National Head Start Association

Overview

Mission

Nhsa's mission is to coalesce, inspire, and support the head start field as a leader in early childhood development and education.

What it reported doing in 2024

Professional development: professional development services include training opportunities for individuals working in head start agencies, early education programs, and allied organizations. Events promote evidence-based education sessions, networking, innovative leadership, and performance excellence.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 70% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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
521282065
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Headquarters
Alexandria, VA, USA
Phone
7037390875
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 72
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 83.1%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $261.72 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 98.1%; rating input score 98; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 26.9%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.08; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.9%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64% of revenue deployed · 83.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 51 of 52 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $9.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $495K · 60 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 annual filings from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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

60 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • YASMINA VINCI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $494,784 total reported compensation
  • ROBIN ESSANDOH (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $324,278 total reported compensation
  • DEBORAH BERGERON (DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INNOV): $307,528 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.