Nature Forward

Connecting People and Nature in the Capital Region

aka ANS | Chevy Chase, MD | www.natureforward.org

GuideStar Charity Check

Nature Forward

EIN: 53-0233715

Contributions tax deductible
as of May 2023

IRS BMF 509(a)(2)
as of May 08, 2023

View summary

Charity Check report

Mission

Nature Forward’s mission is to inspire residents of the greater Washington, DC region to appreciate, understand and protect their natural environment through outdoor experiences, education and advocacy. We seek to create a larger and more diverse community of people who treasure the natural world and work to preserve it.

Ruling year info

1947

Executive Director

Lisa Alexander

Main address

8940 Jones Mill Rd

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

53-0233715

Subject area info

Environment

Natural resources

Water resources

Biodiversity

Wildlife biodiversity

Show more subject areas

Population served info

Children and youth

Adults

Ethnic and racial groups

NTEE code info

Environmental Education and Outdoor Survival Programs (C60)

Water Resource, Wetlands Conservation and Management (C32)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (C01)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

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

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Blog

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

If it is your nonprofit, add a problem overview.

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?

Environmental Education Programs

Nature Forward provides GreenKids programs to more than 14,000 public school students and teachers annually. We also offer a nature preschool and kindergarten, summer camps, and countless natural history explorations and Naturalist Hour presentations for adults. We host biennial Taking Nature Black and Naturally Latinos conferences to connect and empower diverse environmental leaders.

Population(s) Served

Ethnic and racial groups

Adults

Children and youth

Adult Education and Forays

ANS provides opportunities for adults to hike, bird and botanize at more than 120 nature classes, field trips and outings each year. These programs offer nature novices and experienced naturalists alike a wide array of opportunities to explore and learn more about our area's natural history. All programs are led by experienced naturalists; foray lectures are at the Woodend Sanctuary,.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Continuing Education Natural History Field Studies Program

Thirty-six Natural History Field Studies courses, offered quarterly on a rotating basis, provide a unique opportunity to learn natural science from experts while exploring the ecosystems of the Central Atlantic region. Intended for the lay person and taught at the college freshman level, these evening courses are open to anyone at least 18 years old. Individual courses are useful to professional and amateurs alike in acquiring knowledge of specific subject matter and enhancing enjoyment of the out-of-doors.

The Natural History Field Studies curriculum has been designed to provide participants with a comprehensive and stimulating overview of the regions natural history and conservation issues and applications with an emphasis on learning in the field. A Certificate of Accomplishment is awarded for completion of a required curriculum of 39 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) taken in five subject areas.

Population(s) Served

Adults

GreenKids

GreenKids is a grant-funded educational outreach program of the Audubon Naturalist Society. GreenKids provides participating public schools with two years of free resources and field experiences to foster watershed stewardship and environmental literacy while meeting established curriculum goals. GreenKids operates in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland and Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. The GreenKids Network provides continuing support to alumni schools upon completion of the two-year GreenKids partnership.

Water Quality Monitoring

The Audubon Naturalist Society Water Quality Monitoring Program is one of the largest and longest-running citizen science programs in the country. Since the early 1990s, the program has operated throughout Montgomery County and in parts of the District of Columbia. For many years, it also operated in northern Virginia.

Our region's environment faces huge challenges as our population continues to grow. At ANS, we believe that our quality of life depends upon the preservation of our precious remaining forests, wetlands, water resources, and open space. We work with government officials and citizens to encourage careful planning and environmental policies, which will ensure our children inherit a clean, safe, and beautiful environment.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Maryland Green Trees Award 2018

External reviews

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

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

Evaluation documents

Number of participants attending course/session/workshop

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Environmental Education Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Public school students and adults in the DC metro area

Number of clients who self-report increased skills/knowledge after educational program/intervention

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Environmental Education Programs

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Based on before and after verbal questions to individuals or teacher reports

Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Reports and documents

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

Charting impact

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

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

Goal 1 – Enjoy
Grow a range of powerful experiences for our shared and diverse communities to form positive
emotional connections to nature that lead to discovery and engagement with the natural world.

Goal 2 – Learn
Equitably share knowledge with people of all ages and backgrounds about how nature works, its
components, how it affects us, and how we affect it.

Goal 3 – Protect
Act as a steward and catalyst for protecting our region’s natural environment in the face of the
climate crisis as well as preserve, maintain, and grow natural habitats for the future.

Goal 4 – Lead, Collaborate
Evolve Nature Forward’s role as a convener and connector in the region, modeling the
transformation of a historic environmental organization moving into the future.

