Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP IS A COALITION THAT STRENGTHENS MEMBER EFFECTIVENESS AND BUILDS COLLECTIVE POWER TO SECURE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL MINNESOTANS.
- Income
- $525,249
- Spending
- $570,627
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- -1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $163,957, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 13% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 94% of charities in its peer group (environment, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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 June 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 (1)
- $439,341 spent. MINNESOTA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP (MEP) WORKS IN A UNIQUE WAY TO BRING TOGETHER THE ENERGIES AND PASSIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSERVATION NONPROFITS AND ALLIES INTO A SINGLE POWERFUL VOICE. WE WORK IN SYNCHRONY WITH OUR MEMBERS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL, AND WE EDUCATE AND MOBILIZE THE PUBLIC ON PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, INVESTMENTS, AND INTITATIVES.MEP'S PROGRAMS ARE FOCUSED ON PROTECTING AND RESTORING MINNESOTA'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND PROTECTING HUMAN HEALTH, WITH A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. MEP'S ONGOING INITIATIVES ARE OUTLINED BELOW WITH HIGHLIGHTS FROM FISCAL YEAR 2025.PROGRAM ONE: ACHIEVEMENTS IN CLEAN WATER WORK IN FY 2025INVESTING IN CLEAN WATER AND LIVING LANDSCAPESA LONGSTANDING PRIORITY ISSUE FOR MEP HAS BEEN EDUCATING DECISION-MAKERS AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DETRIMENTS OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION TO STREAMS, RIVERS, LAKES, AND DRINKING WATER. WE'VE ADVOCATED FOR SOLUTIONS LIKE THE FOREVER GREEN INITIATIVE, WHICH IS AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA THAT'S DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING NEW PERENNIAL AND WINTER ANNUAL MARKETABLE COVER CROPS TO PREVENT FARM RUNOFF, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, AND IMPROVE HABITAT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCY. MEP IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON THE FOREVER GREEN PARTNERSHIP CORE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE. PROTECTING OUR WATER FROM SULFIDE MININGPROPOSED SULFIDE MINES IN NORTHEAST MINNESOTA, INCLUDING THE POLYMET NORTHMET PROJECT, THE TALON MINE, AND THE TWIN METALS MINNESOTA PROJECT, THREATEN OUR LAKES AND RIVERS WITH SIGNIFICANT ONGOING WATER POLLUTION. MEP HAS LEVERAGED OUR POSITION TO CONVENE THE MEP MINING CLUSTER, WHICH HELPS GROUPS CONVENE, COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE ON THEIR STRATEGIES. CLUSTER MEMBER GROUPS HAVE LED SUCCESSFUL LEGAL CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE HALTED MOST OF POLYMET'S PERMITS SO THE PROJECT IS RECONSIDERING ITS MINING PROPOSAL. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE BEEN PUBLICLY HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGER, ESPECIALLY FROM MERCURY, TO DOWNSTREAM COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE ST. LOUIS RIVER WATERSHED AND LAKE SUPERIOR. PROGRAM TWO: ACHIEVEMENTS IN PROTECTING THE GREAT LAKES IN FY 2025MINNESOTA IS THE HEADWATERS STATE FOR THE GREAT LAKES, WITH 190 MILES OF RUGGED LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE AMONG ITS NATURAL ASSETS. FEDERAL ADVOCACYMEP'S COALITION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE (GLRI), A LONG-TERM REGIONAL PLAN TO RESTORE THE LAKES AND STIMULATE THE REGION'S ECONOMY. THE MEP COALITION HAS EDUCATED DECISION MAKERS IN DC ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF FULL FUNDING FOR GLRI, AS WELL AS LEVERAGING STATE DOLLARS THROUGH THE LEGACY AMENDMENT AND THE BONDING BILL. MEP ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN THE HEALING OUR WATERS COALITION, AND WITH THAT COALITION WE ARE GROWING OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES. MEP LED TWO EDUCATIONAL VISITS WITH CONGRESSIONAL STAFF ON GREAT LAKES ISSUES, IN OCTOBER 2024 AND MARCH 2025, WHERE CITIZENS WERE ABLE TO TALK DIRECTLY WITH THEIR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES. IN ADDITION TO THE WORK OF OTHER STAFF, MEP EMPLOYED A NORTHEAST MINNESOTA ORGANIZER IN OUR DULUTH OFFICE FOR THIS WORK.PROGRAM 3: ACHIEVEMENTS IN CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN FY 2025ORGANIZING IN THE CLIMATE JUSTICE COMMUNITYMEP STAFF CONTINUED TO MAKE SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTIONS WITH STATEWIDE AND TWIN CITIES-BASED FRONTLINE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ESPECIALLY GROUPS THAT DEAL WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE ISSUES. SOME OF THE MAJOR POLICY ISSUES MEP STAFF HAVE ADDRESSED INCLUDE NEW CUMULATIVE IMPACTS RULEMAKING AND INNOVATIVE FUNDING FOR CONSERVATION WORK IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY FOLLOWING THE REDEDICATION OF THE STATE LOTTERY PROGRAM. THIS YEAR MEP FACILITATED THE START-UP OF A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE IN DULUTH.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 June 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 March 2001.
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.
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