PLATINUM2023

Scenic Texas, Inc.

Helping citizens safeguard the scenic qualities of Texas roadways, countryside, and communities.

aka Scenic Texas   |   Austin, TX   |  www.scenictexas.org

Mission

MISSION STATEMENT Scenic Texas, Inc., is the only statewide a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of our state's visual environment. Scenic Texas preserves and enhances the visual character of Texas. We are the only state nonprofit that helps citizens safeguard the scenic qualities of Texas roadways, countryside, and communities. Scenic Texas emerged from the visionary leadership of Texas own Lady Bird Johnson who began the scenic movement during her husband's presidency. The First Lady’s vision was to make America the Beautiful a reality. Lady Bird understood that beauty was more than aesthetics. Beautification means our total concern for the physical and human quality we pass on to our children and the future.

Ruling year info

1985

Chair

Jason Wills

Main address

PO Box 6446

Austin, TX 78762 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Lone Star Roadside Council

Billboards Ltd.

EIN

76-0127655

NTEE code info

Environmental Beautification (C50)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Scenic City Certification Program

The mission of the Scenic City Certification Program is to support and recognize Texas municipalities that implement high-quality scenic standards for public roadways and public spaces. The Scenic City Certification Program provides a proven, highly-regarded tool to Texas cities for assessment, evaluation, and recognition of infrastructure standards.

The evaluation reviews every applicant’s existing ordinance and code language in these areas:

Streetscape enhancements
Parks, trails and open spaces
Lighting standards
Design integrity
Landscaping and screening
Sign control
Litter and graffiti prohibition
Utility and cable line programs
Unique municipal features
Special programs

Any Texas city may apply to the Scenic City Certification Program for an objective, points-based review of existing municipal infrastructure ordinances. Every application receives a score sheet evaluation; cities that score at the upper level and demonstrate a landscaping/tree planting program, on-premise sign regulations and prohibition of new billboards may earn Certified Scenic City designation.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Scenic Texas’ 1 Million Trees Across Texas Initiative is the only statewide program that supports sustainable landscaping and increases tree planting in overlooked rural to mid-sized communities of Texas. Our tree planting program improves the scenic quality of natural and built landscapes, aims to combat environmental degradation, promotes environmental conservation, preserves native trees, maintain greenspaces, and enhances the sustainability of communities across the state.

Planting new trees and preserving existing trees in our overlooked communities will improve the overall quality of our environment and provide habitat for native wildlife, which maintains a harmonious balance between humans and nature. Scenic Texas strives to address the environmental challenges associated with pollution and ecosystem degradation due to Texas’ rapid growth rate.

For more information about how you can help, contact [email protected]

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of trees planted

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Goal 1: To preserve and enhance the scenic character of Texas cities, counties, highways and byways.\n\nGoal 2: Create a more scenic Texas through education and advocacy.\n\nGoal 3: Secure Scenic Texas’ future by building staff, board, and financial capacity.

1. Growing the Scenic City Certification Program that currently has 85 cities and 18 program partners\n2. Establishing the 1 Million Trees Across Texas to plant 1 million trees along roads, highways, byways, and rights-of-way\n3. Successfully advocating for the Texas Scenic Byways Program to be established along with 30 Texas Scenic Highways\n4. Developing Scenic County and Scenic School programs

A nearly 40-year-old nonprofit organization with experience in working with city, county, and state governments to preserve and enhance the state's visual environment/

Successfully established a Texas Scenic Byways Program and 30 Texas Scenic Highways. Planting 1,200 trees and 750 bluebonnet wildflower packets along roads in 2021.

Financials

Scenic Texas, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Scenic Texas, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 06/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Jason Wills

American Campus Communities

Term: 2020 - 2022

Judy Harman

Fort Worth

Philip Gould

Baker Hughes

Cooke Kelsey

Attorney

Margaret DeMoss

Retired

Brenda Wheeler

Retired

CeCe Fowler

Retired

Richard Metzger

Metzer Construction

Linda Baranek

Retired

Marissa McKinney

Landscape Architect

Louise Appleman

Retired

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 6/7/2023
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 06/03/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • 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.
Policies and processes
  • 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.