Goal 5 – Sustain
Sustain and strengthen the core functions that allow Nature Forward to carry out its mission and
support success in the future.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

We have set detailed objectives and assigned the directors responsible and target audiences for each of the five pillars listed above for the current fiscal year. The status of each of these goals will be reported and reviewed on a quarterly basis by our Leadership Team and Board of Directors.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

Who are the people you serve with your mission?

Diverse children, youth and adults, including people with disabilities, from Montgomery County, MD, Prince George's County, MD, Washington, DC, Fairfax County, VA and Loudoun County, VA.
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
What significant change resulted from feedback?

To be more inclusive, we changed our name in November 2022 to Nature Forward. Focus groups, surveys and workshops were used to gather feedback.
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback

Financials

Nature Forward

Fiscal year: Sep 01 - Aug 31

Financial documents

Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant.

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

7.93

Average of 4.82 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

7.9

Average of 5.7 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

24%

Average of 22% over 10 years

Funding sources

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

Source: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

Nature Forward

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Sep 01 - Aug 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$1,100,197
Government Grants	$150,000
Program Services	$852,309
Investments	$413,485
Special Events	$17,883
Sales	$175,981
Other	$1,005
Total Revenue	$2,710,860

Expenses
Program Services	$2,408,832
Administration	$259,812
Fundraising	$223,839
Total Expenses	$2,892,483
Net Gain/Loss	($181,623)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$14,275
Advertising & Promotion	$21,215
Information Technology Expenses	$19,849
Insurance Expenses	$29,657
Interest Expenses	$2,044
Investment Management Fees	$10,854
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$17,607
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$1,158,543
Government Grants	$75,000
Program Services	$824,516
Investments	$428,531
Special Events	$22,124
Sales	$155,474
Other	$6,352
Total Revenue	$2,670,540

Expenses
Program Services	$2,227,268
Administration	$265,813
Fundraising	$193,494
Total Expenses	$2,686,575
Net Gain/Loss	($16,035)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$14,710
Advertising & Promotion	$21,891
Information Technology Expenses	$17,106
Insurance Expenses	$25,590
Interest Expenses	$503
Investment Management Fees	$9,448
Legal Fees	$1,071
Pension Plan Contributions	$2,243
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$821,960
Government Grants	$224,418
Program Services	$867,997
Investments	$546,782
Special Events	$33,066
Sales	$190,753
Other	$67,970
Total Revenue	$2,752,946

Expenses
Program Services	$2,399,935
Administration	$303,133
Fundraising	$228,035
Total Expenses	$2,931,103
Net Gain/Loss	($178,157)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$14,800
Advertising & Promotion	$13,206
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$26,069
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$1,750
Pension Plan Contributions	$5,297
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$1,825,197
Government Grants	$55,834
Program Services	$1,009,675
Investments	$350,753
Special Events	($1,835)
Sales	$159,298
Other	$9,324
Total Revenue	$3,408,246

Expenses
Program Services	$2,409,093
Administration	$359,212
Fundraising	$211,703
Total Expenses	$2,980,008
Net Gain/Loss	$428,238

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$74,045
Advertising & Promotion	$18,766
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$0
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$2,551
Pension Plan Contributions	$25,902
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$1,269,621
Government Grants	$66,881
Program Services	$1,098,006
Investments	$330,709
Special Events	$0
Sales	$178,772
Other	$3,670
Total Revenue	$2,947,659

Expenses
Program Services	$2,388,038
Administration	$298,876
Fundraising	$275,289
Total Expenses	$2,962,203
Net Gain/Loss	($14,544)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$80,367
Advertising & Promotion	$4,963
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$14,268
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$13,237
Legal Fees	$7,845
Pension Plan Contributions	$23,059
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$1,659,065
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$989,649
Investments	($98,979)
Special Events	($352)
Sales	$200,079
Other	$345,048
Total Revenue	$3,094,510

Expenses
Program Services	$2,399,218
Administration	$309,937
Fundraising	$278,175
Total Expenses	$2,987,330
Net Gain/Loss	$107,180

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$19,800
Advertising & Promotion	$4,750
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$17,616
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$16,516
Legal Fees	$25,402
Pension Plan Contributions	$18,960
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$444,807
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$630,785
Investments	$538,372
Special Events	$0
Sales	$78,038
Other	$16,507
Total Revenue	$1,708,509

Expenses
Program Services	$1,034,924
Administration	$118,056
Fundraising	$125,286
Total Expenses	$1,278,266
Net Gain/Loss	$430,243

