Forest Park Forever
Forest Park Forever reported $42.3 million in revenue and $21.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $78.72 went to program services, $9.91 to management and general costs and $11.37 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 79.2% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $462,848 (PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 108% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $21MFor context, the median across 371 covered environment charities: $85.82 programs, $10.80 management, $3.38 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $42M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$78.80 $33M
- Government grants$0.22 $93,646
- Program service revenue$0.79 $336K
- Investment income$20.19 $8.6M
Other revenue was negative: −$87,879. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.7% | 83.6% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.9% | 10.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 11.4% | 3.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 79.2% | 87.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.2% | 4.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.8% | 3.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $462,848 | $293,532 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.18% | 1.74% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 7 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 138.2 | 18.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 31 of 31 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expensePark operations and maintenance: Forest Park Forever partners with the city of st. Louis to maintain the city's largest park to accommodate 15.5 million visitors annually. Our nonprofit employs a team of horticulturists, gardeners, nature reserve technicians and an ecologist to maintain the park's landscapes and natural areas, and engineering, maintenance and landscape architecture professionals who coordinate with the city and contractors to maintain and repair park infrastructure, including sidewalks and roads, recreational facilities and fields, statues and monuments
Forest Park Forever maintains funding to be able to flexibly address the park's long-term and short-term needs while ensuring continued park access for visitors. Funds are also raised for multi-year capital projects that restore or improve major park features, and which Forest Park Forever implements. In 2024 such projects included completing the multi-year restoration of three lakes on the east side of the park, constructing basketball courts in the north of the park near other court sports amenities, and completing design for the redevelopment and construction of steinberg skating rink…
Education, volunteer, and visitor services - Forest Park Forever operates the dennis and judith jones visitor and education center in partnership with explore st. Louis. This center welcomes and assists park users by providing Forest Park maps, information and directions and access to visitor resources for the st. Louis region. The center also serves as a gathering spot for runners, walkers and cyclists, birders, and various fitness groups. Visitor services are delivered via trained and knowledgeable paid staff and volunteers. The center includes a cafe, special event and meeting spaces…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $357,356 | $0 | $105,492 | $462,848 |
| SVP-FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $242,208 | $0 | $39,014 | $281,222 |
| SVP-OPERATIONS Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $232,272 | $0 | $34,751 | $267,023 |
| SVP-DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $225,960 | $0 | $36,476 | $262,436 |
| DIRECTOR-PLANNING AND PROJECTS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $159,821 | $0 | $18,506 | $178,327 |
| DIRECTOR-DEVELOPMENT AND CAMPAIGNS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $145,182 | $0 | $17,673 | $162,855 |
| DIRECTOR-LAND MANAGEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $129,659 | $0 | $31,189 | $160,848 |
| VP-FINANCE AND TREAUSRY MANAGEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $139,142 | $0 | $16,035 | $155,177 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Forest Park Forever (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.2M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b31 · 31 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5110
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,911
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| CHRISTNER ARCHITECTS Consulting | $3,967,409 |
| BYRNE & JONES ENTERPRISES Construction | $1,157,396 |
| TRUSS BROTHERS INC Construction | $500,240 |
| COMMUNITY COUNSELING SERVICES Counseling services | $461,928 |
| STORMWATER EROSION SPECIALISTS Construction | $440,150 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
85 private foundations reported grants to Forest Park Forever totaling $3.3M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Forest Park Forever's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Forest Park Forever, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Forest Park Forever spent in 2024, $78.72 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
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Questions people ask
How much of Forest Park Forever's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Forest Park Forever reported that 78.7% of its $21.2 million in expenses went to program services, 9.9% to management and general and 11.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Forest Park Forever pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Forest Park Forever reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $462,848, for the role of PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Forest Park Forever get its money?
Of $42.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 79.2% came from contributions and grants (including 0.2% from government grants) and 0.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Forest Park Forever a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 43-1427062 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202503149349304235 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413189349306286 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202343179349310949 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202203199349321230 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123199349315997 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202033149349302913 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 43-1427062: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.