Overview
What is Thorne Ecological Institute?
Thorne Ecological Institute is a nonprofit organization located in Boulder, Colorado. With a dedicated team of 81 employees, the Institute focuses on connecting youth with nature to foster a lifelong love for the environment. They achieve this mission through three core programs: school programs, summer camps, and early childhood education programs. School programs engage over 10,000 students annually through classroom presentations, field trips, and after-school programs, fostering academic learning and nature connection. Their in-school program expands students' knowledge in science and literacy, while field trips offer hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences. The after-school program allows participants to deepen their connection to nature by exploring their schoolyard with experienced nature mentors. Summer camps provide youth with the opportunity to explore local grasslands, evergreen forests, and wetland habitats, fostering a spirit of play and learning. In 2022, the Institute served 1092 campers, with 26% of families receiving a scholarship. Early childhood education programs offer a unique preschool experience that fosters the development of the whole child and nature connection through daily immersion in nature. Additionally, the Institute provides programming for Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza, a collaboration to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation programming to underserved Lafayette youth. During 2021, the program will expand into the City of Boulder with hopes of expanding to Longmont in 2022. Overall, Thorne Ecological Institute is dedicated to building earth stewardship by connecting youth to nature through joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences.
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
What are the reviews and ratings of this charity?
Charity Navigator Rating: 97% (Four-Star out of Four Star rating)
Thorne Ecological Institute has achieved an impressive 97% rating on Charity Navigator, indicating a strong performance in accountability and finance. This high score reflects the organization’s commitment to transparency and responsible financial management, which is crucial for gaining the trust of donors and stakeholders.
The institute boasts a fully independent board, comprising 15 members, and has received perfect scores in various areas such as financial oversight and conflict of interest policies. Additionally, 83.29% of its expenses are directed towards programs, showcasing its focus on achieving its mission over excessive administrative costs. Furthermore, the organization has a minimal fundraising efficiency ratio of $0.09, indicating it spends very little to raise funds.
While the rating highlights the organization's strengths, it does not provide insight into its programmatic impact or community feedback. However, the financial metrics suggest that Thorne Ecological Institute is well-managed and efficient in resource allocation, which is a positive indicator for potential supporters and partners.
This AI summary has been generated from information found on Charity Navigator.
Is Thorne Ecological Institute legitimate?
Thorne Ecological Institute is a legitimate nonprofit organization registered as a 501(c)(3) entity. Thorne Ecological Institute submitted a form 990, which is a tax form used by tax-exempt organizations in the U.S., indicating its operational transparency and adherence to regulatory requirements. Donations to this organization are tax deductible.
Heare are some key statistics you may want to consider:
Executive Compensation: $133,072
Professional Fundraising Fees: $0
Other Salaries and Wages: $1,125,172
For more financial information, click here
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
What is the mission statement of Thorne Ecological Institute?
The Thorne Ecological Institute's mission is geared towards fostering environmental stewardship among youth. This is achieved by connecting them to nature through engaging, hands-on, and place-based environmental education experiences. The Institute accomplishes this mission primarily through three core programs, which serve Boulder County youth. These programs include school programs, summer camps, and early childhood education programs, all designed to cultivate a deep connection to nature. Through these programs, students learn about natural science concepts, develop empathy for other living things, and foster a lifelong love for nature exploration. Additionally, the Institute is also a backbone organization for Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza, a collaborative effort to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation programming to underserved youth.
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
Who is the CEO of Thorne Ecological Institute?
Keith Desrosiers is the Executive Di of Thorne Ecological Institute.
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
What is the revenue of Thorne Ecological Institute?
Thorne Ecological Institute's revenue in 2022 was $3,202,535.
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
Who are the executives of Thorne Ecological Institute and what are their salaries?
The average compensation at Thorne Ecological Institute during 2022 was $15,534. There are 81 employees and 232 volunteers at Thorne Ecological Institute.
Here are 22 key members and their salaries:
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Official website here: www.thornenature.org
Where can I find the form 990 for Thorne Ecological Institute?
Thorne Ecological Institute's most recent form 990 was submitted in 2022 and can be accessed here.