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$22,225
Advertising & Promotion	$1,948
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$7,254
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$9,277
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$6,107
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$1,564,614
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$1,141,970
Investments	$373,814
Special Events	$21,014
Sales	$159,622
Other	$2,019
Total Revenue	$3,263,053

Expenses
Program Services	$2,637,069
Administration	$186,491
Fundraising	$283,481
Total Expenses	$3,107,041
Net Gain/Loss	$156,012

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$17,838
Advertising & Promotion	$6,945
Information Technology Expenses	$58,216
Insurance Expenses	$17,167
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$14,774
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$16,517
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,244,784
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$1,290,257
Investments	$286,942
Special Events	$37,484
Sales	$164,759
Other	$1,089
Total Revenue	$4,025,315

Expenses
Program Services	$3,003,207
Administration	$107,187
Fundraising	$376,755
Total Expenses	$3,487,149
Net Gain/Loss	$538,166

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$19,528
Advertising & Promotion	$12,284
Information Technology Expenses	$58,957
Insurance Expenses	$25,734
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$13,802
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$28,506
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$3,541,140
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$1,387,832
Investments	$455,176
Special Events	($1,151)
Sales	$179,207
Other	$2,538
Total Revenue	$5,564,742

Expenses
Program Services	$3,329,822
Administration	$94,317
Fundraising	$359,105
Total Expenses	$3,783,244
Net Gain/Loss	$1,781,498

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$16,449
Advertising & Promotion	$8,205
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$29,723
Interest Expenses	$9,497
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$233
Pension Plan Contributions	$91,587
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$7,009,561
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$1,615,488
Investments	$461,335
Special Events	($7,351)
Sales	$166,884
Other	$2,653
Total Revenue	$9,248,570

Expenses
Program Services	$3,924,642
Administration	$209,410
Fundraising	$389,981
Total Expenses	$4,524,033
Net Gain/Loss	$4,724,537

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$18,312
Advertising & Promotion	$5,975
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$27,539
Interest Expenses	$7,288
Investment Management Fees	$25,520
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$98,845
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,558,311
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$840,939
Investments	$219,074
Special Events	$11,411
Sales	$140,449
Other	$763
Total Revenue	$3,770,947

Expenses
Program Services	$3,485,711
Administration	$172,944
Fundraising	$339,000
Total Expenses	$3,997,655
Net Gain/Loss	($226,708)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$17,912
Advertising & Promotion	$5,676
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$0
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$102,051
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,393,131
Government Grants	$954,627
Program Services	$984,158
Investments	$740,344
Special Events	$0
Sales	$142,895
Other	$5,232
Total Revenue	$5,220,387

Expenses
Program Services	$5,177,695
Administration	$211,909
Fundraising	$365,892
Total Expenses	$5,755,496
Net Gain/Loss	($535,109)

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$23,235
Advertising & Promotion	$5,620
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$47,314
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$34,140
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$80,567
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$2,213,205
Government Grants	$852,050
Program Services	$1,303,087
Investments	$619,155
Special Events	$0
Sales	$147,919
Other	$1,016
Total Revenue	$5,136,432

Expenses
Program Services	$3,702,686
Administration	$302,574
Fundraising	$355,919
Total Expenses	$4,361,179
Net Gain/Loss	$775,253

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$0
Advertising & Promotion	$4,717
Information Technology Expenses	$0
Insurance Expenses	$39,022
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$36,591
Legal Fees	$19,632
Pension Plan Contributions	$103,409
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Nature Forward

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Sep 01 - Aug 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Contributions	$1,100,197
Cash & Equivalents	$581,305	$405,553	($175,752)
Accounts Receivable	$24,391	$15,109	($9,282)
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$115,000	$115,000
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$126,716	$175,491	$48,775
Investment, Securities	$1,071,128	$762,376	($308,752)
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$3,099,505	$3,038,725	($60,780)
Other	$19,747	$39,170	$19,423
Total Assets	$4,922,792	$4,551,424	($371,368)

Liabilities	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Accounts Payable	$166,776	$232,879	$66,103
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$655,028	$698,572	$43,544
Loans and Notes	$35,460	$16,208	($19,252)
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$46,257	$39,819	($6,438)
Total Liabilities	$903,521	$987,478	$83,957

