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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: July 2025 Expires: July 2027

Sustainable Northwest

Standards Not Met
Standards Not Met
7 16 18
(503) 221-6911
233 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 200
Portland, OR, 97204
https://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Sustainable Northwest does not meet the following 3 Standards for Charity Accountability:

Standard 7 (Board Approval of Written Report on Effectiveness)
Submit to the organization's governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.

Sustainable Northwest does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization has not completed an effectiveness assessment in the last two years.

Standard 16 (Annual Report)
Have an annual report available to all, on request, that includes: (a) the organization's mission statement, (b) a summary of the past year's program service accomplishments, (c) a roster of the officers and members of the board of directors, (d) financial information that includes (i) total income in the past fiscal year, (ii) expenses in the same program, fund raising and administrative categories as in the financial statements, and (iii) ending net assets.

Sustainable Northwest does not meet this Standard because the 2023 annual report did not include:

  • A roster of the organization's board of directors.
  • A breakdown of major program service expenses (forests, water, energy, rangelands, and markets).
  • Total end of year net assets.

Standard 18 (Privacy for Written Appeals & Internet Privacy)
Address privacy concerns of donors by (a) providing in written appeals, at least annually, a means (e.g., such as a check off box) for both new and continuing donors to inform the charity if they do not want their name and address shared outside the organization, (b) providing a clear, prominent and easily accessible privacy policy on any of its websites that tells visitors (i) what information, if any, is being collected about them by the charity and how this information will be used, (ii) how to contact the charity to review personal information collected and request corrections, (iii) how to inform the charity (e.g., a check off box) that the visitor does not wish his/her personal information to be shared outside the organization, and (iv) what security measures the charity has in place to protect personal information.

Sustainable Northwest does not meet this Standard because:

  • The organization's website, https://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/, does not provide access to a privacy policy.

The BBB Wise Giving Alliance requested but did not receive complete information from the organization and is unable to verify the organization's compliance with the following Standard(s) for Charity Accountability: 14, 15

Sustainable Northwest meets the remaining 15 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to bring people, ideas, and innovation together so that nature, local economies, and rural communities can thrive."

Year, State Incorporated:
1994, OR

Sustainable Northwest reports that it partners with communities throughout the northwest to build community-led solutions and projects that promote smart water use, clean energy, and healthy forests, farms, and ranches. The organization orients solutions towards entrepreneurship, policy, market innovations, public and private investment, collaboration, and technical assistance. In 2023, Sustainable Northwest launched its regenerative ranching program, working with more than 120 ranches, covering seven million acres in 13 western states.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, Sustainable Northwest's program expenses were:

Forests $2,772,955
Markets $1,007,165
Rangelands $997,965
Water $936,781
Energy $482,027
Total Program Expenses $6,196,893

Chief Executive
Dylan Kruse, President

Compensation*
$180,000

Chair of the Board
John Rose

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Retired, Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation

Board Size
16

Paid Staff Size
34

*2024 compensation, as reported by the organization, includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Note: Dylan Kruse assumed the position of President in September 2024. In 2023, Greg Block served as the organization's President, receiving $158,758 in compensation.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Planned giving arrangements

Fundraising costs were 4% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $5,185,864, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Sustainable Northwest's audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Source of Funds
Government grants $3,830,029
Contributions $1,251,924
Contracts $301,955
Program services $192,240
Special events $103,911
Interest and dividend income $97,902
Other income $6,854
Total Income $5,784,815

Programs: 81% Fundraising: 3% Administrative: 16%

Total Income $5,784,815
Total expenses: $7,604,282
  Program expenses $6,196,893
  Fundraising expenses $226,672
  Administrative expenses $1,180,717
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-1,819,467
Beginning Net Assets $6,405,481
Other Changes In Net Assets $0
Ending Net Assets $4,586,014
Total Liabilities $1,057,246
Total Assets $5,643,260

Other Matter

Sustainable Northwest's 2023 audited financial statements identified:

  • "...certain deficiencies in internal compliance that we consider to be a material weakness and significant deficiency...material weakness over preparation of schedule of expenditures of federal awards. The organization should implement additional procedures and controls to accurately capture activity under federal awards in preparing the SEFA. Federal cost reimbursement revenue should be compared to amounts reported on the SEFA to ensure completeness and accuracy."

In response to the finding, the organization's responded:

  • "The Organization agrees with the auditor's recommendation. At the time of this audit's publishing, the Organization has implemented the payroll module in the accounting system so that expenses are tracked in one system."

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance