Mule Deer Foundation: $1.5M Revenue, $1.7M Program Expenses

The efficiency rubric puts Mule Deer Foundation at a B grade: a composite of 76/100 that lands above the national midpoint. The grade reflects solid program-spending discipline alongside reasonable executive compensation and financial reserves.

Mule Deer Foundation is a small nonprofit: $1.5M in 2022 revenue. Most organizations at this scale rely on a small core of recurring donors plus grant cycles, and the IRS Form 990-EZ short form is sometimes used in place of the full 990. Mule Deer Foundation directs 80% of its expenses to programs — above the third-party-rater threshold for an efficient organization.

Revenue has declined meaningfully over the five-year filing window — a pattern that warrants attention to underlying funding sustainability. Mule Deer Foundation's 2022 revenue is materially below its earlier filings. CEO compensation is reported as zero in the filing — typical for nonprofits where the chief executive is paid through a related entity (parent system, university, or foundation) rather than the filing organization itself, or for small organizations whose chief is a volunteer or board member. Mule Deer Foundation works in Environment & Animals — environmental, conservation, animal-welfare, and natural-resources programs. The sector spans large international conservation groups and small local land trusts; the financial profile varies accordingly.