Fund balance	Apr 01, 2008	Mar 31, 2009	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	$1,015,710	$1,059,155	$43,445
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	$1,198,224	$1,198,224	$0
Total Restricted Net Assets	$2,213,934	$2,257,379	$43,445
Unrestricted Net Assets	$1,805,337	$1,306,567	($498,770)
Net Assets	$4,019,271	$3,563,946	($455,325)

Assets	Apr 01, 2009	Mar 31, 2010	Change
Contributions	$1,158,543
Cash & Equivalents	$405,553	$368,915	($36,638)
Accounts Receivable	$15,109	$11,555	($3,554)
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$115,000	$85,000	($30,000)
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$175,491	$216,629	$41,138
Investment, Securities	$762,376	$1,233,795	$471,419
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$3,038,725	$2,964,475	($74,250)
Other	$39,170	$33,049	($6,121)
Total Assets	$4,551,424	$4,913,418	$361,994

Liabilities	Apr 01, 2009	Mar 31, 2010	Change
Accounts Payable	$232,879	$240,239	$7,360
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$698,572	$820,133	$121,561
Loans and Notes	$16,208	$0	($16,208)
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$39,819	$37,779	($2,040)
Total Liabilities	$987,478	$1,098,151	$110,673

Fund balance	Apr 01, 2009	Mar 31, 2010	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	$1,059,155	$1,100,714	$41,559
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	$1,198,224	$1,198,224	$0
Total Restricted Net Assets	$2,257,379	$2,298,938	$41,559
Unrestricted Net Assets	$1,306,567	$1,516,329	$209,762
Net Assets	$3,563,946	$3,815,267	$251,321

Assets	Apr 01, 2010	Mar 31, 2011	Change
Contributions	$821,960
Cash & Equivalents	$368,915	$448,073	$79,158
Accounts Receivable	$11,555	$411,336	$399,781
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$85,000	$97,793	$12,793
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$216,629	$257,580	$40,951
Investment, Securities	$1,233,795	$1,222,242	($11,553)
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$2,964,475	$2,834,325	($130,150)
Other	$33,049	$28,922	($4,127)
Total Assets	$4,913,418	$5,300,271	$386,853

Liabilities	Apr 01, 2010	Mar 31, 2011	Change
Accounts Payable	$278,018	$304,266	$26,248
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$820,133	$904,728	$84,595
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Liabilities	$1,098,151	$1,208,994	$110,843

Nature Forward

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Sep 01 - Aug 31

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

This snapshot of Nature Forward’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

Created in partnership with

Fiscal year: Sep 01 - Aug 31 View full report Download data

Business model indicators

Profitability	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation	$1,621,032	-$178,869	-$6,582,614	$1,531,262	-$208,739
As % of expenses	44.1%	-4.1%	-164.7%	27.2%	-5.0%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation	$1,509,797	-$304,800	-$6,582,614	$1,411,296	-$357,368
As % of expenses	39.9%	-6.7%	-164.7%	24.5%	-8.2%

Revenue composition
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted)	$5,564,742	$9,248,570	$3,770,947	$5,220,387	$5,136,432
Total revenue, % change over prior year	38.2%	66.2%	-59.2%	38.4%	-1.6%
Program services revenue	24.9%	17.5%	22.3%	18.9%	25.4%
Membership dues	3.7%	2.0%	4.1%	3.0%	3.1%
Investment income	1.7%	1.6%	3.9%	2.8%	4.8%
Government grants	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	18.3%	16.6%
All other grants and contributions	59.9%	73.7%	64.0%	42.9%	40.0%
Other revenue	9.8%	5.2%	5.7%	14.2%	10.2%

Expense composition
Total expenses before depreciation	$3,672,009	$4,398,102	$3,997,655	$5,635,530	$4,212,550
Total expenses, % change over prior year	8.2%	19.8%	-9.1%	41.0%	-25.3%
Personnel	63.8%	63.1%	70.1%	45.8%	67.0%
Professional fees	18.3%	17.8%	13.0%	45.7%	22.7%
Occupancy	3.6%	2.6%	7.2%	2.9%	2.5%
Interest	0.3%	0.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Pass-through	0.2%	1.5%	0.8%	0.7%	1.6%
All other expenses	13.9%	14.8%	8.9%	4.9%	6.1%

Full cost components (estimated)	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Total expenses (after depreciation)	$3,783,244	$4,524,033	$3,997,655	$5,755,496	$4,361,179
One month of savings	$306,001	$366,509	$333,138	$469,628	$351,046
Debt principal payment	$46,944	$62,282	$0	$155,035	$411,147
Fixed asset additions	$233,928	$154,592	$0	$486,403	$0
Total full costs (estimated)	$4,370,117	$5,107,416	$4,330,793	$6,866,562	$5,123,372