Official website here: www.thornenature.org
Learn more at the official website: www.thornenature.org
Mission Statement of Thorne Ecological Institute
The Thorne Ecological Institute, a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to fostering earth stewardship by connecting youth to nature through enjoyable, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences. This endeavor is accomplished through three core programs, primarily serving Boulder County youth.
School programs engage over 10,000 students annually, enhancing academic learning and promoting nature connection through classroom presentations, field trips, and after-school programs. The in-school program, in particular, expands students' knowledge in science and literacy through a three-class series of lessons that incorporate interactive explorations, inquiry-based experiments, and writing a picture book. Each second-grade student also receives a full-day nature field trip to a local open space area, providing a fun, hands-on, place-based environmental education experience that teaches natural science concepts and encourages empathy for other living things.
In addition to school programs, Thorne offers an immersive 12-week after-school program for students who have enjoyed in-school programs, allowing them to deepen their connection to nature by exploring in and around their schoolyard with experienced nature mentors. During the summer, the institute provides youth ages 5-15 with the opportunity to explore local grassland, evergreen forest, and wetland habitats, encouraging them to follow their unique interests while seamlessly integrating learning from nature's classroom. In 2022, the summer camp served 1092 campers, with 26% of families receiving a scholarship.
Lastly, Thorne engages youth ages 3-6 in a unique preschool experience that fosters the development of the whole child and nature connection through daily immersion in nature with caring, attentive mentors. The institute also offers a Lil-Explorers parent and child program, designed to build the knowledge, skills, and interest needed to foster a lifelong love of nature exploration for the entire family. Moreover, Thorne is the backbone and provides programming for Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza (NKJN), a collaborative effort with over 20 organizations to provide pre-K to high school, backyard to backcountry, and family-integrated environmental education and outdoor recreation programming to underserved Lafayette youth. NKJN has also helped to build over 2.5 million dollars in parks and trails to ensure all Lafayette youth live within a safe 10-minute walk to nature. In 2021, the NKJN program began expansion into the City of Boulder with hopes of expanding to Longmont in 2022.
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Impact
June, 2024
Thorne Ecological Institute's impact can be seen through its commitment to building earth stewardship by connecting youth to nature through joyful, hands-on, place-based environmental education experiences. Through their core programs, Thorne annually engages over 10,000 students in Boulder County. Their school programs provide interactive explorations, inquiry-based experiments, and nature field trips to teach natural science concepts and foster empathy for other living things.
Additionally, Thorne's summer camps offer youth the opportunity to explore local habitats with experienced mentors, encouraging play and learning in nature. The institute's early childhood education programs focus on fostering the development of the whole child and nature connection through daily immersion in nature.
Notably, Thorne is also involved in the Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza (NKJN) program, a collaborative effort with 20 organizations to provide environmental education and outdoor recreation programming to underserved Lafayette youth. NKJN has helped build parks and trails to ensure all Lafayette youth have access to nature within a 10-minute walk. The program is expanding to the city of Boulder in 2021 with plans to reach Longmont in 2022.
In summary, Thorne Ecological Institute's impact is evident in its dedication to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards by engaging youth in meaningful and immersive nature experiences, fostering a lifelong connection to the environment and promoting equity in access to nature-based education and recreation.
This information is meant to be a general summary of Thorne Ecological Institute. Please take the time to review official sources before making any decisions based upon the content provided here.
Financials
This financial information is from Propublica.
Other financial information:
This information is from the most recently submitted tax form from this organization, which was in 2022.
- Investment Income: $34,101
- Program Service Revenue: $1,153,735
- Gross Receipts: $3,206,511
Assets and Liabilities:
- Total Assets: $4,978,223
- Total Liabilities: $495,251
- Net Assets: $4,482,972
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Programs
Programs are reported by nonprofits in their tax forms and are normally their tax-exempt activities.
PROGRAM FEES
Revenue
$1,153,735
Organization Details
Founding Year
1954
Phone
(303) 499-3647Principal Officer
Keith Desrosiers
Main Address
PO BOX 19107, BOULDER, CO, 80308
Website
www.thornenature.orgNTEE Category
Code: C60Z - Environment
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