Detroit Public Schools Foundation

Overview

Mission

DPSFs mission is to create and enhance educational opportunities for over 50,000 Detroit Public Schools Community Districts students, families and educators. DPS Foundation was organized to ensure DPS, now DPSCD student and families to reach their full potential. This is achieved by executing fiducary responsibilities over donations.

What it reported doing in 2024

DPSF oversees 18MM in funding to provide resources and wraparound supportive services to families, academic enrichment and career and college-ready preparedness to students, and training and development programs to teachers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 91% of its reported program spending out as grants.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
300135450
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Detroit, MI, USA
Phone
3138733348
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 48
  • Transparency & Controls: 78
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 19.9%; rating input score 20
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $53.77 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 78.6%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.8%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.2% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 19.9% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $175K · 20 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $408K reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 27 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • KERRIE M MITCHELL (PRESIDENT CEO): $175,050 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.