Northern Forest Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Northern Forest Center creates bold possibilities that give rise to vibrant Northern Forest communities and envisions a thriving and welcoming Northern Forest region sustained by innovation and environmental stewardship.
- Income
- $8.9 million
- Spending
- $8.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 6.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 19
- Highest pay
- $197,963, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.3 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $5.5 million spent. Developing vibrant rural communities: the Center strengthens the vitality of rural communities and their ability to attract new residents and entrepreneurs. The Center served 56 communities through programs, investment, fundraising assistance, and project implementation; continued property redevelopment (through our subsidiary Sustainable Forest Futures); and delivered complementary programming in 10 focal communities including Bethel, Greenville, and Millinocket, ME; Tupper Lake, Chester, and Elizabethtown, NY; and Newport and St. Johnsbury, VT. Highlights of FY25 include: Completed redevelopment of historic buildings in St. Johnsbury, VT, and Bethel ME, into 9 apartments each for area residents and workers. Continued to manage Maine West, a collaborative of diverse non-profits in Bethel, Rumford, South Paris, and Norway, ME, to implement projects to secure economic, education, health and conservation benefits. Secured a $1.2-million grant from the US Department of Labor to create and support a workforce development program serving 4 school districts and the Katahdin Higher Education Center in the Moosehead-Katahdin region and managed a similar program serving 4 school districts in Western Maine. Implemented the fourth year of the Attracting New Residents Strategy in the Adirondacks through downtown revitalization, community-based recreation, community marketing, and middle-market housing in Tupper Lake and Elizabethtown, NY. Invested more than $100,000 in trail and recreation improvements focused on serving community-oriented projects, reducing barriers to youth participation in outdoor recreation, and improving trail sustainability across Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the Adirondacks. Doubled the size of the Bike Borderlands collaborative by adding locations serving Caroga, the High Peaks, and the Upper Hudson regions of NY; Stowe, Newport, and Williston, VT; Mt. Washington Valley, NH; and the Moosehead region of ME to expand quality mountain biking experiences for residents and visitors while stewarding the natural landscape and securing economic benefits for communities. The new locations join ongoing Borderlands members in Gorham, Franconia, and Littleton, NH; Bethel and Carrabassett Valley, ME; East Burke and Craftsbury, VT; and East Hereford, Quebec.Details are available at www.northernforest.org.
- $1.3 million spent. Catalyzing innovation in the forest economy: The Center helps create and improve jobs and build local wealth through opportunities that advance a regional land ethic and sustainable use of the forest. Highlights: Wood Heat: Since inception, the "Feel Good Heat" program has reduced greenhouse gas impact by 13,648 tons by substituting wood pellets for more than 2 million gallons of fossil fuels, generating $13.4 million in positive economic impact for the region. Wood Products Business Assistance: The Center supported 1,650 jobs by: providing custom business and marketing assistance to 49 wood products businesses; providing 9 wood products CEOs from ME and VT with business assistance throughout the year through the Northern Forest Board Forum; and coaching 34 wood product businesses to use their wood-origin stories in their marketing through the online workshop "Telling Your Forest Story." Forest Stewardship: The Center advocated for a holistic approach to forest management that includes the forest, the economy, societal benefits, and the communities that rely on the forest; supported the communities of Otisfield and Gilead, ME to create new Community Forests; worked with 8 Community Forests in the Androscoggin Valley of NH and ME to strengthen forest climate resilience; and engaged more 300 people through webinars on forest stewardship to broaden understanding of the roles and benefits of forests. Outdoor Recreation Development: The Center partnered with 61 communities, 80 partner organizations, and more than 100 businesses to improve trails and other outdoor recreation opportunities that attract visitors and provide amenities for residents. We completed a recreation investment strategy to help guide development of the outdoor recreation economy in Maine's Katahdin region and launched similar project focused on Northern NH and the Northeast Kingdom of VT; assisted communities in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, Coos County, NH, and Oxford County, ME, to manage for sustainable tourism and quality of life for residents through initiatives spawned by the Rural Tourism Academy, including continued implementation of new wayfinding systems in Newport, VT and the Katahdin region of ME; and provided strategic development support for sustainable tourism to businesses in the Moosehead Lake region of ME. Details are available at www.northernforest.org.
- $326,650 spent. In FY25, the Center led collaborators to develop an initiative that is now a finalist for National Science Foundation funding that could bring more than $160 million of investment to propel innovation in the regional forest economy. Across all programs, the Center served and collaborated with 109 communities, more than 200 businesses and organizations, and 265 partners toward our vision of thriving and welcoming Northern Forest region sustained by innovation and environmental stewardship. Highlights: Community Investment: Invested more than $10 million to create new housing priced attainably for middle-income residents in focal communities. Regional Collaboration and Capacity Building: Secured or leveraged $5.9 million of investment to support broadband expansion, workforce training, community infrastructure, trail building and outdoor recreation projects.Advocacy: Represented Northern Forest issues on regional and national advisory groups to elevate awareness of opportunities and challenges; engaged federal agencies to deliver innovative programs and enhance delivery of funding to rural communities. Knowledge Sharing: To increase connectivity, knowledge, and collaboration among communities, the Center engaged more than 1,200 viewers and participants in webinars about forest stewardship and climate mitigation, ways to strengthen communities, and how to expand and sustain outdoor recreation opportunities. We continued to curate the long-running bi-monthly Northern Forest News Digest for 3,300 subscribers.Details are available at www.northernforest.org.
- Fees paid for board meetings
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending April 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1996.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.