Bay Area Ridge Trail Council

“Form 990 is prepared by an outside tax professional. The form is then reviewed by the organization's management. After a full review, the final version of the tax return is provided to all members of the organization's voting body. A representative of management authorizes the final form 990 which is then e-filed with the internal revenue service.”

“Members of the Board of Directors review all potential conflicts of interest periodically. Top management and all Board members are required to disclose potential conflicts and any related party affiliations. The organization seeks full transparency on all relationships. Any potential conflicts (in fact or appearance) are discussed openly and resolved in accordance with the organization's policies and procedures.”

“The Executive Director's salary is reviewed as part of an annual evaluation process. The salary and bonus (if any) is proposed by the Executive Committee and approved by the Board. It is documented as an approved action in (closed session) meeting minutes. Every effort is made to ensure that the process is thorough and transparent in accordance with IRS guidelines and the organization's policies and procedures.”

“Compensation of other personnel and highly compensated employees is reviewed periodically by members of management. Efforts are made to secure compensation data from industry sources in order to determine competitiveness and appropriateness of salaries and all related benefits. All decisions are then documented in personnel files.”

“Tax returns are available for download from several websites and by request from the organization's office in Berkeley, California.”

“All of the organization's governing documents, financial statements, and other legal filings are maintained in a secure environment and held available for inspection by tax authorities and the general public. Tax returns are posted annually to our website and to www.guidestar.org (where they are available for viewing as electronic copies) and are also available by request from the organization's office.”