THE FRIENDS OF THE MIDDLESEX FELLS RESERVATION INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

THE FRIENDS OF THE MIDDLESEX FELLS RESERVATION INC

EIN 22-3278797 · Animal-Related (D)

What they do

THE FRIENDS of THE MIDDLESEX FELLS RESERVATION, INC.S (THE ORGANIZATION) MISSION is to PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION, APPRECIATION, and SUSTAINABLE ENJOYMENT of THE MIDDLESEX FELLS RESERVATION. WE PROTECT and ENHANCE THE ECOLOGY of THE FELLS THROUGH INITIATIVES to MANAGE INVASIVE SPECIES, REDUCE ROGUE TRAILS for WILDLIFE, and FOSTER A CULTURE of CARE and COMMUNITY STEWARDSHIP. WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES for PEOPLE to LEARN, ENJOY, and CARE for THE FELLS WITH MORE THAN 100 FREE WALKS ANNUALLY and A MULTITUDE of OPPORTUNITIES to JOIN US IN ON-THE-GROUND STEWARDSHIP of THE FELLS. WE ADVOCATE for PROTECTION of THE FELLS THROUGH PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DCR STAFF, ELECTED OFFICIALS, and COMMUNITY LEADERS and ACTIVATE MORE THAN 4,000 SUPPORTERS to SPEAK UP ON BEHALF of THE FELLS.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $70.80 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2023The report may be old. Ask for a newer one.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders12 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

70.35%of revenue went to mission work70.8% of expenses · Program services

10.22%of revenue went to fundraising10.3% of expenses

$99.30spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

18.73%of revenue went to management and office costs18.9% of expenses

$5.08in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

43.7%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $82,377 for CHRISTOPHER REDFERN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2023

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$514,665

Mission workProgram services$362,05470.35% of revenue70.8% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$96,41118.73% of revenue18.9% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$52,61510.22% of revenue10.3% of expenses

Revenue left after expensesReported annual surplus$3,5850.70% of revenueShown in gray on the chart

Total expenses$511,08099.30% of revenue

Gray means reported revenue left after expenses for this filing year. It does not necessarily mean cash sitting in a bank account.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2023CurrentExpense mix: 70.8% mission · 18.9% management · 10.3% fundraisingTotal expenses: 99.30% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 72.4% mission · 17.2% management · 10.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 17.59% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 73.6% mission · 15.3% management · 11.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 102.61% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 69.5% mission · 18.7% management · 11.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 74.84% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 63.0% mission · 23.9% management · 13.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 50.52% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 39.3% mission · 0.0% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 103.59% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 41.2% mission · 0.0% management · 0.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 102.07% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$514,665

Expenses$511,080

Annual surplus $3,585 Revenue was higher than expenses for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$362,054 · 70.8% of expenses

Management and office costs$96,411 · 18.9% of expenses

Fundraising$52,615 · 10.3% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$514,665

Expenses$511,080

Assets$2,593,786

Income$515,716

Contributions$225,016

Mission work (program services)$362,054

Fundraising$52,615

Grants given$26,166

Average grant$6,542

Management and general$96,411

Stocks and bonds$1,506,173

Accounting fees$31,628

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2023

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

CHRISTOPHER REDFERNEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $82,377

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (12)

CHRISTOPHER REDFERNEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ANITA BREWER-SILJEHOLMSECRETARY

CHARLIE MCCABEVICE CHAIR

CLAIRE ONEILLDIRECTOR

DIANE DEMARCODIRECTOR

JILL GEISLERTREASURER

KYLE MCGRATHDIRECTOR

MARSHALL MOUNTENOTDIRECTOR

MEGAN BARRIGERDIRECTOR

ROBERT WEGGELDIRECTOR

SANDRA PASCALBOARD CHAIR

STEPHEN ENGELDIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1994
Location: 235 W FOSTER ST STE 2, MELROSE, MA 02176-3005
County: Middlesex
In care of: SANDRA PASCAL
Primary officer: SANDRA PASCAL, BOARD CHAIR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailforestcamp@fells.org Phone(781) 662-2340

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2023
Tax period began: December 1, 2023
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: NON-PROFIT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC
NTEE classification: Animal-Related (D)
IRS tax category: Animal-Related
Grant-giving organization: Yes