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Months of cash	8.5	6.4	8.0	6.2	7.9
Months of cash and investments	17.9	22.7	27.1	22.0	27.5
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets	9.8	7.3	7.0	7.2	8.9

Balance sheet composition	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Cash	$2,601,492	$2,330,253	$2,669,239	$2,918,511	$2,760,878
Investments	$2,878,121	$5,995,082	$6,343,696	$7,408,925	$6,909,505
Receivables	$550,434	$2,205,209	$2,292,376	$1,244,307	$582,383
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE)	$4,116,003	$4,250,310	$4,162,384	$4,560,173	$4,488,312
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE)	34.6%	36.0%	37.5%	35.0%	35.9%
Liabilities (as a % of assets)	12.9%	7.0%	10.1%	14.5%	9.1%
Unrestricted net assets	$5,681,139	$5,376,339	$4,940,393	$6,351,689	$5,994,321
Temporarily restricted net assets	$1,552,089	$6,146,668	N/A	N/A	N/A
Permanently restricted net assets	$719,724	$1,119,724	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total restricted net assets	$2,271,813	$7,266,392	$7,871,629	$6,353,565	$6,245,148
Total net assets	$7,952,952	$12,642,731	$12,812,022	$12,705,254	$12,239,469

Key data checks

Key data checks	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Material data errors	No	No	No	No	No

Operations

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

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

Executive Director

Lisa Alexander

LinkedIn profile

Executive Director since August 2013, Lisa joined Nature Forward in 2004, previously serving as Deputy Director and as Director of the Environmental Education Program. She helped develop our GreenKids Program and served as its first Project Director from 2005 to 2008. Before joining the staff, she previously worked on numerous, nationally-based educational programs and outreach efforts. Lisa served as an Educational Resource Specialist in the National Digital Library of the Library of Congress, the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the Wheetley Company (an educational publishing product development group), the Director of Product Development and Marketing for Delta Education, the Science Product Manager for the School Division of Addison-Wesley Publishing Company and as National Science Consultant for Scott, Foresman and Company.

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

Nature Forward

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

Nature Forward

Highest paid employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of highest paid employee data for this organization

Nature Forward

Board of directors
as of 01/19/2023

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board chair

Diane Wood

Beth Ziebarth

Smithsonian

Hughey Newsome

EGE-saquared

Rob Timmons

Pantheon

Dr. James Burris

Georgetown University

Noel Carson

Bozzuto

Sarah Davidson

World Wildlife Federation

Josefina Doumbia

Retired, World Bank

John Green

Sandy Spring Bank

Rebecca Lemos-Otero

Consultant

Rebecca Long

American Forests

Chanceé Lundy

Nspiregreen LLC

Bill McGrath

MCPS Physical Disabilities Program

Abel Olivo

Defensores De La Cuenca

Isha Renta López

NOAA

Alan Spears

NPCA

Nancy Voit

Nature Educator

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
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? 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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 1/19/2023

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

Female, Not transgender (cisgender)

Sexual orientation

Heterosexual or straight

Disability status

Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/19/2023

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 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 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 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 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.

Contractors

Fiscal year ending

There are no fundraisers recorded for this organization.

Nature Forward

Connecting People and Nature in the Capital Region

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

Reports and documents

What we aim to solve

This profile needs more info.

Our programs

Environmental Education Programs

Adult Education and Forays

Continuing Education Natural History Field Studies Program

GreenKids

Water Quality Monitoring

Where we work

Affiliations & memberships

Our results

Evaluation documents

Number of participants attending course/session/workshop

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Number of clients who self-report increased skills/knowledge after educational program/intervention

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization

Totals By Year

Population(s) Served

Related Program

Type of Metric

Direction of Success

Context Notes

Goals & Strategy

Reports and documents

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Financial documents

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Liquidity in 2022 info

7.93

Months of cash in 2022 info

7.9

Fringe rate in 2022 info

24%

Funding sources info

Assets & liabilities info

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

Nature Forward

Nature Forward

Nature Forward

Business model indicators

Capital structure indicators

Key data checks

Operations

Documents

Executive Director

Lisa Alexander

Number of employees

Nature Forward

Compensation data

Nature Forward

Compensation data

Nature Forward

Board of directors data

Diane Wood

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

Liquidity in 2022

Months of cash in 2022

Fringe rate in 2022

Funding sources

Assets & liabilities