Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty Inc

Overview

Mission

The shepherd higher education consortium on poverty (shecp) encourages the study of poverty as a complex social problem, by expanding and improving educational opportunities for college students in a wide range of disciplines and career trajectories. Through its programs, shecp and its member institutions prepare students for a lifetime of professional and civic efforts to diminish poverty and enhance human capability, while also supporting connections among students, faculty, staff, and alumni engaged in the study of poverty.overview of the consortium poverty studies education: student participation in shepherd consortium poverty studies begins with a gateway, introductory, interdisciplinary course on poverty. Students completing that course or a surrogate for it are eligible to participate in the internship program that is more fully described under program services. The internship is a key component of an education culminating in additional course work (including a capstone course or

What it reported doing in 2024

Internship program--shecp unites students with agencies that work in distressed communities. Shecp matches college students in full-time eight-week volunteer internships, serving organizations in cities and towns across the u.s. Students learn first hand about the multiple dimensions of poverty in the u.s. By working alongside individuals seeking to improve their communities. The agencies focus on education, healthcare, legal services, housing, hunger, social and economic needs, and community building efforts. Students work with agencies that fit their intellectual and professional interests in order to develop their experience and skills for future civic involvement and employment. Participating students are engaged in a competitive application and interview process at their home institution in order to be accepted into the program. The internship begins with a two day opening conference and ends with a two day closing conference. During the internship, students live and work together, creating new networks and friendships. Shecp coordinated and paid for traveling and housing, and each student received a stipend for food and commuting expenses.

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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
455507122
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Lexington, VA, USA
Phone
5404584594
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 67
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.7%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.53 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 8th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 30%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.96; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.7% of revenue deployed · 81.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $356K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 21 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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

12 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.