Achieving Dreams Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
263420635
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Champlin, MN, USA
Phone
7634242431
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,086,095
Expenses
$3,535,682
Assets
$2,910,002
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ERIC DAGGS (PRESIDENT)
  • NATALIE HANSEN (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • HOLLIS DAGGS (TREASURER/SECRETARY/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR): $70,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide financial help for the poor, distressed, and financially overburdened families and individuals, so they may participate in organized activities that build positive self-esteem, assist in personal development, allow for artistic inspiration, and/or advance education.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization receives the majority of its funds by conducting conscession stand operations at major sporting events in the state of Minnesota, using a volunteer workforce. From those contract payments the organization was able to do the following: provided financial help for the poor, distressed, and financially overburdened families and individuals, so youth could participate in organized activities (e.g. Dance classes, music lessons, and sports like youth football and gymnastics), build their self-esteem, participate in personal development and artistic expression, and/or advance educationally (e.g. Tuition costs from preschool to college). Achieving dreams helped over 1,000 young people in 2024 to get or stay involved in meaningful activities that both improved the individual as well as the community as a whole - by combating community deterioration and juvenile delinquency; getting or keeping youth in positive environments and safe places, avoiding the ill effects of idle, unsupervised time, and negative influences like gangs, drugs, and delinquency; and building a greater sense of community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 100% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 97% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.1%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 98.4%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 13.5%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.82; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 20.5% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23.9% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.1% of revenue deployed · 98.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.