Resilient Community Design workshops to an online platform was a huge amount of work. But the online courses we have ran have in fact enabled many more geographically, racially and economically diverse communities to participate. If/when we are able to fully "reopen", we will integrate a 'hybrid' workshop pedagogy to retain the best of what we have learned about successful online training along with returning to in-person training at our widely admired land-based center.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 5/1/2022 | 2019 | 96.30 | |
| 11/1/2021 | 2018 | 76.96 |  |
| 2/1/2020 | 2018 | 74.33 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 12/1/2019 | 2018 | 72.33 | |
| 10/1/2019 | 2017 | 83.63 |  |
| 4/1/2019 | 2017 | 77.79 | |
| 6/1/2018 | 2016 | 66.63 |  |
| 6/1/2017 | 2015 | 86.12 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 89.00 | |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 8/1/2015 | 2013 | 78.36 | |
| 6/1/2014 | 2012 | 78.59 | |
| 11/1/2013 | 2011 | 78.36 | |
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
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center 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 Occidental Arts & Ecology Center? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center reported its largest program on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$1,202,314
Spent in most recent FY
54%
Percent of program expenses
CalCAN
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 Occidental Arts & Ecology Center 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
An 80-acre land-based social and environmental movement education and advocacy center and organic farm working towards the restoration of biological and cultural diversity by cultivating ecological literacy and building the capacity of community and social movement leaders to guide their communities to an ecologically regenerative, economically viable, and socially just future.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
1) Protect and restore native biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, with a particular focus on the Northern California bioregion, including in open-pollinated and heirloom varieties of food, fiber and medicinal agricultural crops. 2) Cultivate ecological literacy, especially within social justice and environmental movement organizations, public schools and agencies and governing bodies. 3) Create, model, and organize socially just, ecologically sustainable, and practical alternatives to global corporatization and the economic paradigm that is dependent on colonization, growth and consumption. 4) Help build the capacity of community-based and grassroots institutions to increase the level and effectiveness of local participatory democracy working towards racial, social, economic and social justice. 5) Encourage the reawakening of the evolutionary and spiritual connection between human beings, human communities and the natural world.
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: PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATION
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Two: EDUCATING INDIVIDUALS AND TRAINING WHOLE COMMUNITIES TO SELF-GOVERN THEIR OWN PATH TO SOLUTIONS TO THE COMPLEX OF ISSUES DURING 'PEAK EVERYTHING': WATER, SOIL, CLIMATE, JUSTICE, ETC
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Goal Three: EDUCATING, ORGANIZING AND ADVOCATING FOR RACIAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
OAEC runs many training programs and hosts collaborative strategy retreats and training programs that focus on leadership development in the social movement sectors of racial, economic and social justice, environmental justice, regenerative agriculture, organizational self-governance, and other areas
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
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
OAEC works in coalition and alliance with hundreds of organizations to further policy initiatives at the local, regional, state, national and international arena, including in the areas of community resilience, racial justice, regenerative agriculture and land use, re-wilding native species, state and county building codes and regulations, vegetative management for fire mitigation, stopping plastic production and pollution, and many other areas
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.
COVID has forced us to adapt, with our dozens of core partner organization and alliance, to constantly changing conditions - in the communities we serve, the corporations causing the problems, the governmental structures that fall far short of managing economy for humans or Earth, and with the staff of our organizations. OAEC's staff collective has adapted in myriad ways to stay effective, healthy, visionary and supportive of those communities and organizations who have been hit harder than us.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Dave Henson
Executive Director
Melissa Nelson
President
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
Not Currently Scored
Occidental Arts & Ecology Center is currently not eligible for a Culture & Community score because we have not received its Constituent Feedback or Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion data. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen and Equity Practices sections of their Candid profile.
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.
Culture & Community Report
Unscored
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
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
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.
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
