The Center for Energy Education Fka Solar Center for Excellence

Overview

Mission

To provide a cutting-edge space where education, research and industry-leading professionals work and learn side by side. A space where the local community finds the inspiration and opportunities to become the solar professionals and advocates of tomorrow.

What it reported doing in 2024

"solarfest" community event held to showcase how solar energy and agriculture can work together to strengthen economic opportunities and sustainability in rural and underserved communities. Participants learned how clean energy is driving new job creation, business investment, and educational pathways across rural North Carolina. Approximately 700 people in attendance.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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
472079791
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2014
Headquarters
Roanoke Rapids, NC, USA
Phone
2525413004
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Energy Resources Conservation and Development

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. 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: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 70
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.1%; rating input score 57
  • Program expense ratio: 87.5%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 35.3%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.51; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 23.9% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 30.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.1% of revenue deployed · 87.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $996K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 annual filings from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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

Highest reported compensation

  • MOZINE LOWE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $100,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.