Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative is a 501(c)(12) organization based in Bemidji, Minnesota, registered in 1958, with $77,772,539 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+.
Revenue (FY2024)
$77.8M
▲ 0.2% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2024)
$76.6M
Net assets
$151.8M
Employees
171
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. Not scored for Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative: 24 mo reserves · +1% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative: 4 of 6 checks met earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative: 3 of 5 disclosure signals earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Provide telecommunication services to cooperative members that improves their lives.
Revenue grew from $58.2M (FY2013) to $77.8M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
1.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$196.5M
Total liabilities
$44.7M
Net assets
$151.8M
Salaries & benefits
$6.8M
9% of expenses
Board members
7
7 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $77,772,539▲0.2% | $76,627,300▼0.1% | $151,835,775▲4.3% | $196,528,571▲3.8% | 990 |
| 2023 | $77,599,527▲2.3% | $76,689,624▲1.2% | $145,602,050▲10.3% | $189,335,170▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $75,862,439▲2.2% | $75,761,663▲4.2% | $132,064,679▲9.4% | $175,241,374▲4.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $74,199,172▲2.7% | $72,704,100▲2.5% | $120,766,602▲10.4% | $167,591,032▲6.9% | 990 |
| 2020 | $72,224,060▲3.8% | $70,908,348▲2.0% | $109,404,830▲11.1% | $156,844,472▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $69,588,636▲13.6% | $69,491,606▲13.7% | $98,488,749▲15.2% | $148,423,793▲6.2% | 990 |
| 2018 | $61,234,321▲5.1% | $61,142,978▲5.2% | $85,471,409▲4.5% | $139,818,282▲1.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $58,237,860▲0.4% | $58,139,775▲0.4% | $81,827,694▲4.7% | $138,372,439▲3.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $57,979,903▲2.6% | $57,898,099▲2.9% | $78,123,464▲4.7% | $133,147,502▼0.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $56,510,216▼3.2% | $56,266,350▼3.5% | $74,584,826▲4.6% | $133,895,359▼1.3% | 990 |
| 2014 | $58,371,585▲0.4% | $58,293,824▲0.4% | $71,313,981▲9.1% | $135,649,469 | 990 |
| 2013 | $58,153,014 | $58,072,781▲9.2% | $65,375,846▲11.7% | $135,607,656▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $53,176,403▲12.8% | $58,526,386▲5.6% | $135,689,145▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $47,156,756▲1.9% | $55,428,909▲4.7% | $136,020,054▲7.0% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $46,255,164 | $52,947,786 | $127,159,561 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Gary Johnson — $454,434 (0.59% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Johnson | Ceo & Gm | 40 | $454,434 |
| Dave Schultz | Chief Financial Officer (jan - Nov) | 40 | $326,787 |
| Chad Bullock | Asst. Ceo | 40 | $272,822 |
| Steve Howard | Info, Tech & Development M | 40 | $226,838 |
| Robert St Clair | Chief Network Officer | 40 | $219,402 |
| Leo Anderson | Chief Technology Officer | 40 | $212,835 |
| Christie Turn | Chief Operating Officer | 40 | $211,044 |
| Lisa Geerdes | Network Technology Manager | 40 | $128,056 |
| Terri Crews | Accounting Supervisor | 40 | $121,802 |
| Ryan Otting | Network Operations Manager | 40 | $118,963 |
| Crystal Mattfield | It Supervisor | 40 | $116,868 |
| Grant Hikok | Data Service Rep - Video | 40 | $115,226 |
| Craig Boyer | Chief Financial Officer (dec) | 40 | $76,683 |
| Tim Hins | Treasurer | 2 | $48,149 |
| James Sutton | Vice President | 2 | $46,801 |
| Randy Frisk | President | 2 | $42,575 |
| Tracy Mistic-schaar | Director | 2 | $42,009 |
| Bruce Campbell | Secretary | 2 | $39,908 |
| Brian Nicklason | Director | 2 | $34,093 |
| Glenda Martin | Director | 2 | $24,174 |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| North Central Service Inc | Fiber Construction | $8,380,643 |
| Cooperative Development LLC | Fiber Construction | $5,587,239 |
| National Information Solutions Cooperati | Software/hardware Development and Suppor | $1,110,276 |
| Cooperative Network Services LLC | Engineering | $684,766 |
| Tj Underground Inc | Fiber Construction | $326,031 |
Explore more
Data for Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative (EIN 41-0745441) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.