Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute

Overview

Mission

To train youth to combat the inequalities of education; to inspire cultivate, and train youth with leadership potential to bring about a more disciplined approach to problem identification and resolution of issues that impact eduation policies.

What it reported doing in 2025

The Institute sponsored a no-cost, 9-week summer enrichment program that served 30 youth from Montgomery, Alabama. This program was designed to advance the development of leadership and civic responsibility among underserved students. The program concluded with a four-day educational trip to Atlanta, GA, where participants met with public officials and engaged in structured visits to cultural, historical, and governmental sites. All activities were provided to students free of charge.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
030572855
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Headquarters
Montgomery, AL, USA
Phone
3348680277
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 41
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 66
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 45.1%; rating input score 45
  • Program expense ratio: 48.6%; rating input score 49
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7.3%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.3; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.8%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 45.1% of revenue deployed · 48.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $158K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $42K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 annual filings from 2017 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • DORIS D CRENSHAW (PRESIDENT/CEO): $41,500 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.