The Ridges Sanctuary INC

Tax-deductible

Baileys Harbor, WI501(c)(3)Since 1937AnimalsEIN 39-1044657Revenue $2.3M in FY2025

On file with the IRSridgessanctuary.org8166 WI Hwy 57, 54202-0000 · Baileys Harbor, WITax-exempt since Jun 1965Publicly supported — 509(a)(2)

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To protect the natural areas in door county known as "the Ridges Sanctuary and inspire stewardship of natural areas through programs of education, outreach, and research.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 248 volunteers and 22 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $588K a year · 33% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$89K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 64% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
20 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 20.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
16
named funders · $582K
Looks good: 16 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$86K
0.5% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
15
of 15 voting members
Looks good: 15 of 15 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.3M
+14% vs prior year
Spent
$1.5M
To programs
77%
Net assets
$16.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$2.3M
FY2025▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.0M
FY2022$1.6M
FY2023$2.0M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$2.3M
Expenses
$1.5M
FY2025▲ +6%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$770K
FY2022$1.0M
FY2023$1.3M
FY2024$1.4M
FY2025$1.5M
Net assets
$16.9M
FY2025▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$11.3M
FY2022$13.5M
FY2023$14.5M
FY2024$15.5M
FY2025$16.9M

From the FY2025 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1965.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $1.1M Management & general 11% · $167K Fundraising 11% · $166K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

16 people listed on the 990; $89K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$89,250Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Katie Krouse’s $89K as Executive Director is at the 36th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1137 $1–10M animals nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2020
Steve Leonard————$100,188
Katie Krouse$89,250————
Katherine Krouse—$82,281———
Andy Gill———$78,865—
Andrew Gill—$59,182$70,164——

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See The Ridges Sanctuary INC executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Protects natural areas and inspires stewardship through education, outreach, and research.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.1M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Operation of sanctuary and nature store, nature studies, workshops and lectures which are open to members and the general public.

$1.1Mprogram expense
02

Youth programs expanded into a state registered day camp for preschool programs per season. School programs expanded for kindergarten to 6TH grade at gibraltar elementary school. Youth programs were adapted to virtual experience in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

$6Kprogram expense
03

Dragonfly nature.

$664program expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 16 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Investment incomeLn 3$250K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$246K
Money outPt IX
$1.5M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.1M
Managementcol C$167K
Fundraisingcol D$166K
Owns and owesPt X
$16.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.5M
Total assetsLn 16$17.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$86K
PeoplePt VI, VII
16
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a15
IndependentVI 1b15
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Government grantsLn 1e$43K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$12K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$246K
Investment incomeLn 3$250K
Other incomeLn 4–11$132K
Gains on assetsLn 7$40K
Total revenueLn 12$2.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$495K
SavingsLn 2$2.0M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$2.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$4.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$9.4M
Other assetsLn 15$175K
Total assetsLn 16$17.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$86K
Net assetsLn 32$16.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 522
VolunteersI 6248
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$2.0M$2.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13$4.1M$4.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$9.1M$9.4M
Total assetsLn 16$15.6M$17.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$74K$86K
Net assetsLn 32$15.5M$16.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$89K$45K$22K$22K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$605K$507K$25K$73K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$28K$28K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$37K$30K$1K$6K
Payroll taxesLn 10$56K$45K$4K$7K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$8K$8K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3K$33$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$16K$379$15K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$107K$36K$51K$19K
OccupancyLn 16$47K$26K$22K
TravelLn 17$5K$4K$585$46
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$180K$143K$12K$25K
InsuranceLn 23$43K$34K$3K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$239K$234K$5K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.5M$1.1M$167K$166K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $2.3M$1.5M$814K$16.9M 990 PDF
FY2024 $2.0M$1.4M$625K$15.5M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.0M$1.3M$680K$14.5M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.6M$1.0M$580K$13.5M 990 PDF
FY2021 Not on file
FY2020 $1.0M$770K$239K$11.3M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $2,279,054 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,519,226$1,650,766
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $207,164$245,886
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $163,221$250,116
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $112,747$132,286
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $2,002,358$2,279,054
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $704,514$814,900
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $672,811$649,658
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,377,325$1,464,558
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $625,033$814,496
Part VI · Governance 15 of 15 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body15
VI-1b Independent voting members15
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $2,279,054 across 11 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $71,904 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1b Membership dues$110,010
VIII-1e Government grants$43,458
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,497,298
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$12,042
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,650,766
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $245,886$245,886
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $210,487$210,487
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $39,629$39,629
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $12,719$12,719
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $47,663$47,663
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $293,549 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $334,739$2,279,054
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,464,558 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $44,625 · Management $22,313 · Fundraising $22,313$89,251
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $506,749 · Management $25,131 · Fundraising $72,632$604,512
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $28,471$28,471
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $29,820 · Management $1,349 · Fundraising $5,883$37,052
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $44,621 · Management $3,852 · Fundraising $7,141$55,614
IX-11b Legal feesFundraising $1,500$1,500
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $7,629$7,629
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $33 · Management $3,124$3,157
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $379 · Management $14,652 · Fundraising $1,060$16,091
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $36,274 · Management $51,294 · Fundraising $19,226$106,794
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $25,772 · Management $21,618$47,390
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,038 · Management $585 · Fundraising $46$4,669
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $143,422 · Management $12,341 · Fundraising $24,696$180,459
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $34,098 · Management $2,934 · Fundraising $5,872$42,904
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $233,830 · Fundraising $5,235$239,065
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,132,132 · Management $166,822 · Fundraising $165,604$1,464,558
Part X · Balance sheet $16,964,236 assets, 18 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $156,663$495,446
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $1,831,933$1,989,469
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $109,977$100,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $21,188$6,721
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $50,523$42,202
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $18,489$25,672
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $9,104,983$9,370,858
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $4,148,603$4,735,805
X-14 Intangible assets$23,077
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $156,253$174,986
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $15,598,612$16,964,236
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $73,524$78,237
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $114$7,738
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $73,638$85,975
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $6,365,218$6,650,086
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $9,159,756$10,228,175
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $15,524,974$16,878,261
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $15,598,612$16,964,236
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $16,878,261 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$2,279,054
XI-2 Total expenses$1,464,558
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$814,496
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$15,524,974
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$515,022
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$23,769
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$16,878,261

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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